Harutomo Tsuji (辻東倫, Tsuji Harutomo, born August 11, 1994) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder and current member of the Japan national Baseball5 team, where he plays as right-handed batter and pitcher. Tsuji spent five seasons playing for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
| Harutomo Tsuji | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tsuji with the Yomiuri Giants | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Infielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: August 11, 1994 Komono, Mie Prefecture, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NPB debut | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 12, 2015, for the Yomiuri Giants | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last NPB appearance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 1, 2018, for the Yomiuri Giants | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NPB statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .190 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Baseball career
editTsuji was born on August 11, 1994, in Komono, Mie Prefecture. He played baseball for the Komono High School. On October 25, 2012, he was selected by the Yomiuri Giants in the 2012 Nippon Professional Baseball draft.[1]
In 2014 he was part of the Japanese team that won the silver medal at the 2014 U-21 Baseball World Cup.[2][3]
Tsuji made his professional debut with the Giants on June 12, 2015, as a pinch runner. The next day, June 13, he played as a starter as third baseman and seven batter in the Giants lineup. In 2016 he played in 15 games, achieving his first professional hit on May 4 against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. In 2017 he played 18 games.[4]
In 2018, he suffered a right thigh strain. He played 66 game with the Giants minor league team and eight games with the major league team. On October 30, he was notified that he was no longer part of the team. He announced his retirement on December 8, citing his desire to remain with the Yomiuri Giants as a staff member.[4][5]
After retiring, he became a coach in the Giants Academy.[5]
Baseball5 career
editTsuji transitioned from baseball to Baseball5, a simplified street version of baseball played with five players, using only a rubber ball and no bats or gloves. At first, he struggled with the difference in rules between baseball and Baseball 5. However, his teammate in the Japanese Baseball5 team Miu Tanaka stated: "As expected of a former professional, his defense is top-notch. He's extremely skilled at moving around."[6]
Tsuji is a member of the Japan national Baseball5 team since March 2024, when he was selected as part of the Samurai Japan.[7] He made his first appearance with the team at the 2024 Baseball5 Asia Cup held in Seoul, South Korea, where Japan won the gold medal. He was also part of the Japanese team that won the silver medal at the 2024 Baseball5 World Cup in Hong Kong. Tsuji was honored as part of the All Star Team of the tournament.[8]
References
edit- ^ "読売ジャイアンツ 選択選手一覧 | 2012年 プロ野球ドラフト会議 supported by TOSHIBA". npb.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ "Japan - U-21 Baseball World Cup 2014". wbsc.org. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ "Chinese Taipei defeat new world No. 1 Japan to capture 21U Baseball World Cup crown". wbsc.org. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ a b "【巨人】辻、現役引退を決断 来季はアカデミー講師として「巨人に貢献したい」". hochi.news (in Japanese). 8 December 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ a b "「来季に弾み」となる年が予期せぬ戦力外に 元巨人"由伸2世"の第2の人生と感謝". Full-Count (in Japanese). 8 July 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ "【ベースボール５】巨人が日本選手権で準優勝 辻東倫らが参加". hochi.news (in Japanese). 4 February 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ "TSUJI Harutomo | Baseball5". japan-baseball.jp. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ "Baseball5 World Cup 2024 Final Report - 8" (PDF). World Baseball Softball Confederation. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)