Rick Guttormson

1.1. MLB Draft and Minor League Career

After graduating from Anacortes High School, Guttormson attended Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, Washington. He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 22nd round, 680th overall, of the 1997 Major League Baseball draft. Following his draft, he spent several years moving between minor league and independent league teams. By 2004, he had not yet played in Major League Baseball (MLB). In that year, he transitioned from a starting pitcher to a closer, recording 1 win and 25 saves for the Double-A San Antonio Missions. His strong performance continued in the Venezuelan Winter League later that year, earning him an invitation to the Seattle Mariners' spring training camp in 2005. Despite this opportunity, he did not make the 40-man roster and was assigned to the Triple-A team. His performance, however, caught the attention of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Japan, who were facing a shortage of starting pitchers due to injuries.

1.2. Philadelphia Phillies Minor League Stint

After his tenure in Asian baseball, Guttormson briefly returned to American baseball. On March 2, 2010, he signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, marking his return to the U.S. baseball scene after a five-year absence. However, he was released by the Phillies later that month.

2.1. Tokyo Yakult Swallows

Guttormson joined the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 2005, wearing uniform number 34. Initially, he struggled in the minor league, posting an earned run average (ERA) of 8.25 over four appearances. Despite these poor results, the team's dire need for starting pitchers led to his promotion to the first team. His first appearance and start in NPB was on May 22, 2005, against the Orix Buffaloes at Meiji Jingu Stadium, where he pitched 6 innings and allowed 1 run. His first strikeout came in the first inning of that game against Daisuke Hayakawa. On May 31, 2005, against the Orix Buffaloes at Osaka Dome, he earned his first career win and first start win, pitching 6 1/3 innings and allowing 2 runs. In the first team, he started 16 games, achieving an impressive record of 8 wins and 5 losses with an ERA of 4.18, effectively filling a crucial role in the starting rotation. Although he did not record any complete games in 2005, he notably hit a home run off Chunichi Dragons ace Kenshin Kawakami on August 2, 2005, at Nagoya Dome, which was his first career home run and RBI. His first hit was a left-field single off Tetsuya Utsumi of the Yomiuri Giants on June 28, 2005, at Tokyo Dome.

In 2006, Guttormson, still wearing uniform number 34, made history on May 25 against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles at Meiji Jingu Stadium. He threw the 72nd no-hitter in professional baseball history (83rd instance), and the first ever in interleague play. He allowed only two base runners: one via a shortstop's error in the first inning and another via a walk in the fifth inning. This achievement marked his first career complete game and shutout, including his minor league career in the U.S. He became the sixth foreign pitcher to throw a no-hitter in NPB history, following Gene Bacque, Kuo Tai-yuan, Terry Bross, Melvin Bunch, and Narciso Elvira. This was also the first no-hitter achieved by a Yakult pitcher at their home stadium, Jingu Stadium, and the first for the team since Kazuhisa Ishii in 1997. Historically, Yakult Swallows had won the Japan Series in the years they achieved no-hitters (1995 with Bross and 1997 with Ishii), but this "jinx" was broken as the team finished 3rd in 2006. Despite this historic feat, he was immediately removed from the active roster the following day, swapped with Dicky Gonzalez due to the team's foreign player registration rotation system. For the 2006 season, he finished with 9 wins and 10 losses, but maintained a strong ERA of 2.85, ranking sixth in the league. He also hit another home run that season, off Masaki Hayashi of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Following the season, Guttormson, dissatisfied with the inconsistent starting rotation schedule, demanded a substantial two-year contract worth 700.00 M JPY from the Swallows. Negotiations failed, and he became a free agent.

2.2. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

On December 14, 2006, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks announced they had signed Guttormson to a two-year contract, reportedly worth approximately 250.00 M JPY including incentives. He wore uniform number 43 for the Hawks. In 2007, an unusual incident occurred on March 9, when Guttormson was scheduled to make his first preseason start. While cutting cheese for breakfast, he accidentally cut his finger, forcing him to miss the appearance. This incident led to a stern warning from manager Sadaharu Oh.

On August 10, 2007, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) acting commissioner Yasuchika Negoro announced that Guttormson had tested positive for the banned substance finasteride during a doping test conducted on July 13, following a game against the Chiba Lotte Marines. As a result, Guttormson received a 20-day suspension, effective immediately, and the SoftBank Hawks were fined 7.50 M JPY. This marked the first doping violation in Japanese professional baseball since the league began comprehensive doping tests in 2007. The Hawks stated that Guttormson had informed the team in February 2007, during a spring training doping seminar, that he was using a hair growth product containing finasteride, but the team failed to consult with NPB regarding its legality, allowing him to continue its use. Subsequent investigations by the Hawks revealed that Guttormson had been warned by his previous team, the Yakult Swallows, that finasteride was a banned substance. It is worth noting that finasteride was removed from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list on January 1, 2009. Guttormson finished the 2007 season with 5 wins and 7 losses. Despite a right shoulder injury, he remained with the team for the following season.

In 2008, Guttormson, still wearing uniform number 43, initially served as a closer due to an injury to Takahiro Mahara but was soon reinstated as a starter. On May 28, in an interleague game against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars at Shin-Oita Stadium, he hit an out-of-the-park home run off Daisuke Miura, becoming the first pitcher in interleague history to do so. He completed the game, earning a win in a rain-shortened contest. However, his season was cut short on August 6 when he injured his right leg during a bullpen session, leading to his removal from play. He returned in September but finished the season with 5 wins and 7 losses, a similar record to the previous year. Consequently, on October 12, he was released by the Hawks along with Jason Standridge, Jeremy Powell, Chris Niikura, and Michael Restovich.

3.1. KIA Tigers

On January 21, 2009, Guttormson signed a contract with the KIA Tigers of the KBO League, where he was registered under the name 구톰슨_Guttomseun^Korean and was also known by the Korean nickname 'Gudongsun' (구동순_Gudongsun^Korean). He wore uniform number 50. He formed a formidable one-two punch with fellow foreign pitcher Aquilino López. In 26 appearances (25 starts) during the 2009 season, he recorded 13 wins and 4 losses with an ERA of 3.24. Guttormson played a significant role in the KIA Tigers' championship victory in the 2009 Korean Series, their first in 12 years. However, despite his contributions to the championship, his performance saw a decline in velocity late in the season and he did not perform well in the Korean Series. Due to these factors and disagreements during contract negotiations, the Tigers decided not to renew his contract for the following season, and he departed the team.

5.1. NPB No-Hitter

On May 25, 2006, while pitching for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles at Meiji Jingu Stadium, Guttormson threw a historic no-hitter. This achievement was the 72nd no-hitter in NPB history (83rd instance) and, notably, the first ever recorded in the history of interleague play in Japanese professional baseball. He became the sixth foreign pitcher to achieve this feat in NPB, following Gene Bacque, Kuo Tai-yuan, Terry Bross, Melvin Bunch, and Narciso Elvira. The only two runners he allowed reached base via a shortstop's error in the first inning and a walk in the fifth inning. This no-hitter also marked his first career complete game and shutout, encompassing his entire professional career, including his minor league stint in the United States. As of 2022, he was the last foreign pitcher to throw a no-hitter in NPB until Cody Ponce of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters achieved the feat on August 27, 2022, against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

5.2. Korean Series Championship

In 2009, Guttormson was a key member of the KIA Tigers team that won the Korean Series championship. As one half of the team's formidable pitching duo alongside Aquilino López, he contributed significantly to their success. He recorded 13 wins and 4 losses with an ERA of 3.24 during the regular season, helping the Tigers secure their first championship in 12 years.

8.1. NPB Statistics

8.2. KBO Statistics