Tsuyoshi Ishizaki

Tsuyoshi Ishizaki (石崎 剛, Ishizaki, Tsuyoshi, born September 9, 1990 in Koga, Ibaraki) is a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's Central League.

Tsuyoshi Ishizaki
Ishizaki with the Hanshin Tigers
Chiba Lotte Marines – No. 30
Pitcher
Born: (1990-09-09) September 9, 1990
Koga, Ibaraki
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
debut
March 29, 2015, for the Hanshin Tigers
NPB statistics
(through 2020 season)
Win–loss record1–2
ERA4.13
Strikeouts91
Teams

Early baseball career

A native of Ibaraki, Ishizaki started playing baseball in grade school and continued all the way until he entered Sanwa High School.[1] His school made it to the 3rd round of the prefectural tournament, but failed to make it to Koshien.[2] During that time, his fastballs already sparked the interest of some scouts as it reached the 145 km/h levels, but in the end, none of the 12 NPB teams drafted him when he graduated high school.

Wanting to pursue a career in baseball, he joined the industrial leagues under Shin Nittetsu Sumikin Kashima.[3] However, he began experiencing lower back pains shortly after he joined the team.[4] Apparently, this was brought about by the strain that resulted from his overhead pitching form, and as a solution, he decided to alter his delivery form to a lower arm angle.[4] With a stroke of luck, the altered form worked to his advantage, bringing his pitches to a maximum of 151 km/h, making him indispensable to the team.[3]

Professional career

Hanshin Tigers

In October 2014, he was chosen as the Hanshin Tigers 2nd pick in the 2014 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. He signed with the Tigers on November 17 for an estimated 12 million yen annual salary, and a 70 million yen signing bonus.[5][6] He was assigned the jersey number 30.[7]

His teammate from Shin Nittetsu, Yuya Yokoyama was the Tiger's first pick during the same draft,[7] making them the first players from the same team to be drafted as the 1st and 2nd picks in franchise history, and the first pitchers from the same team to be drafted as such in NPB history.[8]

2015

He debuted as a reliever during the March 29 opening card with the Dragons in Kyocera Dome, where he retired 3 consecutive batters in the 8th inning, helping the Tigers sweep their opponent in their first 3 games for the season.

Chiba Lotte Marines

On July 4, 2019, Ishizaki was traded to the Chiba Lotte Marines in exchange for Keisuke Takano.[9]

Playing Style

With a three-quarter right-handed side throw,[4] his fastballs register up to 151 km/h on the radar gun.[3] And while he can deliver a slider and occasional change-up, he relied mostly on his fastballs during his career in the industrial leagues.[10]

References
  1. "【球児２世や！阪神２位・石崎、火の玉ストレートで斬る／ドラフト". Sankei Sports. 2014-10-24. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  2. "【ドラ２石崎"剛"速球で球児の後継に". Daily Sports. 2014-10-24. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  3. "【阪神２位】石崎剛 ほぼ直球一本やり！最速151キロの剛球右腕". Sports Nippon. 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  4. "阪神ドラ2石崎 虎の昌勇林や!同じ右横手からの剛速球武器". Sports Nippon. 2015-01-11. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
  5. "阪神ドラ2石崎が仮契約151キロ超えだ". Nikkan Sports. 2014-11-17. Retrieved 2014-11-22.
  6. "阪神から2位指名 石崎投手が仮契約". Yomiuri Shimbun. 2014-11-18. Retrieved 2014-11-22.
  7. 阪神タイガース公式サイト - 2015年新人選手入団発表会を実施
  8. "虎史上初の同一チーム1、2巡目指名!/ドラフト". Sankei Sports. 2014-10-24. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
  9. "Ishizaki Traded to Marines". 4 July 2019.
  10. "ドラ2石崎 チェンジアップ精度上げる". デイリースポーツ. 2015-01-15. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
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