42 years old, it's time to leave, twice '200 hits' Aoki retired, and the U.S. and Japan recorded '2723 hits' and said goodbye
Sep 13, 2024
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Yakult Swallows outfielder Norichika Aoki (42), who recorded a career of `2723 hits' in the U.S. and Japan, will end his 21-year professional career. Japanese sports magazine Sports Nippon reported on the 13th that Aoki will retire after this season. Aoki has been training with the first-team squad since his first-team registration was removed on August 5.
He was 'Mr Swallows' who had long represented Yakult. After graduating from Waseda University, he joined as the No. 4 draft pick in 2004, and played 15 seasons as a Yakult player. He was a Yakult player for the rest of the year except for six years from 2012 to 2017, when he played in the Major League.
A hit maker that combines the ability to make contact with quick feet. He hit 1949 for Yakult and 774 for Major League Baseball. It is the fifth-best record in Japanese professional baseball history.
He became the batting champion three times and topped the hit twice. He held the Golden Glove in his arms seven times as an outfielder. In 2006, he stole 41 bases and won the title,
Born in January 1982 in left-handedness. He is the oldest fielder in Japanese pro baseball this season. Overall, left-hander Masanori Ishikawa, a senior member of the team, is the oldest at 44.
He started the season in the first team and mainly played as a pinch hitter. In 61 games, he played with no home runs and batted .192 with nine RBIs and seven runs-OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 0.492.
In his 40s, his playing time decreased. After returning from the Major League and recording triple-digit hits for four consecutive years, he only had 80 hits in 2022 and 72 hits in 2023. There was no stopping the flow of time.
The match against Yokohama BayStars at Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo on July 21. Aoki played as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 11th inning. The team fell behind 5-7 by giving up two runs in the top of the 11th inning of extra time from 5-5. He hit a double in the left field to create an opportunity for runners on second and third bases with no outs. It was his 1949th hit in Japanese professional baseball and his last hit this season.
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He played only 10 games in his debut season in 2004. He finished with three hits without RBI or long hit.
He was in full bloom in his second year of joining the club. In 2005, it shook the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played 144 games that year and hit 202 hits. He topped 200 hits for the second time since Ichiro Suzuki. He hit a batting average of 344 and ranked first in the Central League. The Rookie of the Year came along.
Five years later, he once again exceeded 200 hits. He had 209 hits in 2010. He was the only Japanese professional baseball player to have 200 hits twice.
In the winter of 2011, it flew to a bigger stage through the posting system. He moved to the Milwaukee Brewers of the Major League Baseball and played for the Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Mets. In the Major League, the number of hits has exceeded 100 for five consecutive years since the first year.
After playing six seasons, he returned to Jingu Stadium in 2018. It signed a contract for 3 years to 1 billion yen.
He batted .327-162 with 67 RBIs in his first year back. I made it known that I was in good health. 67 RBIs is his most in a season.
Aoki is the winner of the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Japan national team. He also participated in the 2017 tournament when he played in the Major League Baseball. He also represented Beijing's Olympic Games in 2008.
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huelva@sportschosun.com
