Hitoshi Tamura

2.1. Yokohama BayStars (1995-2006)

Upon joining the Yokohama BayStars, Tamura spent his initial years focusing on fundamental training with fellow high school draftees Ryoji Aikawa and Kengo Kato, rather than immediately joining the minor league team practices. He did not make a first-team appearance in 1995 or 1996. However, his performance in the educational league during the 1996 off-season, where he led in home runs and RBIs, earned him a call-up to the first team.

Tamura made his professional debut on April 4, 1997, in the season opener against the Chunichi Dragons. This game was significant as it was the first official game played at Nagoya Dome. Tamura entered in the top of the seventh inning as a pinch-hitter for starting pitcher Koki Morita and grounded out against Masa Yamamoto. He recorded his first professional hit on April 8 against the Hanshin Tigers off Tsutomu Tamura and hit his first professional home run on April 25 against the Chunichi Dragons off Yukinaga Maeda. Despite showing promise, his season was cut short in May when he suffered a right shoulder rotator cuff tear during a game, requiring major surgery where four bolts were inserted, leading to a long-term recovery.

In 1998, Tamura underwent extensive rehabilitation and did not appear in any games for either the first or minor league teams. He had a second surgery on the day the Yokohama BayStars clinched their league championship, and he missed the entire 1999 season as well.

Tamura returned to the first team in 2000, changing his uniform number to 55. He primarily served as a pinch-hitter and late-game substitute, appearing in 84 games with a .257 batting average and 7 home runs. His playing time decreased in 2001, as he played in only 33 games, batting .163 with 1 home run. In 2002, he played in 81 games, hitting .235 with 5 home runs.

The 2003 season marked a turning point for Tamura, as he appeared in 91 games, achieving a .293 batting average with 18 home runs and 14 stolen bases, showcasing signs of his full potential. In 2004, he changed his uniform number to 6 and made his first career start in an opening day game, becoming a regular in the lineup. On August 15, he hit his 30th home run, making him the first Japanese player for the BayStars (or their predecessor, the Taiyo Whales) to reach this milestone since Tomio Tashiro 23 years prior. On October 6, he achieved 40 home runs, a club record for a Japanese player. He played in 123 games, reaching the required plate appearances for the first time, and became the first player in club history, including foreign players, to achieve a .300 batting average, 40 home runs, and 100 RBIs in a single season. He also recorded 10 stolen bases, marking his second consecutive season with double-digit steals. During this period, he primarily played center field, having swapped positions with Tatsuhiko Kinjo.

In 2005, Tamura returned to play on April 5 against the Yomiuri Giants after recovering from influenza, hitting his first career walk-off hit off Dan Miceli in the 12th inning. The year 2005 also saw the start of Interleague Play, where Tamura shared the title of inaugural home run king with 12 home runs. By June 18, he was provisionally leading the league with a .344 batting average and 21 home runs. However, on June 29, he was involved in a serious traffic accident while driving his Porsche to the BayStars practice facility near the Asahina Interchange. His car collided with a sound barrier, resulting in significant damage to the vehicle and Tamura being hospitalized with a severe injury, though without brain damage, requiring two weeks of recovery. The accident prevented him from playing for the remainder of the first half of the season. He returned on July 29 against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, but his batting struggled to return to its pre-accident form. Despite this, he still achieved a .300 batting average and 30 home runs for the second consecutive year, a first for a Japanese player in team history. On September 17, he hit his 100th career home run against the Giants. Due to his absence from the accident, his contract renewal was held to the same terms as the previous year.

The 2006 season began with Tamura being selected to the 2006 World Baseball Classic Japan national team. He played in every game, contributing significantly with excellent defense and powerful home runs. He led the team with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs, helping Japan secure its first World Baseball Classic title. In recognition of his contributions, Atsugi City, his hometown, presented him with a Civic Achievement Award. During the regular season, on April 4 at Yokohama Stadium, he hit a crucial game-tying 2-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against Hitoaki Iwase of the Chunichi Dragons. However, his season was again interrupted by injury on June 7 during a game against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles at Fullcast Stadium Miyagi. In a play at home plate, he suffered a severe injury, fracturing four ribs, which led to a long absence. He was limited to only 39 games for the season. After the season, he received injections for chronic back pain in preparation for a comeback. Despite speculative reports of a trade, on December 5, it was officially announced that Tamura would be traded to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in a one-for-one deal for pitcher Hayato Terahara. He maintained his uniform number 6 with his new team.

2.2. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2007-2012)

Upon joining the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Tamura immediately made an impact in 2007, starting as the third batter and hitting two home runs in the opening game. Despite suffering four quadriceps strains during the season, he played a career-high 132 games, reaching qualifying at-bats for the first time in two years with a .271 batting average, 13 home runs, and 68 RBIs. He was a candidate for the Beijing Olympics baseball team, even being assigned jersey number 1, but withdrew due to his recurring back pain.

In 2008, Tamura started strong as the third batter and center fielder. However, on April 25, during a game against the Chiba Lotte Marines, he fractured his right fibula while colliding with left fielder Yuya Hasegawa while chasing a ball hit by Akira Otsuka. This injury caused him to miss the entire first half of the season. He returned in early September, recording multi-hit games in consecutive appearances, but due to his leg condition, he was again sidelined later that month, ending his season after only 39 games.

In 2009, Tamura injured his right shoulder during a pick-off attempt in spring training, starting the season in the minor league. On May 22, upon his return to the first team, his registered name was officially changed to 多村 仁志_{Tamura Hitoshi}^Japanese, though the pronunciation remained the same. After his return, he initially performed well, leading the team's offense, but his performance declined later in the season due to fatigue and further injuries, limiting him to 93 games with a .282 batting average, 17 home runs, and 57 RBIs. He acquired FA rights but decided to remain with the Hawks. On June 2, he achieved the milestone of hitting a home run against all 12 NPB teams, with a game-winning 2-run shot against his former team, the Yokohama BayStars, off Tom Mastny.

The 2010 season was a significant one for Tamura. On May 8, he hit his 150th career home run against the Saitama Seibu Lions. From May 26, he began batting fourth for the Hawks, filling in for an injured Hiroki Kokubo. He won the Interleague Play batting title with a .415 average, the highest in history. On July 23, he made his first career All-Star Game appearance in his 16th year, having been selected by fan vote, and batted fourth for the Pacific League team in Game 1 at Fukuoka Dome. On August 24, he hit a grand slam against the Orix Buffaloes off Kazuki Kondo, his first in six years. He played a career-high 140 games without significant injury, recording a .324 batting average, 27 home runs, 166 hits, and a .374 on-base percentage. He contributed to the Hawks' first league title in seven years and was awarded the Best Nine Award as an outfielder, receiving the highest number of votes. On November 15, he declared free agency, considering a move to Major League Baseball, but on November 24, he announced his decision to remain with the Hawks after a discussion with team chairman Sadaharu Oh. He signed a one-year contract for 180.00 M JPY on January 28, 2011.

In 2011, Tamura reached his 1000th career game on April 23 against the Chiba Lotte Marines and his 1000th career hit on October 2 against the Seibu Lions off Kazuhisa Ishii. However, he struggled with injuries throughout the season, including a fractured little finger from a hit-by-pitch in June and a fractured little toe from a foul tip in October, limiting him to 100 games with a .241 batting average and 4 home runs. Despite his injuries, he played in his first 2011 Japan Series against the Chunichi Dragons. He hit the team's first home run, a 2-run shot, in Game 3 and contributed 2 RBIs in Game 5, helping the Hawks win the championship. His performance in the series was highly praised, with even opposing Chunichi players suggesting he deserved the MVP award.

In 2012, Tamura's playing opportunities further diminished, and his statistics remained similar to the previous year, appearing in 79 games. On November 5, 2012, he was traded back to his former team, now known as the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, along with Teruaki Yoshikawa and Yasushi Kaminai, in exchange for Shogo Yamamoto, Shintaro Ejiri, and Yuki Yoshimura. He returned to his original uniform number 52.

2.3. Yokohama DeNA BayStars (2013-2015)

Tamura's return to Yokohama in 2013, seven years after his initial departure, saw him play a significant role. On April 11, he hit his first home run of the season as a pinch-hitter against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. On May 10, in a home game against the Yomiuri Giants, he hit a pinch-hit 2-run home run in the seventh inning with his team trailing by seven runs. Later in the same game, with the score 9-10 in the bottom of the ninth, he hit his first career walk-off 3-run home run off Kentaro Nishimura. This marked only the fifth time in NPB history a player had recorded both a pinch-hit home run and a walk-off home run in the same game. He appeared in 96 games and hit double-digit home runs for the first time in three years, contributing to the team finishing higher than last place for the first time in six seasons.

In 2014, with the conversion of Takayuki Kajitani and Yoshitomo Tsutsugo to outfield positions, who then became regular starters, Tamura's playing time significantly decreased. He mainly served as a pinch-hitter or appeared in a rotation for the remaining outfield spot, playing in 73 games.

The 2015 season saw Tamura's playing time further reduced due to the team's emphasis on youth development. He appeared in only 4 first-team games and failed to hit a home run, ending his 16-year streak of hitting at least one home run each season. He was removed from the first-team roster on May 3. In the minor league Eastern League, his opportunities were limited to two at-bats per game, despite which he maintained a .319 batting average with 7 home homes. However, he did not return to the first team and was given a "release notice" by the club on October 3, officially becoming a free agent on December 2.

2.4. Chunichi Dragons (2016)

After his release from the BayStars, Tamura did not participate in the 12-team joint tryout. However, in late December 2015, he was contacted by representatives of the Chunichi Dragons, managed by his former BayStars teammate Motonobu Tanishige. Following a meeting with General Manager Hiromitsu Ochiai, who had coached Tamura during a 2001 fall camp, he was offered a contract.

On January 15, 2016, it was formally announced that Tamura would join the Chunichi Dragons as a trainee player, wearing uniform number 215. The club initially planned to promote him to the active roster quickly, hoping he would replicate the success of Norihiro Nakamura, who had joined Chunichi as a trainee in 2007 and later became a key player, winning the Japan Series MVP that year.

Tamura returned to play in a Western League (minor league) game against the Orix Buffaloes on April 12, entering as a pinch-hitter. He made his first start as the cleanup hitter and designated hitter on April 19 against the SoftBank Hawks at Tama Home Stadium Chikugo. He recorded his first hit of the season on April 22 and his first RBI on April 24 with a 2-run double. On May 18, he hit his first home run of the season, a long shot out of Nagoya Stadium, and recorded his first multi-hit game. Despite performing well in the minor league, batting .279 with 1 home run and 8 RBIs in 28 Western League games, he was not promoted to the active roster. On October 1, he announced his retirement from professional baseball. As per regulations for trainee players, he was formally listed as a free agent on October 31. In a later interview, Tamura revealed that he had sought retirement himself once it became clear he would not be able to return to the active roster.

4.1. Batting

Tamura's batting style was characterized by his strong and flexible wrists, which allowed him to generate significant power and hit long balls to all fields. He had a particular skill for pulling the ball deep to right field, demonstrating the ability to hold off on pitches until the last moment. His flexibility at the plate was also evident in his high batting average with runners in scoring position, which stood at .322 until 2010.

Early in his career, around his third professional year, Tamura's hitting distance improved after receiving advice from hitting coach Masafumi Takenouchi on how to hit the ball farther. During the 2001 spring training, he experimented with a modified batting stance, known as the "shinto-daho" (God-stance), at the suggestion of temporary coach Hiromitsu Ochiai. Although he did not fully adopt it at the time, he later returned to a form influenced by Robert Rose's batting stance. Ultimately, he settled on a hybrid form combining elements of both, which allowed him to develop into a powerful and consistent core hitter. At the peak of his career, he was widely regarded as "the closest Japanese field player to the Majors," a testament to his exceptional hitting prowess.

4.2. Fielding

Tamura possessed outstanding athleticism, which translated into an excellent defensive game. He was particularly praised for his wide defensive range, a result of his superior judgment of batted balls. From the beginning of his professional career, he was known for his strong throwing arm, capable of throwing 394 ft ^{(120 m)} without a crow-hop. Even after undergoing major shoulder surgery early in his career, his strong arm remained intact. In 2010, his Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) was 2.3, ranking him second among right fielders in the league. During his time with the Yokohama BayStars, he formed an "iron wall" defensive partnership in right-center field with Tatsuhiko Kinjo, creating one of the league's most formidable outfield duos.

4.3. Baserunning

In addition to his hitting and fielding, Tamura was also a fast runner. He was recorded reaching first base in 4.13 seconds. During his peak seasons as a regular starter in 2003 and 2004, he consistently achieved double-digit stolen bases, showcasing his speed and efficiency on the bases.

7.1. Major Awards and Honors

• Best Nine Award: 1 time (2010)
• Outstanding JCB MEP Award: 1 time (2004)
• Atsugi City Civic Achievement Award: 2006 (in recognition of his contributions to the WBC championship)
• Medal with Purple Ribbon: 2006 (in recognition of his contributions to the WBC championship)

7.2. Career Milestones and Achievements

• First appearance: April 4, 1997, against the Chunichi Dragons (Nagoya Dome), as a pinch-hitter in the 7th inning.
• First hit: April 8, 1997, against the Hanshin Tigers (Yokohama Stadium), off Tsutomu Tamura.
• First RBI: April 10, 1997, against the Hanshin Tigers (Yokohama Stadium), off Katsuyuki Furumizo.
• First starting appearance: April 22, 1997, against the Hanshin Tigers (Hanshin Koshien Stadium), as the 8th batter and right fielder.
• First home run: April 25, 1997, against the Chunichi Dragons (Yokohama Stadium), off Yukinaga Maeda.
• First stolen base: September 15, 2000, against the Yomiuri Giants (Tokyo Dome), stealing second base (pitcher: Koichi Misawa, catcher: Shinichi Murata).
• First grand slam: April 21, 2004, against the Yomiuri Giants (Tokyo Dome), off Kimiyasu Kudo.
• First walk-off hit: April 5, 2005, against the Yomiuri Giants (Yokohama Stadium), in the 12th inning off Dan Miceli.
• First walk-off home run: May 10, 2013, against the Yomiuri Giants (Yokohama Stadium), in the 9th inning off Kentaro Nishimura.
• 100th home run: September 17, 2005, against the Yomiuri Giants (Yokohama Stadium), a solo home run to right-center field off Junya Sakai (243rd player in NPB history).
• 150th home run: May 8, 2010, against the Saitama Seibu Lions (Fukuoka Yahoo! JAPAN Dome), a solo home run to left field off Hsu Ming-Chieh (153rd player in NPB history).
• 1000th game played: April 23, 2011, against the Chiba Lotte Marines (Kagoshima Prefectural Kamoike Baseball Stadium), starting as the 6th batter and right fielder (440th player in NPB history).
• 1000th hit: October 2, 2011, against the Saitama Seibu Lions (Seibu Dome), a right-field RBI single off Kazuhisa Ishii (267th player in NPB history).
• 3 consecutive home runs: July 17, 2004, against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, hitting home runs off Ken Takahashi, Kenta Satake, and Masaki Hayashi in consecutive plate appearances.
• 4 consecutive games with a home run:
  • From April 21, 2004 (vs. Yomiuri Giants) to April 24, 2004 (vs. Hiroshima Toyo Carp).
  • From May 19, 2006 (vs. Seibu Lions) to May 23, 2006 (vs. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks).
• Home run against all 12 NPB teams: June 2, 2009, against the Yokohama BayStars (Fukuoka Yahoo! JAPAN Dome), a game-winning 2-run home run to left-center field off Tom Mastny (16th player in NPB history).
• League outfielder Range Factor (RF/G) leader: 1 time (2004: 2.09).
• All-Star Game appearances: 1 time (2010).

8.1. Annual Batting Performance

8.2. WBC Batting Statistics

8.3. Annual Fielding Performance