is a Japanese former

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

and current manager of the

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. The team was formerly known as the Nankai Hawks and was based in Osaka. ...

. He previously played for the Nankai/Fukuoka Daiei Hawks and the

Orix Blue Wave The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team formed as a result of the 2004 Nippon Professional Baseball realignment by the merger of the Orix BlueWave of Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes of Osaka, Osaka Prefect ...

Early baseball career

Fujimoto went on to Tenri High School, where he competed in the 62nd

Japanese High School Baseball Championship The of Japan, commonly known as , is an annual nationwide high school baseball tournament. It is the largest scale amateur sport event in Japan. The tournament, organized by the Japan High School Baseball Federation and ''Asahi Shimbun'', t ...

in the summer of his sophomore year.

Professional career

Active player era

On November 25, 1981, Fujimoto was drafted by the

Nankai Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. The team was formerly known as the Nankai Hawks and was based in Osaka. ...

in the 1981

Nippon Professional Baseball draft The Nippon Professional Baseball Draft Meeting is a conference held by the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB) to select rookie players. The official name of the conference is the Rookie Selection Meeting. Since , the Grand Prince Hot ...

. On July 7, 1990, He accomplished hit for the cycle against the

Nippon-Ham Fighters The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at ES CON Field Hokkaido. The Fighters also host a s ...

. He was

traded Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...

to the

early in the 1998 season and retired after that season. Fujimoto played a total of 1103 games,

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

.235 with a 715

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

, a 105

home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

, and a 419 RBI. His active player era

fight song A fight song is a rousing short song associated with a sports team. The term is most common in the United States and Canada. In Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand these songs are called the team anthem, team song, or games song. First associated ...

is still the Hawks's chance theme (the song played during scoring chances) as of the 2022 season.

After retirement

Fujimoto ran a restaurant until 2010 while commentating on

TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting is a television station affiliated with the TX Network, broadcasting in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. History During the time of its establishment, the company was named as "TXN Kyushu" because the name "TV Kyushu", which the owner intended to us ...

's baseball broadcasts and critiquing Nishinippon Sports. He has been the hitting coach for the second squad since the 2011 season and has served as the first squad hitting coach, second squad manager, and third squad manager before being named first squad manager for the 2022 season.

References

External links

Career statistics - NPB.jp

- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site 1963 births Living people Baseball people from Osaka Prefecture Japanese baseball players Nippon Professional Baseball infielders Nankai Hawks players Fukuoka Daiei Hawks players Orix BlueWave players Managers of baseball teams in Japan Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks managers {{Japan-baseball-manager-stub