Yusaku Akimoto

Yusaku Akimoto (秋本 祐作)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 154 lbs.

• High School Yokosuka Kogyo High School

• Born June 30, 1935 in Naka-gun, Kanagawa, Japan
• Died May 9, 2016 in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Yusaku Akimoto pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball for 18 years.

Akimoto was signed by the Hankyu Braves in 1956, but he only pitched 4 games in his rookie year. He recorded a 3.95 ERA in 22 games in 1957, then he entered the rotation in 1958. Akimoto went 14-4 with a 1.89 ERA, and he led the Pacific League with his .778 winning percentage. He also ranked 3rd in ERA (behind Kazuhisa Inao and Mutsuo Minagawa), 9th in wins (tied with Hisafumi Kawamura) and 10th in strikeouts (tied with Atsushi Aramaki). He only allowed 3 home runs in 205 innings, and it would be 50 years later that another pitcher allowed 3 or less homers in 200+ innings (Hisashi Iwakuma did it in 2008).

The Kanagawa native slumped to 3-9 with a 4.10 ERA in 1959, and he was 6-8 with a 3.40 ERA in 1960. Akimoto then went 6-10 with a 3.80 ERA in 1961, and he had a 2-7 record with a 4.09 ERA in 1962. He was removed from the rotation in 1963, and he pitched 26 games with a 4.16 ERA. Akimoto missed the 1964 season due to injuries, then he recorded a solid 1.81 ERA in 32 games in 1965. His ERA was 3.80 in 42 games in 1966, and he had a 3.78 ERA in 27 games in 1967.

Akimoto was sent to the Hiroshima Carp in 1968, and his ERA was 6.11 in 15 games in that season. He bounced back soon, having a 1.84 ERA in 39 games in 1969 and a 3.50 ERA in 28 games in 1970. After recording a 3.60 ERA in 30 games in 1971, Akimoto went to the Yomiuri Giants and his ERA was 3.00 in 19 games in 1972. He only pitched 3 games in 1973, then he announced his retirement. He became a professional golf player after retiring, and he passed away in 2016 due to heart attack.

Overall, Akimoto was 51-56 with a 3.34 ERA, struck out 763 and pitched 1,312 2/3 innings in 18 years in NPB.

Sources

• Wiki Japan
• NPB.com Bio