Toshifumi Baba

2.1. Birthplace and Background

Baba was born on February 10, 1965, in Ōki Town, Mizuma District, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.

2.2. High School and Social Baseball

After graduating from Yanagawa High School, Baba joined the Shin-Nittetsu Sakai amateur baseball team in 1984. During his tenure with Shin-Nittetsu Sakai, he distinguished himself by serving as the third batter for the All-Japan team. In the 1989 Intercity Baseball Tournament, he notably hit a home run, contributing to his team's advancement to the best four. A significant teammate during his time in social baseball was Hideo Nomo, who would later become a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball.

3.1. Draft and Debut with Daiei Hawks

Baba entered professional baseball when he was selected in the fifth round of the 1989 Nippon Professional Baseball draft by the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. He made his professional debut on April 10, 1990, appearing as a third baseman in the 10th inning of a game against the Orix Braves at Kobe Sports Park Baseball Stadium. Four days later, on April 14, he recorded his first professional hit in the sixth inning against Hisanobu Watanabe of the Saitama Seibu Lions at Heiwadai Stadium. The following day, April 15, he made his first start, playing as the seventh batter and third baseman against the Seibu Lions at the same stadium. His first RBI came on May 11, 1990, in the ninth inning against Tomio Watanabe of the Seibu Lions, and his first home run was hit on June 15, 1990, in the fifth inning against Takehiro Ishii of the Seibu Lions at Seibu Dome. In his rookie season, he played in 54 games, primarily as a defensive specialist. He did not appear in any first-team games in 1991. At the end of the 1993 season, Baba was traded to the Orix BlueWave in exchange for pitcher Koji Takagi.

3.2. Trade to Orix BlueWave and Golden Glove Awards

With the Orix BlueWave, Baba established himself as a starting third baseman. In 1995, he played in 115 games, reaching the qualified at-bats threshold for the first time in his career. During the 1995 Japan Series against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, he showcased exceptional defensive plays, earning him his first Golden Glove Award as a third baseman. In 1996, he played in 111 games, contributing significantly to Orix's second consecutive league championship and their first Japan Series title in 19 years. For his outstanding defensive performance, he received his second consecutive Golden Glove Award.

3.3. Yakult Swallows and Retirement

Mid-season in 1997, Baba was traded to the Tokyo Yakult Swallows along with Hisanori Iwasaki in exchange for Hisashi Ogura and Yasutaka Hironaga. This trade was influenced by the Swallows' policy to promote younger players and a strong recommendation from manager Katsuya Nomura, who had been impressed by Baba's defensive skills during the 1995 Japan Series. Nomura famously remarked, "It's hell if it flies there," referring to balls hit towards Baba's position, which was a key reason for the Swallows' interest in acquiring him. With the Swallows, Baba also played as a second baseman. However, his playing opportunities gradually decreased due to the emergence of promising young infielders like Akinori Iwamura. He retired from professional baseball at the end of the 2000 season.

3.4. Player Profile and Skills

Baba was widely recognized as a "master player" renowned for his "ironclad defense." He primarily excelled as a third baseman, known for his ability to quickly stop fast-hit balls down the third base line. Beyond his defensive prowess, he was also skilled at executing sacrifice bunts.

3.5. Career Statistics and Records

• Batting Statistics**

• Bold indicates league leader.

• Awards and Honors**

• Firsts**

• Uniform Numbers**

4.1. Coaching in Japanese Baseball

• Orix BlueWave/Buffaloes:** Baba began his coaching career with his former team, the Orix BlueWave, serving as the infield defense and base running coach for their minor league team, "Surpass Kobe," from 2001 to 2002. He was promoted to the first-team infield defense and base running coach in 2003 before leaving the team. He later returned to Orix as the first-team infield defense and base running coach in 2009, but departed again in the same year.
• Tokyo Yakult Swallows:** After his first stint with Orix, Baba joined the Tokyo Yakult Swallows as the first-team defense and base running coach from 2004 to 2008.
• Yokohama DeNA BayStars:** From 2010 to 2011, he served as the first-team infield defense and base running coach for the Yokohama BayStars (later Yokohama DeNA BayStars), primarily acting as the third base coach. In 2012, he moved to the BayStars' minor league team as the infield defense and base running coach. He returned to the first team in 2013 as the infield defense and base running coach. In 2014, his role expanded to include overall coaching responsibilities alongside his infield defense and base running duties. He continued as the first-team infield defense and base running coach in 2015 before leaving the team at the end of the season.
• Saitama Seibu Lions:** In 2017, Baba joined the Saitama Seibu Lions as the first-team infield defense and base running coach. From 2019, he was re-assigned as the first-team strategy and defense/base running coach, effectively taking on a role equivalent to a head coach. During his tenure with Seibu, he reunited with manager Hatsuhiko Tsuji, with whom he had a good relationship from their time with the Yakult Swallows. Baba's coaching was credited with improving the team's defensive accuracy and contributing to their scoring, making him a key figure in the revival of Seibu's "mobility baseball." Under his guidance, the team significantly reduced its errors; for instance, after recording 91 errors in 2015 and 101 errors in 2016 (both league highs), Seibu's errors dropped to 69 in 2020. He also played a crucial role in developing the middle infield duo of Sosuke Genda and Shuta Tonosaki into Golden Glove Award winners. His contributions helped the Lions secure two league championships. He resigned from his position with Seibu after the 2021 season.

• Post-Professional Baseball and Hanshin Tigers:** In 2022, Baba became a coach for the Kobe Gakuin University baseball team and a general advisor for the youth baseball team "Hyogo Kobe Boys." He also began contributing columns to the web version of Daily Sports. In 2023, he joined the Hanshin Tigers as the first-team infield defense and base running coach, reuniting with manager Akinobu Okada, a former teammate from his Orix playing days. While three Hanshin infielders-Yusuke Oyama, Takumu Nakano, and Seiya Kinami-received Golden Glove Awards under his coaching, the team's overall error count was the worst in the league. For the 2025 season, Baba has been re-assigned to the role of second-team defense and base running chief coach for the Hanshin Tigers.

4.2. Coaching in Korean Baseball

In 2016, Baba ventured into the KBO League in South Korea, serving as the first-team strategy and base running coach for the Hanwha Eagles. During his one-year tenure, he notably coached players such as Wilin Rosario.

4.3. Impact as a Coach

Baba's coaching philosophy heavily emphasized defensive fundamentals and strategic base running. His impact was particularly evident during his time with the Saitama Seibu Lions, where he was instrumental in reducing team errors and developing individual players like Sosuke Genda and Shuta Tonosaki into Golden Glove winners, contributing to the team's league championships. Although his tenure with the Hanshin Tigers saw individual defensive accolades for some players, the team's overall error statistics indicated areas for further improvement.

5.1. Nickname and Public Appearances

He is affectionately known by the nickname "Baba-chan" (馬場ちゃん_Baba-chan^Japanese). In 2018, he made a public appearance on the MBS Radio program "MBS Baseball Park Ban-gaihen," where he participated in a phone interview discussing the first month of the Pacific League season. During this appearance, he also shared insights about his experience coaching Wilin Rosario, who was then playing for the Hanshin Tigers.