is a Japanese
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
for the
Tokyo Yakult Swallows
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Yom ...
of
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 ...
(NPB). He previously played for the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
,
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
,
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
,
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
,
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
,
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
and
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB).
Aoki is one of only six players, alongside
Ichiro Suzuki
, also known mononymously as , is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played professionally for 28 seasons. He played nine years of his career with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), where he began his ...
,
Matt Murton
Matthew Henry Murton (born October 3, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, and Colorado Rockies. Murton also played in Nippon Professional ...
,
Alex Ramirez
Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis.
People
Multiple
*Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people
* Alex Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people
*Alex Harris (disambiguation), multiple peo ...
,
Tsuyoshi Nishioka
is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chiba Lotte Marines and Hanshin Tigers, as well as Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins.
Nishioka played in the 2006 ...
, and
Shogo Akiyama, to amass 200 or more
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 ...
in a single
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
in
Japanese professional baseball, and the only individual to do so in two separate seasons. He played in the
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
and
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament sanctioned from 2006 to 2013 by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and after 2013 by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with Major Leagu ...
s as well as the
2008 Beijing Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...
, and represented
Japan in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Early life and amateur career
Aoki was born in
Hyūga, Miyazaki
is a port city in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1951, with the joint merger of Tomishima Town and Iwawaki Village. , the city has an estimated population of 60,037 making it the 4th largest city in Miyazaki Prefectur ...
, and attended Hyuga
Municipal
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
Hichiya Elementary School and Tomishima Junior High School before going on to
Miyazaki Prefectural Hyuga High School. Surprisingly, he was a
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
throughout
junior high
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
and high school, converting to the
outfield
The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area.
In cricket, baseball and ...
only upon entering
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the ''Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō'' by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902.
The university has numerou ...
where he majored in
human sciences
Human science (or human sciences in the plural), also known as humanistic social science and moral science (or moral sciences), studies the philosophical, biological, social, and cultural aspects of human life. Human science aims to expand our ...
.
Aoki was surrounded by a remarkable concentration of talent at Waseda: his year included
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
Takashi Toritani
is a Japanese professional baseball player for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Nippon Professional Baseball(NPB). He previously played with the Hanshin Tigers.
Toritani was one of the most highly coveted position players in years as a senior ...
(currently with the
Chiba Lotte Marines
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 ...
),
third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
Toshimitsu Higa
Toshimitsu is a masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Toshimitsu can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Some examples:
*敏光, "agile, light"
*敏満, "agile, full"
*敏三, "agile, three"
*俊光, "talented ...
(
Hiroshima Toyo Carp
The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda ...
) and
center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...
Shintaro Yoshida
is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Jap ...
(
Orix Buffaloes
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 Prefectur ...
), all three of whom would later go on to the
pros.
Left-handed
In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...
pitcher
Tsuyoshi Wada
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB). He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs.
Wada pitched in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Be ...
(
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. ...
) was one year his senior, and
second baseman Hiroyasu Tanaka
Hiroyasu Tanaka (Japanese:田中 浩康, born May 24, 1982) is a Japanese former professional baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game o ...
and
first baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
Shinichi Takeuchi, both of whom would later rejoin Aoki with the Swallows, were one and two years his junior, respectively.
The six
hitters, who often batted in the order of Tanaka, Aoki, Toritani, Higa, Takeuchi and Yoshida, formed one of the most potent
lineups in
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
history and led Waseda to four consecutive
Tokyo Big6 titles for the first time in the history of the university. Aoki hit .463 in the spring of his junior year (2002) and set a Tokyo Big6 record for
runs scored in a single game with six in a game against the
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...
that season, going 5-for-5 with five
RBI and a
walk
Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ov ...
in that same game. He hit .332 during his college career, albeit without a single
home run
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 was selected to the Tokyo Big6 Best Nine Award three times in his eight seasons (spring and fall) with Waseda as the starting
right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...
. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2003 NPB
amateur draft by the Yakult Swallows.
Professional career
Yakult Swallows
![YS-Norichika-Aoki](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/YS-Norichika-Aoki.jpg)
In 2004, Aoki saw little playing time in his
rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
season (2004), playing just 10 games at the ''ichigun'' (Japanese equivalent of "major league") level. However, he showed signs of promise in the
minors, hitting .372 and leading the
Eastern League in both
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 ...
and
on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...
(.436) and coming second in
stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...
s (21). In the Fresh All-Star Game (the Japanese equivalent of the
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League ...
) held that year, Aoki went 4-for-5, coming a home run short of the
cycle and winning
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
honors for the game.
In 2005, Aoki enjoyed a breakout year, earning the job of starting center fielder with the departure of
Atsunori Inaba. While he struggled in the opening weeks of the season as the Swallows'
No. 2 hitter,
striking out
''Striking Out'' is an Irish television legal drama series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017. Produced by Bl!nder F!lms for RTÉ Television, ''Striking Out'' stars Amy Huberman as Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty, who is ...
uncharacteristically often, he slowly began to collect hits at his usual pace and was promoted to the
leadoff
In baseball, a lead or lead off is the short distance that a player stands away from their current base.
On the bases
In baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batti ...
role by June 2005. On October 6, 2005, he tied the Central League single-season hit record of 192 (set by
Robert Rose in 1999), following up the feat by becoming the second player in NPB history (after
Ichiro Suzuki
, also known mononymously as , is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played professionally for 28 seasons. He played nine years of his career with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), where he began his ...
) to record 200 hits in a single season, on October 11, 2005.
While Aoki missed Suzuki's NPB record for hits in a single season of 210, he finished with a league-record 202 hits (his 169
singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
''were'' an NPB single-season record). He led all Central League players in batting average (.344) and hits, and was voted the league
Most Valuable Rookie.
![AokiNorichika01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/AokiNorichika01.jpg)
In 2006, Aoki was chosen to play in the inaugural World Baseball Classic as a member of the
Japanese national team in 2006. He made his second
All-Star appearance in July 2006 and was named the Most Valuable Player in Game 1 (held at his home park,
Meiji Jingu Stadium
The is a baseball stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It opened in 1926 and holds 37,933 spectators. Property of the Meiji Shrine, it is the home field of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows professional baseball team. It also hosts college baseball, incl ...
), becoming the fourth player in NPB history to win both Fresh All-Star Game and All-Star Game MVP honors.
Though he came up short in his goal of reaching 200 base hits and winning the batting title for the second consecutive year, Aoki finished the season with 192 hits, leading both the Central and
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
leagues. He cut down on his strikeouts and drew more walks than in the previous season, improving his on-base percentage from .387 to .396 despite a lower batting average. He also hit more home runs (13) and
drove in more runs (62), leading the league in both average with runners in
scoring position
In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when they are on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter h ...
(.399) and stolen bases (41) for the first time (and putting an end to Tiger center fielder
Norihiro Akahoshi
is a retired Nippon Professional Baseball player from Kariya, Aichi, Japan. He played as an outfielder for the Hanshin Tigers.
Akahoshi announced his retirement on December 9, 2009. During the 2009 season, he was first deactivated in early Jul ...
's five-year streak of leading the Central League in that category).
On December 25, 2006, Aoki publicly stated his intent to eventually play in the
major leagues via the
posting system
The is a baseball player transfer system that operates between Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). Despite the drafting of the United States – Japanese Player Contract Agreement, unveiled in 1967 to regulate ...
, saying, "…I would like to move to the majors after some years. It might be difficult to do so as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
since I'll be over 30 by then." While major league teams expressed interest in Aoki (especially after seeing him in international play), the Swallows offered no indication of their willingness to comply with the request.
In 2007, Aoki and teammate and fellow outfielder
Alex Ramírez
Alexander Ramón Ramírez Quiñónez (born 3 October 1974) is a Venezuelan-born Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who had a long career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He is the first foreign-born player to record 2,000 ...
competed for the batting title at a torrid pace throughout the 2007 season. On July 10, 2007, Aoki became the fastest player in Japanese professional baseball history to amass 500 career hits, doing so in 373 games. While he fell short of 200 base hits, partly due to the 80 walks (fourth in the league) that opposing pitchers issued to him, he finished second in the league in hits (to Ramírez, who hit safely 204 times, a new Central League record) with 193, winning his second batting title with a .346 average. Aoki also led the league in on-base percentage for the first time and scored 114 runs (his third consecutive season with 100 or more runs).
Meanwhile, his stolen base total dropped sharply from 41 to 17, a decline that could be attributed to then-
player-manager
A player-coach (also playing coach, captain-coach, or player-manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. A player-coach may be a head coach or an assistant coach. They may make changes to the sq ...
Atsuya Furuta
Atsuya Furuta (古田 敦也, b. August 6, 1965) is a Japanese former baseball player and player-manager for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows professional baseball club in the Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Drafted in the 2nd round in 1 ...
's placing Hiroyasu Tanaka (rather than
Adam Riggs
Adam David Riggs (born October 4, 1972) is a former professional baseball first baseman. He played parts of four years in Major League Baseball, but is better known for the four seasons he spent with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the Japanese Centr ...
, as was the case in 2006), a second baseman with little power, behind Aoki in the 2-hole and instructing him to
bunt Bunt may refer to:
* Bunt (community), an elite social group from Karnataka, India
* Bunt (baseball), a batting technique in baseball
* Bunt (sail), a part of a ship's sail
* Bunt Island, island in Antarctica
* The Bunt, nickname of the Bunting ...
often. On the other hand, Aoki began to show legitimate power, hitting 20 home runs and
slugged over .500 for the first time. He was slotted into both the 2- and
3-hole numerous times and even hit
cleanup
Cleanup, clean up or clean-up may refer to:
* Cleanup (animation), a stage of animation workflow
* Clean-up (environment), environmental action to remove litter from a place
* Cleanup hitter, a baseball position
* Clean-up Records, a record label ...
in Furuta's retirement game as a player on October 7, 2007.
Aoki played in the
Asian Baseball Championship
The Asian Baseball Championship is the main championship tournament between national baseball teams in Asia, governed by the Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA). It is held every other year in odd-numbered years and since 1983 it also functions a ...
as a member of the Japanese national team in December 2007, helping Japan clinch a berth in the upcoming
Beijing Olympics.
On May 5, 2008, Aoki was scratched from the lineup and sent down to the minors due to an
oblique
Oblique may refer to:
* an alternative name for the character usually called a slash (punctuation) ( / )
* Oblique angle, in geometry
*Oblique triangle, in geometry
*Oblique lattice, in geometry
* Oblique leaf base, a characteristic shape of the b ...
strain
Strain may refer to:
Science and technology
* Strain (biology), variants of plants, viruses or bacteria; or an inbred animal used for experimental purposes
* Strain (chemistry), a chemical stress of a molecule
* Strain (injury), an injury to a mu ...
. It was his first time missing playing time due to injury since his debut at the ''ichigun'' level. However, he returned some three weeks later on May 29, 2008, engaging in another race for the batting title, this time with
Yokohama BayStars
The are a professional baseball team in the Japan, Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its c ...
left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
Seiichi Uchikawa
is a Japanese people, Japanese professional baseball player for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Yokohama BayStars and Fukuoka S ...
.
In August 2008, Aoki was chosen to play in the 2008 Beijing Olympics along with teammate
Shinya Miyamoto
is a former professional baseball player from Suita, Osaka, Japan. He played shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most deman ...
as a member of the Japanese national team. After he returned to the Swallows,
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
Shigeru Takada opted to use him in the 3-hole permanently, slotting newly acquired
left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
Kazuki Fukuchi into the leadoff role instead. While Aoki relinquished the league lead in both batting average and on-base percentage to Uchikawa, he finished the season with a personal-best batting average of .347, striking out just 47 times (fewest in the league among qualifying players) and swiping 31 bases (second to Fukuchi on the Swallows).
In 2009, Though he hit well in the second World Baseball Classic, Aoki struggled in the opening weeks of the 2009 season, hitting just .233 with a .316 on-base percentage in April 2009. He got
hit
Hit means to strike someone or something.
Hit or HIT may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities
* Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super''
* Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
in the head by a
pitch thrown by
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chūbu region of Japan. The team plays in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. They have won the Central League pennant nine times (most recently in 2011) ...
closer Hitoki Iwase
Hitoki Iwase (岩瀬 仁紀, born November 10, 1974) is a retired Japanese professional baseball player from Nishio, Aichi, Japan. He holds the NPB record for career saves and mound appearances.
In 2005, he marked 46 saves with a 1.88 ERA, ...
on April 30, 2009, but was found to have no serious injuries upon diagnosis.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Swallows
posted Aoki to
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
in the 2011–12 offseason. The
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
won the posting and signed Aoki in January 2012 to a two-year contract with a third-year option. He became the team's first Japanese player to be acquired through this process. Kosuke Inaji served as Aoki's interpreter throughout the season.
![Norichika Aoki on April 1, 2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Norichika_Aoki_on_April_1%2C_2013.jpg)
Aoki's playing time greatly increased over the course of the season due to his fine play and the injuries sustained by many starters. In his first full season with Milwaukee, Aoki hit .288/.355/.433 with 10 home runs (one inside the park), 50 RBIs, and 81 runs scored in 520 at-bats, plus 30 stolen bases. By the latter half of the season, he was batting primarily in the leadoff position for the Brewers. Aoki also set the record for doubles in a single season (37) by a Brewers rookie.
On June 7, 2012, in a game against the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
, Aoki hit his first out of the park home run in his MLB career. He then hit a second home run in the bottom of the tenth inning, breaking a 3–3 tie. It was his first career
walk-off, and his first career multi-home run game. During the later portion of the season, Aoki has started to become a spark plug for the Brewers. He made great defensive plays and got big hits when they were needed, including a 2-out, 2-strike, 2-run home run on September 9, 2012, against St. Louis to tie the game and send it to extra innings. This game was needed by the Brewers to help push them toward a possible Wild Card berth.
On June 24, 2012, Aoki collected 3 hits and 4 stolen bases against the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
. The 4 stolen bases tied the Brewers franchise record.
In 151 games in 2012, he hit .288 with 10 home runs, 50 RBI, 37 doubles, 30 stolen bases (9th in the NL), and 43 walks, giving him a .355 on-base percentage. He finished 5th in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.
Aoki was the Brewers Opening Day right fielder and leadoff hitter in 2013, and
Logan Schafer
Logan Edward Schafer (born September 8, 1986) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins.
Professional career Milwaukee Brewers
Schafer was drafte ...
was his main backup. In May 2013, he hit .343 with 6 RBI, bringing his season average to .299. After that, he had a steady decline until September 2013, when he hit .297 with 6 RBI and 15 walks. In 155 games, he hit .286 with 8 home runs, 37 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 55 walks, giving him a .356 on-base percentage.
Kansas City Royals
![Norichika Aoki on April 26, 2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Norichika_Aoki_on_April_26%2C_2014.jpg)
On December 5, 2013, the Brewers traded Aoki to the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
for
Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his Will Smith filmography, acting career starring as Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), a ...
. Aoki batted leadoff for the Royals for much of the
2014 season. For the season, he batted .285/.349/.360, in 491 at bats.
On August 6, 2014, in a game against the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
, Aoki hit a grand slam in the fifth inning off of relief pitcher
Bo Schultz. This was his first career grand slam, as well as his first (and only) homer with the Royals. Aoki also set a Royals franchise record, which was the most hits in a three-game series. He collected a total of 11 hits against the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
at
Kauffman Stadium
Kauffman Stadium (), often called "The K", is a baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri. It is home to the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). It is part of the Truman Sports Complex together with the adjacent Arrowhe ...
, passing
Willie Wilson and
George Brett
George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player who played all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman for the Kansas City Royals.
Brett's 3,154 career hits are second-mos ...
's former record of 10 hits.
San Francisco Giants
On January 19, 2015, Aoki signed a one-year deal with the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
. On May 3, 2015, in a 5–0 win over the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
, Aoki led off the first inning with a solo home run against pitcher
Jered Weaver
Jered David Weaver (born October 4, 1982) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres. Weaver was drafted in the first round (12th overall ...
. Following Aoki was teammate
Joe Panik
Joseph Matthew Panik (born October 30, 1990) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, and Miami Marlins. Panik was an A ...
batting second, who homered as well. It was the first time since that the Giants had opened a game with consecutive home runs.
On June 20, 2015, Aoki was hit by a pitch from
Dodger Carlos Frias
Carlos may refer to:
Places
;Canada
* Carlos, Alberta, a locality
;United States
* Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community
* Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County
* Carlos, Minnesota, a small city
* Carlos, West Virginia
;Elsewhe ...
, breaking his right
fibula
The fibula or calf bone is a leg bone on the lateral side of the tibia, to which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones and, in proportion to its length, the most slender of all the long bones. Its upper extremity is ...
and putting him on the disabled list, resulting in him missing 28 games. At the time he was batting .317 and was a potential
All-Star, leading the league in several offensive categories. Two weeks after his return on July 27, 2015, he was again hit by a pitch, this time in the batting helmet by
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
pitcher
Jake Arrieta
Jacob Joseph Arrieta (born March 6, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Diego Padres.
Arrieta played college ...
. He went on the 7-day concussion list, missing another seven games.
In 2015, he batted .287/.353/.380 in 355 at bats.
After the 2015 season, the Giants declined Aoki's option, making him a free agent.
Seattle Mariners
On December 3, 2015, Aoki signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
.
In 2016, he batted .283/.349/.388, in 417 at bats.
Houston Astros
![Norichika Aoki in 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Norichika_Aoki_in_2017.jpg)
The
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
claimed Aoki off waivers from the Mariners on November 3, 2016.
On June 11, 2017, Aoki recorded his 2000th career professional hit against the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
. This includes hits in NPB and MLB. While he was traded before the Astros' World Series championship run in 2017, he was awarded a World Series ring by the team by virtue of playing 70 games for them in 2017.
Toronto Blue Jays
On July 31, 2017, the Astros traded Aoki and
Teoscar Hernández
Teoscar José Hernández (born October 15, 1992) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays. Hernández was ...
to the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
for
Francisco Liriano
Francisco Liriano Casillas (born October 26, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, ...
. He was designated for assignment on August 28, 2017, and released the following day.
New York Mets
On September 2, 2017, the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
signed Aoki to a major league contract. On October 30, 2017, Aoki was released.
Second stint with Tokyo Yakult Swallows
On January 30, 2018, Aoki signed a three-year deal to return to the
Tokyo Yakult Swallows
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Yom ...
, where he spent the first eight years of his professional career. In early May, 2018, Aoki recorded his 4,000th at bat in NPB. With a .328 career batting average to that point, he then qualified as NPB's lifetime batting champion. He was selected for the .
International career
2006 World Baseball Classic
Aoki was named to the Japanese national team for the first time in early 2006 for the inaugural World Baseball Classic. After being relegated to the bench and seeing little playing time in the
first two rounds, he was named the starting center fielder in the
semi-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
against
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
and finals against
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
, but went 0-for-4 in those two games and finished with just one hit in five
at-bats
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...
in the tournament. Nevertheless, Japan defeated Cuba 10–6 in the finals to become the inaugural
tournament champions.
2007 Asian Baseball Championship
Aoki played in the
2007 Asian Baseball Championship The 24th Asian Baseball Championship was contested in Taichung, Taiwan in November and December 2007. The tournament is sanctioned by the Asian Baseball Federation. The winner of the tournament will gain automatic entry into the 2008 Olympic Games ...
(which also functioned as the Asian qualifying tournament for the Beijing Olympics) as a member of the Japanese national team. Though he was 0-for-9 with one sacrifice bunt in the first two games against the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
and South Korea as Japan's No. 3 hitter, he went 3-for-4 with a
double
A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another.
Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to:
Film and television
* Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character
* Th ...
and a walk in a 10–2
mercy rule
A mercy rule, slaughter rule, knockout rule, or skunk rule ends a two-competitor sports competition earlier than the scheduled endpoint if one competitor has a very large and presumably insurmountable scoring lead over the other. It is called th ...
win in the final game against
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, helping Japan clinch a berth in the upcoming Olympics.
2008 Beijing Olympics
Aoki played in all nine games in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as Japan's starting center fielder, batting in each of the first three spots in the order and hitting .294 (10-for-34) with seven RBI and scoring five runs. Japan dropped the
semi-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
against South Korea, though, and despite a go-ahead three-run home run by Aoki in the third inning of the
bronze medal match
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
against the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Japan went on to lose 8–4 in a disappointing
fourth-place finish behind South Korea, Cuba and the United States.
2009 World Baseball Classic
Aoki played in the World Baseball Classic for the second time in 2009, having no difficulty playing left field despite manning center field almost exclusively for the Swallows. He played in all nine games, hitting .324 (12-for-37) with seven RBI as Japan's No. 3 hitter, and had a pivotal role in Japan's repeat as tournament champions. Aoki was one of three outfielders named to the
All-Tournament team.
2017 World Baseball Classic
Aoki played center field for Team Japan in the
2017 World Baseball Classic
The 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 16 competing nations, held from March 6 to March 22, 2017. It was the fourth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. The first-round hosts ...
. His team finished 3rd.
Playing style
Hitting
Listed at and , Aoki is described as a prototypical
contact hitter
In baseball, a contact hitter is a hitter who does not strike out often. Thus, they are usually able to use their bats to make contact with the ball (hence the name ''contact'' hitter) to put it in play, and then run fast to reach base. As a resul ...
for his ability to spread the ball to all fields and utilize his speed
on the bases to stretch singles into doubles and doubles into
triples
TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...
. Slotted into the 2-hole in front of former Tigers shortstop Takashi Toritani, Aoki became adept at hitting
infield singles to the left side of the infield to
get on base during his years at Waseda University. He carried that same approach into the pros, going
the opposite way for infield hits and singles to left field so often that teams began employing an "Aoki Shift", with the third baseman playing shallow and the shortstop shading the
5-6 hole, until 2006.
Aoki has developed more power with each successive season and has now established himself as a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat that can
pull the ball as well as hit for a high average (.333 career batting average as of May 13, 2009).
"Player Profile: Norichika Aoki"
''NPB Tracker'' He is known to be slightly unusual in that he has several different batting stances in his repertoire. While most players shape their mechanics to perfection, Aoki does not hesitate to switch from one stance to another when he runs into hitless stretches (though he holds his bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...
much more upright than he did earlier in his career). He has attested to the importance of lower body movement to his hitting in interviews. According to Statcast
Statcast is a high-speed, high-accuracy, automated tool developed to analyze player movements and athletic abilities in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Statcast was introduced to all thirty MLB stadiums in 2015, a year now considered the beginning ...
, Aoki's current batting stance positions his head closest to the assumed strikezone of any active player.
Fielding
On the defensive
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense indust ...
end, Aoki has earned a reputation as a superb center fielder with excellent instincts and range, winning three consecutive Golden Glove awards from 2006 to 2008 and leading all outfielders in the Central League putouts
In baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by ''PO'' or ''fly out'' when appropriate) is awarded to a defensive player who (generally while in secure possession of the ball) records an out by one of the following methods:
* Tagging a runner wit ...
in 2006 and 2007. His throwing arm is fringe-average for a major league center fielder but accurate, and he has a quick release.
In his first MLB season, Aoki made nine putouts in a game while fielding the right field in the Brewers' win over the Reds on June 8, 2012, falling one catch shy of the National League record. The 9 putouts rank among the most by a Brewers outfielder in a game. He was known throughout the Brewers organization as a solid defender.
Personal life
Aoki is married to former Japanese broadcaster Sachi Ohtake with whom he has two children.
References
External links
*
Career statistics - NPB.jp
Norichika Aoki – Tokyo Yakult Swallows Official Blog
(Japanese)
Norichika Aoki, JapaneseBallPlayers.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aoki, Norichika
1982 births
Living people
Baseball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Houston Astros players
Japanese expatriate baseball players in Canada
Japanese expatriate baseball players in the United States
Kansas City Royals players
Major League Baseball outfielders
Major League Baseball players from Japan
Milwaukee Brewers players
New York Mets players
Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders
Nippon Professional Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners
Northwest Arkansas Naturals players
Olympic baseball players of Japan
People from Miyazaki Prefecture
Sacramento River Cats players
San Francisco Giants players
Seattle Mariners players
Tacoma Rainiers players
Tokyo Yakult Swallows players
Toronto Blue Jays players
Waseda University alumni
Yakult Swallows players
2006 World Baseball Classic players
2009 World Baseball Classic players
2017 World Baseball Classic players