is a retired

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

professional baseball player from Kōchi,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Nishiyama was drafted in the 5th round of the 1988 amateur draft by the

Lotte Orions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd. History The Marines franchise began in 1950 as the Mainichi Orions, an inaugural ...

, but did not sign with the team. He entered the professional leagues in 1993 as the 3rd round draft pick of the

Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...

. He marked a 5-1 record and 7 saves with a stunning 0.55 ERA in his 3rd year, but his pitching deteriorated afterwards. He was a vital part of the relief staff in 1998, marking a 2.48 ERA in 49 appearances, but was inconsistent in the following years. He began throwing from the sidearm in 2002 to fix his control problems, but was not signed for the next season. He currently works as a coach for the Yomiuri Giants organization. He won a bronze medal in the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

before entering the Japanese professional leagues.

External links

Career statistics
1970 births Living people Baseball people from Kōchi Prefecture Baseball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Olympic baseball players of Japan Olympic bronze medalists for Japan Olympic medalists in baseball Baseball players at the 1990 Asian Games Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics Asian Games competitors for Japan Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Yomiuri Giants players {{Japan-Olympic-medalist-stub