Kōsuke Noda

2001 Season

In 2001, Kōsuke did not appear with the first team due in part to the presence of regular catcher Tsutomu Ito.

Two years after being drafted, at age 24 Kōsuke made his professional debut.[5] Kōsuke played mostly at catcher[6] for the eventual Pacific League Champions,[7] playing alongside notable future MLB players such as Daisuke Matsuzaka and Kazuo Matsui.[8]

Appearing in 34 games, Kōsuke had nine hits in 47 at-bats, giving him a batting average of .191 for his rookie year.[9]

Kōsuke played in 36 games at catcher for the Lions, totaling 75 plate appearances. Kōsuke would improve his batting average to .222, while adding his first professional home run.[10]

In the 2004 season, Kōsuke would continue to improve upon previous years' numbers, seeing his batting average climb to .237 on 103 plate appearances. In 92 at-bats with the Lions, he had 22 hits while adding four doubles and three home runs.[11]

The Seibu Lions would go on to win the 2004 Japan Series against the Chunichi Dragons.[12]

In 2005, Kōsuke would play the fewest number of games since turning professional. In just 26 games, he would manage 11 hits on 48 at-bats, good for a batting average of .229.[13]

2006 was another year Kōsuke would see his utilization drop, playing in only seven games for the season. Kōsuke would make the most of his opportunities, batting for a .267 average on fifteen at-bats. He would also net his first career triple.[14]

Kōsuke would continue to be efficient on fewer opportunities during the 2007 season. He would achieve his highest batting average to date, earning a .280 average from seven hits on 25 at-bats.[15]

Playing for the newly renamed Saitama Seibu Lions, Kōsuke would appear in just nine games. In what would be his least productive professional season to date, Kōsuke would notch just one base hit on 11 at-bats for a batting average of .111.[16]

Kōsuke would play in just five games for the Lions in 2009. In those 22 games, he would make 11 plate appearances, going hitless and reaching the base just once on a walk for an average of .000.[17]

During the 2010 season, Kōsuke would play in five games, getting eight at-bats. He would make the most of his opportunities, picking up two doubles and earning a batting average of .250.[18]

In what would be his final professional season at the age of 33, Kōsuke would see action in nine games. In 17 plate appearances, he would reach base six times, all on walks.[19]