Koichi Sekikawa

1.1. Youth and High School

Sekikawa was born in Chofu, Tokyo, on April 1, 1969. He began playing baseball in elementary school with Chofu Little and continued with Chofu Senior in junior high school. In his third year of junior high, he led his team to victory in the All-Japan Championship.

He then enrolled at Toin Gakuen High School. In his freshman year, he participated in the 66th Japanese High School Baseball Championship (Summer Koshien), starting as the sixth batter and right fielder alongside two-years-senior pitcher Ryo Shimura, who later became an ace for Keio University Baseball Club. Later in high school, he formed a battery with Masato Kohiyama, who was one year his junior, and gained recognition as a strong-armed catcher. During his second year, the team reached the best four in the prefectural tournament and the best eight in the Kanto tournament in autumn. Hideaki Okubo, one year his junior, was also a catcher on the team.

1.2. University Baseball

After high school, Sekikawa attended Komazawa University. During his time there, he played in 50 games in the Tohto University Baseball League, recording 42 hits from 161 at-bats, with a batting average of .261, 3 home runs, and 13 RBIs. He was recognized twice with the Best Nine Award as a catcher in the university league. He also participated in the Japan-USA University Baseball Championship Series. Notable teammates at Komazawa included Tsutomu Tamura (three years his senior), Kenjiro Nomura (two years his senior), Jun Takeshita and Kenichi Watabe (one year his junior), and Yasushi Tsuruta and Masanori Taguchi (two years his junior).

1.3. Professional Draft

In the 1990 Nippon Professional Baseball draft, Sekikawa was selected in the second round by the Hanshin Tigers. His uniform number was initially 21. Coincidentally, his senior from Komazawa University, Tsutomu Tamura, was also drafted by the Hanshin Tigers in the fourth round of the same draft, with both joining the team together.

2.1. Hanshin Tigers (1991-1997)

Sekikawa began his professional career as a catcher for the Hanshin Tigers. In his rookie season in 1991, under manager Katsuhiro Nakamura, he made his first professional start on July 31 against the Yomiuri Giants at Hanshin Koshien Stadium, batting eighth and catching for Toshio Yubune. However, playing opportunities were limited, with only five starts, as Katsuhiko Kido, Hiroyuki Yoshida, and later Katsuhiko Yamada served as primary catchers. In 1992, he also had limited starts (5 games).

The 1993 season saw Sekikawa's playing time increase significantly, appearing in 89 games. He hit his first career home run and, from June onwards, became the team's primary catcher. His batting improved, and he finished the season with a .279 batting average. In 1994, he appeared in 103 games, maintaining a .269 batting average despite not reaching the regulation at-bats. However, his stolen base percentage as a catcher was notably low at .125, the lowest record in the Central League's history.

In 1995, Sekikawa played in 94 games as a catcher, the most on the team for that position, with 86 starts. He reached the regulation at-bats for the first time in his career, becoming the third Hanshin catcher to do so after Koichi Tabuchi and Katsuhiko Kido. Following interim manager Taira Fujita's appointment, he also began playing as an outfielder from August. He maintained strong batting form, finishing with a .295 batting average, which ranked ninth in the Central League. He also made his first appearance in the Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Series during this season.

For the 1996 season, with Taira Fujita officially named manager, Sekikawa started as the opening day catcher. He played first base in May and then became a regular right fielder from June, continuing in that role for most of the season. Although he did not reach regulation at-bats, he achieved a career-high batting average of .314, his first time batting over .300. In 1997, under new manager Yoshio Yoshida, Sekikawa inherited uniform number 22, previously worn by Tabuchi and Kido. He competed with Katsuhiko Yamada for playing time at catcher until mid-season, after which he was primarily used as a regular left fielder from August. His batting remained strong, with a .306 average and a career-high 5 home runs. At the end of the 1997 season, Sekikawa and Teruyoshi Kuji were involved in a 2-for-2 trade to the Chunichi Dragons in exchange for Yasuaki Taiho and Akihiro Yano.

2.2. Chunichi Dragons (1998-2004)

Upon his move to the Chunichi Dragons, Sekikawa transitioned to become a full-time outfielder, a role for which he was specifically trained to adapt to the spacious Nagoya Dome. He underwent intensive training with outfield defense coach Itaru Ninomiya, alongside Kazuyoshi Tatsunami and Kazuki Inoue. Manager Senichi Hoshino heavily relied on Sekikawa, who became a regular outfielder in his first year with the team in 1998, appearing in 125 games and achieving a .285 batting average, reaching regulation at-bats for the first time in three years. Despite becoming an outfielder, he even caught in an open pre-season game due to Takeshi Nakamura's injury.

The 1999 season marked Sekikawa's breakout year. He played in all 135 regular season games, setting career highs with a .330 batting average, 4 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases, significantly contributing to the Dragons' Central League championship. While primarily batting first, he was also frequently used in the third spot due to his clutch hitting ability. He participated in the Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Series for the second time and was awarded the Central League Best Nine Award as an outfielder. In the 1999 Japan Series against the Daiei Hawks (now Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks), Sekikawa struggled. The opposing pitcher Kimiyasu Kudo identified and exploited Sekikawa's batting habits, causing him to become flustered and unable to swing freely. According to Manabu Fujita, the bullpen coach for Daiei at the time, Sekikawa's swing at a ball in a full count during the first game was a significant turning point. Sekikawa was held to just 2 hits in 21 at-bats (.095 batting average) until Game 4, and the Dragons ultimately lost the Japan Series 4-1. Despite this, he finished third in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) selection, narrowly behind Shigeki Noguchi and Koji Uehara.

In 2000, he played in 127 games, but his batting average dropped to .260, a decline from his previous year's performance. His playing time further decreased in 2001, limited to 65 games with a continued drop in batting average. In 2002, under new manager Hisashi Yamada, Sekikawa's opportunities became even more scarce due to the transition of Kosuke Fukudome to the outfield and the emergence of Eichi. He played in 73 games, with a low batting average of .212. In the same year, he married Sachiko Iemori, an announcer for TV Tokyo.

Sekikawa saw a resurgence in 2003, appearing in 107 games and batting over .300, though he did not reach regulation at-bats. However, in 2004, under new manager Hiromitsu Ochiai, the Dragons won the league championship, but Sekikawa's role was minimal, as the outfield was predominantly covered by Fukudome, Alex Ochoa, and Eichi. He played in a career-low 12 games and failed to record a single hit, marking his first hitless season since turning professional. At the end of the 2004 season, Sekikawa and Shinichiro Koyama were traded as free agents to the newly formed Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

2.3. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (2005-2007)

As one of the inaugural players for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, Sekikawa played a significant role in the team's debut season. On March 26, 2005, he started as the first batter and left fielder in the Eagles' first official game against the Chiba Lotte Marines at Chiba Marine Stadium. He was the first batter for the new franchise, flying out to left field on the first pitch from opposing pitcher Naoyuki Shimizu. On April 6, 2005, in a game against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium, Sekikawa achieved his 1,000th career hit, which was a triple to right-center field. This hit also marked the Eagles' first-ever triple and their first "hit-for-the-cycle" (a game with 3 or more hits by a single player). Despite sharing playing time with other players in the latter half of the season, he appeared in 101 games and maintained a respectable .287 batting average, with 7 stolen bases.

In 2006, under manager Katsuya Nomura, Sekikawa appeared in 81 games, maintaining a batting average similar to the previous year. On September 5, in a game against the Orix Buffaloes at Miyagi Baseball Stadium, batting second, he achieved a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) record-tying four sacrifice bunts in a single game, becoming only the seventh player in NPB history to do so. In the latter half of that season, Nomura expressed an intention to have Sekikawa practice catching again, in case Akihito Fujii or Katsunori Nomura sustained injuries, though Sekikawa ultimately never played catcher in a game that year.

By the 2007 season, Sekikawa's performance began to decline, and he saw a significant reduction in playing opportunities as younger players emerged. On September 24, he announced his decision to retire from professional baseball at the end of the season. His retirement game was played on October 4 against the Chiba Lotte Marines (Game 23). He started as the first batter and center fielder, playing the entire game and recording one hit in four at-bats. His final professional at-bat saw him perform his characteristic head-first slide into first base on a ground out. Coincidentally, his final at-bat was against the same pitcher, Naoyuki Shimizu, whom he faced as the first batter in the Eagles' inaugural official game. During the emotional retirement ceremony after the game, he thanked the manager for allowing him to start and expressed his gratitude, shedding tears. He cited the 1999 league championship with manager Hoshino as his most cherished memory from his 17-year career, stating he played with all his effort that year to see Hoshino's smile. He played in 17 games in his final season. On November 30, he was officially listed as a free agent by NPB.

2.4. Playing Style and Characteristics

Koichi Sekikawa was known for his aggressive and spirited playing style, often demonstrating his passion by making daring head-first slides into bases without fear of injury. Offensively, he was a sure and clutch hitter, capable of delivering in key situations. He also possessed good speed, as evidenced by his three seasons with double-digit stolen bases.

While at Hanshin, despite having a strong throwing arm, he struggled with a low stolen base percentage as a catcher. His .125 stolen base percentage in 1994 remains the lowest single-season record in Central League history. Due to these defensive challenges, he was often utilized as an outfielder, and after his trade to Chunichi, he became exclusively an outfielder.

He was affectionately known by his nickname "Seki-san" (関さん^Japanese). During his tenure with the Chunichi Dragons, his mustache became a distinctive personal trademark.

3.1. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (2008-2009, 2011)

Sekikawa began his coaching career with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, his former team. Starting from the fall camp of 2007, he was appointed as the first squad assistant hitting coach for the 2008 season. He served in this role until October 25, 2009, when he was released by the Eagles.

In 2011, Sekikawa returned to the Rakuten Eagles after Senichi Hoshino became the team's manager. He was appointed as the second squad outfield defense and baserunning coach. On May 15, he was promoted to the first squad in the same role. However, his second tenure with Rakuten was brief, and his departure was announced on October 30, 2011.

3.2. SK Wyverns (2010)

In 2010, Sekikawa moved to the KBO League in South Korea, where he served as the first squad hitting coach for the SK Wyverns. During his time with the Wyverns, he contributed to the team's success, which included winning the regular season championship and ultimately the 2010 Korean Series championship.

3.3. Hanshin Tigers (2012-2015)

In 2012, Sekikawa returned to the Hanshin Tigers, where he had started his professional playing career. He was recruited by the newly appointed manager Yutaka Wada and took on the role of first squad outfield defense and baserunning coach. During his tenure, an notable incident occurred on August 17, 2012, during a game against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, where Sekikawa reportedly had a conflict with outfielder Matt Murton following a defensive error.

From 2013, he transitioned to the role of first squad hitting coach. During his time as hitting coach for Hanshin, particularly from 2013 to 2015, he sometimes entered the dugout wearing a polo shirt as a scout, rather than a uniform, to avoid being counted towards the NPB's maximum limit of seven registered coaches on the bench. In 2014, he became the head of the batting department. By 2015, the team's offense was struggling, ranking fourth in the Central League in team batting average, last in total runs, and fifth in total hits. It was reported that some players began seeking advice from assistant hitting coach Thomas O'Malley over Sekikawa and his co-hitting coach Mitsunobu Takahashi. Sekikawa also reportedly had disagreements with manager Wada regarding the batting order, leading to him being sidelined from primary batting instruction for a month, with O'Malley taking over. Due to the team's persistent batting slump, Sekikawa was ultimately released by the Hanshin Tigers on October 15, 2015.

3.4. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2015-Present)

On November 9, 2015, Koichi Sekikawa joined the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks as the first squad field player general itinerant coach. His role was described as operating primarily with the first squad but also gathering information and providing guidance to second and third squad fielders as directed by manager Kimiyasu Kudo. At his introductory press conference, Sekikawa expressed his desire to "act as Kudo's arms and legs" and help players be in their best condition. However, the unique "field player general itinerant coach" position was abolished after one year, and Sekikawa was released, as the team lost the league championship after having an 11.5 game lead.

In 2018, Sekikawa was appointed as the third squad manager for the SoftBank Hawks. He also managed the Western League team in the 2018 Asia Winter Baseball League, where they finished last with a record of 3 wins, 10 losses, and 3 ties, failing to advance to the playoffs. For the 2019 season, he served as the first squad hitting coach, but the team's offense continued to struggle, ranking fourth in the league in runs.

From 2020 to 2021, he held the role of third squad hitting and outfield defense baserunning coach. In 2022, he served as the second squad hitting coach. Since the 2023 season, Sekikawa has been the field player coordinator for the Hawks, a role that involves touring and overseeing players across all four squads (first to fourth). His current uniform number is 019.

4.1. Awards and Honors

• Best Nine Award: 1 time (Outfielder: 1999)
• JA Zen-Noh Go-Go Award: 1 time (Strong Arm Award: September 2000)
• Aichi Toyota Dragons Crown Award: 1 time (1999)

4.2. Milestones and Notable Records

6.1. Batting Statistics

6.2. Fielding Statistics