Kenji Yoshitsuru (吉鶴 憲治, Yoshitsuru Kenji, born May 3, 1971) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball catcher, and current the third squad battery coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).[1][2]

Kenji Yoshitsuru
Kenji Yoshitsuru, coach of the Chiba Lotte Marines, at Chiba Marine Stadium.
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – No. 95
Catcher / Coach
Born: (1971-05-03)May 3, 1971
Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
NPB debut
April 11, 1993, for the Chunichi Dragons
Last appearance
2, 2002, for the Chiba Lotte Marines
NPB statistics
(through 2002)
Batting average.236
Hits147
Home runs9
Runs batted in59
Stolen base6
Teams
As player

As coach

He previously played for the Chunichi Dragons, the Chiba Lotte Marines.

Professional career

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Active player era

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On November 21, 1992, Yoshitsuru was drafted fourth round pick by the Chunichi Dragons in the 1992 Nippon Professional Baseball draft.[3]

He made his debut in the Central League during the 1993 season, played 24 games.[3]

He played three seasons with the Dragons, but in 1996, his fourth season, he was traded to the Chiba Lotte Marines along with Tsuyoshi Yoda.[3]

He played in a career-high 98 games for the Marines during the 1997 season and set a career-high .283 batting average during the 1998 season, and he played 10 seasons with the Marines and retired after the 2002 season.[3]

In his 10-season career, Yoshitsuru played a total of 389 games, batting .236 with 147 hits, nine home runs, and 59 RBI.

After retirement

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After his retirement, Yoshitsuru was the battery coach for the Chiba Lotte Marines from the 2003 season through the 2016 season.[4]

He became the third squad battery coach for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in the 2017 season and moved to first squad battery coach for the 2018 season.[4][5]

He will serve as the third squad battery coach for the second time during the 2023 season.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks press release 2022/11/28(月) プレスリリース 2023年コーチングスタッフについて(2022年11月28日現在)". Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site (in Japanese). November 28, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  2. ^ "Kenji Yoshitsuru". Baseball Reference. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d ""Weekly Baseball online player data 吉鶴憲治(よしつるけんじ) 捕手 右投右打" (in Japanese). Weekly Baseball online. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks press release 2016/11/5(土) プレスリリース 新入団コーチのお知らせlanguage=ja-JP". Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site. November 5, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  5. ^ "Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks press release 2017/11/09(土) プレスリリース コーチングスタッフ担当変更のお知らせ". Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site (in Japanese). November 9, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
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