is a Japanese

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 ...

player. He is currently with the

Yokohama DeNA 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 ...

in Japan's

Pacific League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series. It currently consis ...

. He made his Giants debut in 2007 against 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 ...

, pitching 2/3 of an inning and giving up a hit and a walk in that span. He saw expanded action in 2008 as a mid-season call-up, and he was part of a young bullpen that led the Giants to a Japan Series berth against the eventual champion

Saitama Seibu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Railway, wh ...

. In 28 games, he pitched in relief in 26 of them and made two starts, one of them being his first career complete game against the

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 ...

on September 24. He made four appearances in the '08 playoffs, all without giving up a run. His first full season in 2009 started off very well, as Tono posted quality starts in four of his first five starts, en route to 14 for the year, but his smoking habit caught up with him late in the season. Run support was a problem for him though, as he had 10 no-decisions to go with his 8-8 record and a respectable 3.17 ERA. His season was marred by a bit of controversy, as Tono was pulled from his start on September 16 by manager Tatsunori Hara. A frustrated Hara said after the game, "As an athlete, not being able to quit smoking represents a larger weakness. He needs to get stronger." This was the third in a string of three straight poor starts for the young righty. Ultimately, Tono was a part of the 2009 Japan Series Champion Giants, who defeated the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in six games to with their 21st title. He pitched in three games in the postseason, giving up 1 run in 8 and 1/3 innings. He also started the deciding 6th game in the series, but had to leave with two down in the very first inning after being struck on the hand on a line drive by Nippon Ham Fighters first baseman Shinji Takahashi.

Pitching Style

Tono is one of many starters in Japan who pitches exclusively from the stretch position, modifying his delivery when there are runners on base. He does not have overpowering pitches, as his four-seam fastball tops out only at 144 km/h (89 MPH). However, Tono does compensate with good control on his fastball and also has an array of other pitches, among them a sharp

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

, a late-breaking slider, and a forkball, leading to a lot of strikeouts. He is prone to bad spells resulting from errors or consecutive hits, and is also prone to giving up home runs. However, he is also adept at pitching out of jams and gets clutch strikeouts when needed.

External links

NPB.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tono, Shun Living people 1986 births Baseball people from Ibaraki Prefecture Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Yomiuri Giants players Orix Buffaloes players Yokohama DeNA BayStars players Japanese expatriate baseball players in the United States Honolulu Sharks players