Atsushi Okamoto

1.1. Childhood and Education

Okamoto was born in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture. When he was in the fifth grade of elementary school, his family relocated to Nabari, Mie Prefecture, where he spent the remainder of his formative years.

1.2. High School and University Baseball Career

Okamoto attended Kaisei High School in Mie Prefecture. During his second year, in 1998, he served as the team's ace pitcher, showcasing a fastball that exceeded 87 mph ^{(140 km/h)}. His talent led Kaisei High School to participate in the 80th National High School Baseball Championship. The following year, in 1999, he guided his team to the quarter-finals of the 71st National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament. Although he aimed for a third consecutive appearance at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in the summer's Mie prefectural tournament, his team suffered a walk-off loss in the final, surrendering four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning after holding a three-run lead.

Despite receiving offers from NPB scouts, Okamoto decided against submitting a professional declaration to the Japan Student Baseball Association. Citing a lack of confidence in his physical strength, he opted to enroll in Meiji University. During his university career, he pitched in 48 games in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League, achieving a record of 12 wins and 8 losses, with an ERA of 2.41 and 161 strikeouts.

In the 2003 NPB Draft, Okamoto was selected by the Saitama Seibu Lions in the sixth round. He signed with the team under an estimated contract of 60.00 M JPY and an annual salary of 10.00 M JPY. He was assigned uniform number 28.

2.1. Early Years and Development (2004-2009)

Okamoto made his professional debut in 2004, appearing in 10 first-team games and recording 1 win and 1 loss. However, he struggled with control issues, issuing 15 walks and 5 hit batters over 28.0 IP, resulting in a high ERA of 9.32.

In 2005, a strong performance during open games raised expectations for him to secure a spot in the starting rotation. On April 1, he started the sixth game of the season against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, which was also the inaugural game at the Eagles' home stadium, Fullcast Stadium Miyagi. Despite pitching with a concealed right elbow injury, he allowed a leadoff home run to Koichi Isobe in the first inning, followed by a series of hits, leading to an early exit and a loss. He appeared in only three first-team games that season, with just one start, and his ERA worsened to 20.25. In the Eastern League, he pitched in 13 games, recording an ERA of 4.92.

Okamoto's struggles continued in the following years, as he appeared in 6 first-team games in 2006 and 2 games in 2007. He did not record any wins or losses in these seasons, and his control issues persisted, evidenced by 3 hit batters in 2007. In 2007, he made 25 appearances in the Eastern League, serving as both a starter and reliever, but his ERA reached 5.93. In 2008, he pitched in 14 first-team games, with a record of 0 wins and 2 losses and an ERA of 5.51. Following the 2008 season, he was diagnosed with a fatigue fracture in his hip, which required him to focus on rehabilitation throughout 2009, marking the first season in his professional career without a first-team appearance.

2.2. Transition to Bullpen Core (2010-2012)

In 2010, Okamoto performed well in the Eastern League and was promoted to the first team in July. On July 7, he secured his first first-team victory in six years against the Orix Buffaloes. Initially serving as a long reliever, often entering games when the starting pitcher exited early, his consistent performance earned the trust of manager Hisanobu Watanabe. As the summer progressed, he became a key fourth-option reliever behind Shuuichirou Osada, Taiyo Fujita, and Brian Shouse. When Osada and Fujita faced intermittent absences due to injuries, Okamoto stepped up as a setup pitcher. On September 15, in a game against the Orix Buffaloes at Skymark Stadium, he recorded his first career save by pitching two-thirds of an inning scoreless after entering with one out in the bottom of the ninth. He also appeared in two games of the 2010 Pacific League Climax Series, maintaining a scoreless record. However, after the series, a recurrence of his hip fatigue fracture was diagnosed.

Okamoto started the 2011 season in the first team for the first time in his career, despite his hip fracture not being fully healed. Due to the successive absences of Osada, Fujita, and Shouse, he was temporarily assigned the role of closer. A slump around June led to him losing the closer role to rookie Kazuhisa Makita and being removed from the active roster. After being re-registered in August, he excelled in high-leverage situations, often escaping inherited jams and serving as a setup man for Minche and Makita. From August 10 onward, he delivered an impressive performance over 26 relief appearances, allowing only one earned run for an ERA of 0.28 and accumulating 12 holds, significantly contributing to the team's comeback and qualification for the 2011 Pacific League Climax Series. All five of his regular season wins in 2011 were recorded in relief appearances from September onward. On November 13, the team announced that his uniform number would be changed to 22.

In 2012, Okamoto, alongside Hironori Matsunaga, served as a key middle reliever from the start of the season. Although he was briefly removed from the roster during the season, he returned to support the bullpen, including relievers like Osada, Randy Williams, and Hideaki Wakui. While his ERA in first-team games was higher than the previous two years, he set a career high with 59 appearances.

2.3. Later Career and Retirement (2013-2016)

Okamoto began the 2013 season with the first team but was removed from the active roster early in the season due to a strong starting rotation, which limited his appearances for about half a month. He did not return to the first team until late in the season, finishing with only 20 appearances. Although the team finished second in the regular season and advanced to the 2013 Pacific League Climax Series, Okamoto was not included on the playoff roster. Separately, on May 20-his birthday-he announced his marriage to a woman he had been dating since 2010.

In 2014, Okamoto again started the season with the first team but was removed from the active roster in late April. He was re-registered in early July. During that month, he appeared in 11 of the team's 16 games, posting an impressive 0.79 ERA. In August, he made 15 appearances in 26 team games, recording a 2.25 ERA, becoming a vital middle reliever alongside Shota Takekuma. He finished the season with 42 first-team appearances, a 1-1 record, and 11 holds, with an ERA of 2.75.

In 2015, Okamoto began the season strong with a series of scoreless relief appearances. He ended the season with 23 appearances, a 1-0 record, 5 holds, and an ERA of 3.05. However, in September, he underwent surgery on his right elbow.

In 2016, Okamoto was called up to the first team for the first time in mid-July but was removed from the active roster after only three appearances. On September 27, he announced his retirement from professional baseball at the end of the season. The following day, after being re-registered and holding a retirement press conference, he made his final professional appearance in the team's last game of the season against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at Seibu Prince Dome. Pitching in the seventh inning with a "one-batter" condition, he struck out Shota Ohno to conclude his 13-year career. The game was also notable as the one in which the Fighters clinched the Pacific League championship. On December 2, Okamoto was officially released as a free agent by NPB.

3.1. Pitching Style and Repertoire

Okamoto's pitching style was characterized by his aggressive approach, primarily utilizing a fastball that averaged around 89 mph ^{(143 km/h)} and reached a maximum velocity of 94 mph ^{(151 km/h)}. His main secondary pitch was a changeup. He also incorporated a variety of other breaking balls, including a slider, a forkball, and a shuuto.

3.2. Challenges and Injuries

Upon joining the Lions, Okamoto's career was hampered by significant control issues and a lack of a definitive "out" pitch, which delayed his consistent presence in the first team until his seventh season in 2010, when he was 29 years old. Furthermore, the hip fatigue fracture he sustained and that recurred after the 2010 season never fully healed throughout the remainder of his career until his retirement in 2016. Okamoto cited a specific reason for his retirement: he noticed that as younger pitchers who had rehabilitated alongside him in the minor leagues were promoted to the first team, he no longer felt the same level of frustration or rivalry when his own promotions were overlooked. This indicated a shift in his competitive spirit, ultimately influencing his decision to retire.

6.1. Seasonal Pitching Statistics

6.2. Career Highlights and Milestones

• First Appearance**: June 12, 2004, against the Chiba Lotte Marines (Seibu Dome); entered as the second relief pitcher in the 4th inning, pitching 2.1 IP and allowing 1 earned run.
• First Strikeout**: June 12, 2004, against the Chiba Lotte Marines; striking out Subro in the 4th inning.
• First Win**: August 10, 2004, against the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (Fukuoka Dome); entered as the second relief pitcher with one out in the 4th inning, pitching 3.2 IP scoreless.
• First Start**: August 16, 2004, against the Chiba Lotte Marines (Seibu Dome); pitching 4.1 IP and allowing 7 earned runs.
• First Hold**: July 1, 2010, against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (Seibu Dome); entered as the second relief pitcher in the 5th inning, pitching 2 IP scoreless.
• First Save**: September 15, 2010, against the Orix Buffaloes (Skymark Stadium); entered as the sixth relief pitcher with one out in the 9th inning, completing the game with 0.2 IP scoreless.

6.3. Uniform Numbers

Atsushi Okamoto used several uniform numbers throughout his professional career:

• 28 (2004-2007)
• 30 (2008-2009)
• 59 (2010-2011)
• 22 (2012-2016)

6.4. Walk-up Music

During his playing career, Atsushi Okamoto used the song "SCARY -Delete streamin' freq. from fear side-" by The Mad Capsule Markets as his walk-up music.