Travis Takashi Ishikawa (born September 24, 1983) is an American 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 occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
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 ...
. He played for 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 ...
,
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 ...
,
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
,
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
and
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
. Ishikawa has also filled in as an
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 ...
at times in his career.
Ishikawa grew up in
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. He was selected in the 21st round of the
2002 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 4 and 5.
It is featured in Michael Lewis' 2003 book '' Moneyball''.
First round selections
Supplemental first round compensation selections
* ...
by 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 ...
out of high school and made his major league debut with the team in 2006. He started 2009 as the Giants' first baseman. On defense he was third in the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
in
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...
. In 2010, he earned a World Series ring as part of the Giants'
World Series victory.
Ishikawa signed with 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 ...
in 2012 and in 2014 made the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
Opening Day roster. He was re-signed by his former team the Giants in April and started for them in left field during the 2014 playoffs. On October 16, 2014, Ishikawa hit a
walk-off three-run home run to give the Giants their third
National League pennant
The National League pennant winner of a given Major League Baseball season is the team that wins the championship—the pennant—of MLB's National League (NL). This team receives the Warren C. Giles Trophy and the right to play in the World Se ...
in five years by defeating the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
.
High school years
Ishikawa attended
Federal Way High School
Federal Way High School is a public high school located in Federal Way, Washington. It was originally built in 1938. A new campus opened in the fall of 2016.
Academics
* Advanced Placement courses: Calculus, Statistics, and Photography.
* Pre-A ...
in
Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. One of the most recently incorporated cities in the county, its population was 101,030 at the 2020 census. Federal Way is the tenth-largest city in Washington and the fifth-large ...
, where he
lettered
Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...
in baseball, leading his team to the
Washington State Class 4A Title as a junior in 2001 and to the title game as a senior in 2002.
He was drafted in the 21st round of the
2002 draft by 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 ...
.
The Giants gave him a $955,000 bonus to prevent him from attending
Oregon State University
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering co ...
. The bonus was at the time the highest for a non-first-round player, cued on by the organization's approaching signing deadline. The Giants could afford to pay a 21st-round pick that much because their higher picks had signed quickly for routine bonuses.
Minor League career
Ishikawa began his career playing for the rookie-league
Arizona League Giants
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Four C ...
in 2002. He
batted .279 with 10
runs scored
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls ...
, 19
hits, one
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 10
Runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
(RBI) in 19
games
A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...
(68
at-bats) before being called up to the
Class A Short Season
Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (cre ...
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a baseball team located in Keizer, Oregon, who are charter members of the Mavericks Independent Baseball League, a four-team league entirely based in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area and playing all their hom ...
of the
Northwest League
The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Pacific Northwest, Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Maj ...
. With Salem-Keizer, he hit .307 with 14 runs scored, 27 hits, one home run, and 17 RBI in 23 games (96 at-bats).
His performance helped Salem-Keizer win the Northwest League championship.
In 2003, Ishikawa was initially assigned to the
Class A Hagerstown Suns
The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They played their home g ...
of the
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
. After he batted .206 with 20 runs scored, 40 hits, three home runs, and 22 RBI in 57 games (194 at-bats), he was demoted to Salem-Keizer. In 66 games (248 at-bats) with the Volcanoes, he batted .254 with 53 runs scored, 63 hits, three home runs, and 31 RBI.
Coming into 2004, Ishikawa was ranked the Giants' seventh-best prospect by ''
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
''.
He spent most of 2004 with the Suns, batting .257 with 59 runs scored, 92 hits, and 54 RBI in 97 games (355 at-bats).
He tied with
Nate Schierholtz
Nathan John "Nate" Schierholtz (born February 15, 1984) is an American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants (2007–2012), Philadelphia Phillies (2012), Chicago Cubs ...
for the team lead with 15 home runs, and he won the Hagerstown Player of the Month award in July.
In the last month of the season, Ishikawa was promoted to the
Class A-Advanced
High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
San Jose Giants
The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark.
Games
San Jose Giants ga ...
of the
California League
The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leag ...
, where he batted .232 with 10 runs scored, 13 hits, one home run, and 10 RBI in 16 games (56 at-bats).
He also played eight playoff games for San Jose.
Ishikawa was ranked the 10th-best prospect in the Giants' organization by ''Baseball America'' entering 2005.
In 2005, he spent the entire season with San Jose. In 127 games (432 at-bats), he batted .282 with 87 runs scored, 122 hits, and 79 RBI.
His 22 home runs ranked fourth in the San Francisco Giants' organization and tied with
Bryan LaHair
Bryan Allan LaHair (born November 5, 1982) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Fukuoka ...
,
Travis Metcalf, and Aneudi Cuevas for seventh in the California League.
He appeared in six playoff games, batting .217 with four RBI as San Jose won the California League championship.
Major League career
San Francisco Giants
2006
Before the season, ''Baseball America'' ranked Ishikawa the number four prospect in the Giants' organization. He attended
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
with the Giants for the first time in his career. He was recalled from the minors for the first time on April 18 when
Lance Niekro
Lance William Niekro ( ; born January 29, 1979) is a baseball coach and former first baseman, who is the current head baseball coach of the Florida Southern Moccasins. He played college baseball at Florida Southern for coach Chuck Anderson from 1 ...
was placed on the Bereavement List, and made his major league debut the same day in a 7–4 loss to 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 ...
. His first big league hit came on April 19 as a pinch-hit single off
Brandon Webb
Brandon Tyler Webb (born May 9, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Webb pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2003 through 2009, and, after multiple shoulder surgeries, signed with but ...
in a 10–3 loss to Arizona. The next day, he returned to the minors to make room for Niekro.
On May 26, he was recalled when
Daniel Ortmeier was sent to the minors. He had his first big league start that day against the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
and had three hits, two doubles and three RBI in a 9–0 victory. After the game,
Kevin Frandsen
Kevin Vincent Frandsen (born May 24, 1982) is an American sports broadcaster and former professional baseball utility player. Frandsen played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Philadelph ...
and
Todd Greene gave him a pie in the face to celebrate. After four games (during which he hit .500), he was returned to the minors on May 30. He was recalled on June 13 when Niekro went on the disabled list again. After six games on this stint, he returned to the minors on June 21 when Frandsen was recalled.
In the minor leagues that year, Ishikawa played for the
Double-A Connecticut Defenders
The Connecticut Defenders were a Minor League Baseball team based in Norwich, Connecticut. The team, which played in the Eastern League, was the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major-league club from 2003 until following the 2009 ...
of the
Eastern League. In 86 games (298 at-bats), he batted .232 with 33 runs scored, 69 hits, 10 home runs, and 42 RBI.
In 12 games (24 at-bats) with the Giants, he batted .292 with one run scored, seven hits, no home runs, and four RBI.
After the season, he played for the
Scottsdale Scorpions
The Scottsdale Scorpions are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Scottsdale, Arizona, at Scottsdale Stadium, which is also the spring training facility of the San Francisco Gia ...
in the
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...
.
2007 (minors)
Ishikawa attended spring training with the Giants in 2007 but was reassigned to the minors on March 6. He spent the entire season in the minors, splitting time between Connecticut and San Jose. He began the season with Connecticut, hitting .214 with three home runs and 17 RBI in 48 games (173 at-bats) before suffering a knee injury. He was sent to San Jose on June 28 to recover from it, and he said that the Giants told him he would be promoted to
Triple-A after a rehab assignment. However, he struggled and remained with San Jose for the rest of the year, batting .268 with 13 home runs, 34 RBI, and a .551
slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...
in 56 games (198 at-bats).
He batted .241, hit two home runs, and posted five RBI in the playoffs as San Jose won another California League championship.
2008
![Ishi at bat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Ishi_at_bat.jpg)
In 2008, Ishikawa again attended spring training for the Giants and again began the season in the minors. On August 13, he was called up by the Giants to replace a slumping
John Bowker as the Giants' starting first baseman, a position Ishikawa held for most of the remainder of the season.
Ishikawa hit his first major league home run on August 17 at
Turner Field
Turner Field was a baseball stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia. From 1997 to 2016, it served as the home ballpark to the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium in 1996 to serve as the c ...
, a two-run shot off
Charlie Morton to right field in a 3–1 victory over the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
. He set a career high by having three hits on September 12 and 14 against the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
. In 33 games (95 at-bats) with the Giants, Ishikawa batted .274 with 12 runs, 26 hits, six doubles, three home runs, and 15 RBI.
Prior to his callup by the Giants, Ishikawa played for Connecticut and the Triple-A
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in do ...
of the
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
, batting .299 (121-for-405) with 69 runs, 35 doubles, 24 home runs, and 94 RBI in 112 games with both clubs. Initially, he was assigned to Connecticut, where he batted .289 with 16 doubles, 8 home runs, and 45 RBI in 64 games before earning a promotion to Fresno on June 20. In 48 games with Fresno, he batted .310 with 19 doubles, 16 home runs, and 46 RBI in 171 at-bats.
He had the fourth-highest average, the second-most home runs, and the third-most RBI of players in the Giants' organization. In May and June, Ishikawa was awarded the Giants Player of Month title; from June 2 to 8 he was named the Eastern League Player of Week after amassing 10 hit in 22 at-bats (.455 average) with three home runs and nine RBI.
2009
Ishikawa retained the position of starting first baseman in 2009. In the first game of the season, Ishikawa had two hits, including a three-RBI triple in the first inning against
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 ...
' starting pitcher
Jeff Suppan
Jeffrey Scot Suppan (; born January 2, 1975), is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current professional baseball coach who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, ...
as the Giants won 10–6. From May 25 through July 11, Ishikawa had his best stretch of the year, batting .326 while hitting seven home runs and driving in 17 runs.
He set a career high with four hits on May 25 and hit his first home run of the year, a three-run shot against
Buddy Carlyle
Earl Lester "Buddy" Carlyle (born December 21, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current coach. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankee ...
, in an 8–2 victory over Atlanta. On July 3, he hit a ball that was originally ruled a double against
Felipe Paulino, but the umpires changed it to a three-run home run after watching the replay as the Giants won 13–0 over 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 ...
. Ishikawa and
Juan Uribe
Juan Cespedes Uribe Tena (born March 22, 1979) is a Dominican former professional baseball infielder. He played shortstop, third base and second base during his career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White S ...
hit the Giants' first set of back-to-back home runs in 2009 against
Josh Geer
Joshua Brent Geer (born June 2, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres.
Amateur career
High school
Geer is a 2002 graduate of Forney High School. He was a fou ...
on July 9 in a 9–3 victory over the Padres. Through July 26, he batted .269 with seven home runs and 30 RBI.
On July 27, the Giants traded for
Ryan Garko
Ryan Francis Garko (born January 2, 1981) is a former professional baseball outfielder, first baseman, and designated hitter. In college, he was a catcher. He played for the Cleveland Indians, the San Francisco Giants, and the Texas Rangers in M ...
from the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
, intending for him to replace Ishikawa at first base and provide more offense than Ishikawa had. However, Garko struggled to produce offensively, and at the end of August Ishikawa began making most of the starts at first for the rest of the year.
On August 25, he snapped a 2–2 tie with a game-winning three-run eighth-inning home run against
Jon Rauch
Jon Erich Rauch (born September 27, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. At , he is tied with Sean Hjelle as the tallest player in Major League Baseball history. He is also an Olympic Gold Medalist in baseball.
Early year ...
as the Giants defeated Arizona 5–4. In 120 games (326 at-bats), Ishikawa batted .261 with 49 runs scored, 85 hits, 10 doubles, nine home runs, and 39 RBI. His batting average at
AT&T Park
Oracle Park is a Major League Baseball stadium in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Since 2000, it has been the home of the San Francisco Giants. Previously named Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park, and AT&T Park, the stadium's curren ...
was fifth in the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
(NL) for home stadiums at .349, but he batted .162 in away games. Defensively, his .996
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...
was third in the NL behind
Adam LaRoche
David Adam LaRoche (born November 6, 1979) is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks ...
's .999 and
Todd Helton
Todd Lynn Helton (born August 20, 1973) is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played his entire 17-year career for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). A five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, and ...
's .998.
2010
The Giants made Garko 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 ...
following the 2009 season, but they signed
Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Lewis Huff III (born December 20, 1976) is an American former professional baseball player who played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Huff played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tiger ...
to play first base. As a result, Ishikawa spent most of 2010 pinch-hitting, backing up Huff, and entering as a
defensive replacement
A defensive substitution in the game of baseball occurs when a currently non-playing player is placed into the field in place of another player, typically due either to injury or the appearance of a pinch hitter. In the American League, a pinch ...
at first base late in games.
Ishikawa hit his first home run of the year on April 7, against
Jeff Fulchino
Jeffrey Paul Fulchino (born November 26, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher.
Career
Florida Marlins
Fulchino played one Major League Baseball game with the Florida Marlins in . His major league debut was on June 22, 2006, ...
of the Astros in a 10–4 victory at
Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park is a retractable roof stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. It opened in 2000 as the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. It has a seating capacity of 41,168, which includes 5,197 club seats and 63 ...
.
Huff began
platooning in right field with Schierholtz (and later, with
Andrés Torres) at the beginning of July, and Ishikawa got the starts at first base when Huff was in right field.
On July 3, Ishikawa hit his first career
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
against
Ubaldo Jiménez
Ubaldo Jiménez García (born January 22, 1984) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles. Jiménez was an MLB All-Sta ...
(who had a 14–1 record at the time) in an 11–8 victory over Colorado. Ishikawa hit .290 with two home runs and 17 RBI in 36 games from July 1 through August 13, and he even saw his season batting average go over .300 at times during the stretch. However, the acquisition of
José Guillén
José Manuel Guillén (pronounced ; born May 17, 1976) is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. Guillén played for ten Major League Baseball (MLB) teams in his career.
Professional career
Pittsburgh Pirates
Guillén was signed b ...
on August 13 moved Huff back to first base, which returned Ishikawa to a utility role. Giants' manager
Bruce Bochy
Bruce Douglas Bochy (; born April 16, 1955), nicknamed "Boch" and "Headly", is an American professional baseball manager and former catcher who is the current manager of the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He managed the San Diego ...
said, "
shikawas done a nice job."
Ishikawa ended up hitting .266 with three home runs and 22 RBI in 116 games (158 at-bats) for the season.
He batted .315 as a pinch-hitter, which ranked seventh in the NL. In a reverse from 2009, he batted .326 on the road while only hitting .194 at AT&T Park.
The Giants won the
NL West
The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...
for the first time since 2003, and Ishikawa was on the Giants' active roster throughout their postseason run. He had a pinch-hit double against
Mark Lowe
Mark Christopher Lowe (born June 7, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, and Detr ...
in Game 1 of the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
against the
Texas Rangers as the Giants won 11–7. In Game 4, he got his first start of the postseason, playing first base in the Giants' 4–0 victory. He earned a World Series ring as the Giants defeated Texas in five games to win their first World Series since 1954.
2011 (minors)
After the final game of spring training in 2011, Ishikawa was designated for assignment and outrighted to the minors to make room for rookie first baseman
Brandon Belt
Brandon Kyle Belt (born April 20, 1988), nicknamed "Baby Giraffe", "Sparky", and “Captain”, is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the S ...
.
On April 24, Ishikawa hit a grand slam for Fresno against
Kevin Mulvey in a 12–5 victory over the
Reno Aces
The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, which opened in 2009. ...
. He did not appear for the Giants in 2011, spending the season with the Grizzlies until he injured his shoulder diving for a ball early in the year and underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in the summer of 2011. In 56 games (175 at-bats) for the Grizzlies, Ishikawa batted .251 with 21 runs scored, 44 hits, 14 doubles, three home runs, and 18 RBI.
On November 2, the Giants made him a free agent.
Milwaukee Brewers
![Travis Ishikawa Milwaukee Brewers April 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Travis_Ishikawa_Milwaukee_Brewers_April_2012.jpg)
Ishikawa signed a minor league contract with 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 ...
on December 12, 2011, and made the team out of spring training as a backup first baseman and pinch hitter. On May 2, he became the starting first baseman for the Brewers after
Mat Gamel
Mathew Lawrence Gamel (born July 26, 1985) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers across the 2008 through 2012 seasons. Once considered among the best prospects in ...
tore his
anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are also called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation ...
.
He hit two home runs against
Dillon Gee
Dillon Kyle Gee (born April 28, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins. In addition, Gee pitched for the ...
and had five RBI on May 15 in an 8–0 win over 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 ...
. He batted .250 with four home runs and 14 RBI in his first 32 games before going on the disabled list on May 27 with a left rib-cage strain.
He returned from the disabled list on June 23, but by then
Corey Hart had taken over the first base job, limiting Ishikawa to a reserve role for the rest of the year.
On October 3, the final game of the season, Ishikawa had four RBI against
Andrew Werner
Andrew Steven Werner (born February 25, 1987) is an American college baseball coach former professional baseball pitcher. He is the pitching coach at Bradley University. He played college baseball at Illinois Central College in 2006 and 2007 befor ...
in a 7–6 loss to the Padres. In 94 games (152 at-bats), he hit .257 with four home runs and 30 RBI.
On November 3, Ishikawa elected to become a free agent after being outrighted off the Brewers' 40-man roster the day before.
2013
On December 19, 2012, Ishikawa signed a minor league contract with the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
. He spent most of spring training with the team but was assigned to the Triple-A
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...
of the
International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
on March 27. In 49 games (177 at-bats) with Norfolk, he batted .316 with 56 hits, seven home runs, and 31 RBI.
Ishikawa was brought up from the Tides on June 18 when pitcher
Miguel González was placed on the paternity leave list; Ishikawa was called up to play
designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
and give
Chris Davis days off at first base. Ishikawa appeared in six games for the Orioles, getting two hits in 17 at-bats with 1 RBI.
The Orioles designated him for assignment on June 29 to make room for
Jair Jurrjens
Jair Francoise Jurrjens ( ; born January 29, 1986) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball pitcher for the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves (with whom h ...
on the roster.
Ishikawa was claimed off assignment waivers by the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
on July 7. He appeared in one game for the Yankees, starting at first base and going 0–2 with two strikeouts in a 5–1 loss 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 ...
. On July 14, Ishikawa cleared waivers and elected free agency after being designated for assignment when
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...
returned from the 60-day disabled list.
On July 18, 2013, Ishikawa signed a minor league deal with 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 ...
and was assigned to the
Charlotte Knights
The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 20 ...
of the International League. In 34 games with the Knights (120 at-bats), he batted .250 with 30 hits, two home runs, and 23 RBI. His combined totals between Norfolk and Charlotte were a .290 batting average, 86 hits, nine home runs, and 54 RBI in 83 games (297 at-bats).
Only able to see his family for 14 days between February and September, Ishikawa considered retirement.
[
]
Pittsburgh Pirates
After Ishikawa decided to play for one more season, the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
signed him to a minor league contract.[ After prospect ]Andrew Lambo
Andrew Francis Lambo (born August 11, 1988) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman . He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland Athletics.
Career
Los Angeles Dodgers
Lambo ...
struggled in 2014 spring training, Ishikawa made the Pirates' roster. He started on Opening Day (March 31) and platooned at first base with Gaby Sánchez
Gabriel Sánchez (born September 2, 1983) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida/Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the ...
, with Ishikawa playing against right-hander and Sánchez playing against left-handers.
Ishikawa batted .206 with one home run in 15 games. The Pirates traded for Ike Davis
Isaac Benjamin Davis (born March 22, 1987) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. From 2010 through 2016, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics, and New York ...
on April 18 and designated Ishikawa for assignment on April 19. He became a minor league free agent on April 23.
Second stint with the Giants
2014
Ishikawa signed a minor league deal with the Giants on April 24. After languishing in the minors for several months, Ishikawa again considered retirement, but the Giants promoted him to the major leagues on July 29 after ongoing injuries to first baseman Brandon Belt
Brandon Kyle Belt (born April 20, 1988), nicknamed "Baby Giraffe", "Sparky", and “Captain”, is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the S ...
and a roster re-shuffle following a six-game losing streak. In late September, with the return of Belt to first base and ongoing injuries to outfielders Michael Morse
Michael John Morse (born March 22, 1982) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, first baseman and shortstop. Morse was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the third round (82nd overall) of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft. ...
and Ángel Pagán
Ángel Manuel Pagán (born July 2, 1981) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants.
Pagán's original contract in Major League Base ...
, the Giants asked Ishikawa to play left field for the first time in his career. Despite being a career first baseman and with just three career regular season starts in left field, Ishikawa became the Giants starting left fielder during the 2014 postseason.
In the 2014 National League Championship Series, Ishikawa batted 5-for-13 (.385) with 7 RBIs. He recorded the game-winning RBI in Game 1 and drove in three runs via a bases-loaded double in Game 3. In Game 5, with the Giants leading the series three games to one, Ishikawa hit a 3-run walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not ...
in the bottom of the ninth inning off of St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
pitcher Michael Wacha to clinch the pennant for the Giants and their third World Series appearance in the past five seasons. Ishikawa's home run was the first to send a National League team to the World Series since Bobby Thomson
Robert Brown Thomson (October 25, 1923 – August 16, 2010) was a Scottish Americans, Scottish-born American professional baseball player, nicknamed the "Staten Island Scot". He was an outfielder and right-handed batter for the New York Giants ( ...
's Shot Heard 'Round the World in 1951. Ishikawa's home run was the first ever to end an NLCS and the fourth to end any LCS, after Chris Chambliss
Carroll Christopher Chambliss (born December 26, 1948) is an American professional baseball player and coach (baseball), coach. He played in Major League Baseball from to for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves. He served ...
(1976 ALCS
The 1976 American League Championship Series was a best-of-five playoff pitting the New York Yankees against the Kansas City Royals for the American League pennant and the right to represent the American League in the 1976 World Series. The Yanke ...
), Aaron Boone
Aaron John Boone (born March 9, 1973) is an American baseball manager and former infielder who is the manager of the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for 13 seasons from 1997 through 2009. As a player, ...
(2003 ALCS
The 2003 American League Championship Series (ALCS) was played between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees from October 8 to 16, 2003. The Yankees won the series four games to three to advance to the World Series, where they lost in six ...
), and Magglio Ordóñez
Magglio José Ordóñez Delgado (; born January 28, 1974) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball right fielder. He played for the Chicago White Sox (1997–2004) and Detroit Tigers (2005–2011). Ordóñez is tall and weighs . Having p ...
(2006 ALCS
The 2006 American League Championship Series (ALCS), the second round of the 2006 American League playoffs, began on October 10 and ended on October 14. The wild card Detroit Tigers swept the West Division champion Oakland Athletics 4 games ...
). Ishikawa earned his second World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
ring when the Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals four games to three.
2015
On December 4, 2014, Ishikawa and the Giants agreed to a one-year, $1.1 million contract for 2015. He started the 2015 season on the disabled list due to a back injury suffered near the end of spring training. At the conclusion of his rehab assignment, he was designated for assignment by the Giants and removed from the 40-man roster. Ishikawa subsequently cleared waivers and was sent to the Sacramento River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 15 yea ...
. On June 24, 2015, Ishikawa was called back up to the Giants to take the place of the injured Nori Aoki
is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Toro ...
. He was designated for assignment again on July 3.
Second stint with the Pirates
Ishikawa was claimed off waivers by the Pirates on July 5, 2015. In 38 games with the Pirates, Ishikawa hit .224 with one home run and 8 RBI.
2016
In January 2016, Ishikawa was reportedly close to signing a minor-league 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 ...
, but the deal fell through. He signed a minor-league contract with 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 ...
on February 9. He opened the 2016 season with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights
The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 20 ...
. He was released on May 24, 2016. On June 8th, Ishikawa signed a minor league deal to return to the San Francisco Giants organization, but was granted free agency in November.
Post-playing career
On March 16, 2018, Ishikawa rejoined the Giants organization as a hitting coach for the Arizona League Giants
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Four C ...
"Orange" team, one of their two Arizona League
The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it f ...
teams. Travis is currently a coach for the low-A West affiliate of the Giants, the San Jose Giants, in San Jose, CA.
Personal life
Ishikawa's mother is European American. His father, Alan, is the controller for a chain of Washington supermarkets and a third generation Japanese American. His paternal grandparents were held in an internment camp
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
in Colorado during World War II.
Ishikawa met his wife, Rochelle, a dental assistant, after being hit by a pitch in the face in his first game with San Jose.[ They married in 2007 and have three children, including a daughter who was born on Ishikawa's 25th birthday in 2008.] Ishikawa became a Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
in 2007, which he believes helped him out of his slump that year. He says, "Faith will always be the biggest part of anything that happens."
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ishikawa, Travis
1983 births
American baseball players of Japanese descent
American Christians
Arizona League Giants players
Baltimore Orioles players
Baseball players from Seattle
Charlotte Knights players
Connecticut Defenders players
Fresno Grizzlies players
Hagerstown Suns players
Living people
Major League Baseball first basemen
Major League Baseball left fielders
Major League Baseball right fielders
Milwaukee Brewers players
Nashville Sounds players
New York Yankees players
Norfolk Tides players
People from Federal Way, Washington
Pittsburgh Pirates players
Sacramento River Cats players
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes players
San Francisco Giants players
San Jose Giants players