The Baseball Federation of Japan (BFJ) announced a roster of 24 players to make the trip to Panama for the 2011 IBAF Baseball World Cup. The team is led by manager Hirotami Kojima and assistant coaches Kazutoyo Hayase, Masafuni Nishi and Shoichi Nakajima. It features several veterans of former Baseball World Cups and Asian Games including Takashi Fujita, Masamitsu Hamano and Toshiyuki Hayashi. Japan is playing in Group A at the Baseball World Cup, opposing defending champion Team USA, Chinese Taipei, Canada, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Panama and Greece. The tournament will be held from October 1 to 15.
Profiles of some Japanese Team Members: Hirotami KOJIMA (56), Manager, is in charge of National Japan Team since the Asian Game in Guangzhou, China in 2010 when Japan won Bronze Medal led by Korea and Chinese Taipei. He played outfield for Team Japan at the Barcelona Olympic Game in 1991 when they won Bronze Medal, and spent a year in 2000/2001 in the U.S. by a grant from the Japanese Olympic Committee. His baseball carrier includes playing for Isahaya High in Nagasaki Prefecture at the National High School Championship in 1979 and 1980, Waseda University and joined Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, a giant comprehensive manufacturer of machinery. Its baseball team was runners-up at the Inter-city Championship in 1991. He is currently seconded from Mitsubishi to Nagasaki Prefectural Government. He says that the team’s goal is to bring home Gold Medal of World Cup for the first time for Japan.
Takashi FUJITA (28) Pitcher, H; 182 cm, W; 72 kg. R/R
Joined Toshiba, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products, in 2005 after graduating from Kyushu Kyoritsu University. A sidewinder with his slider and fastball, he propelled Toshiba to the Inter-city national Championship in 2010 when hewon the titles for best ERA (0.73 for the season) and MVP. This is his 2nd entry in National Team after the 2010 Asian Games.
Masamitsu HAMANO (26), H; 184 cm, W; 85 kg. R/R
Batters will find his fast ball and slider thrown sidearm difficult to hit. After joining the Kyushu Japan Railways in 2007, he collected numbers of awards including the best pitcher, and most wins in 2010 Inter-city National Championship. Sometime, he pitches three consecutive games as a starter, reliever and again starting pitcher.
Toshiyuki Hayashi (31) Outfielder, H; 180 cm, W; 78 kg. R/R
The team’s power hitter and key outfielder, selected from Fuji Heavy Industry, manufacturer of “SUBARU” cars and aerospace related products. He joined Fuji in 2002 after finishing Rissho University and received a number of awards in industrial league championships. This is his second appearance in World Cup with the first in 2007. At Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in 2010, he hit score-tying 3 run home run at the bottom of 9th inning against Chinese Taipei.
(Japanese text was contributed by Hirokazu Yokoo and Photos by Grand Slam Magazine, specialized in Industry League baseball in Japan)Complete Roster:
| ＮＯ。 |
Position |
First name/Family name |
Age |
Company |
Alma Mater |
| |
Team Leader |
Kozo |
Otagaki |
61 |
Toshiba |
Aoyama Gakuin Univ. |
| 30 |
Manager |
Hirotami |
Kojima |
47 |
Nagasaki Prefecture |
Waseda Univ. |
| 37 |
Coach |
Kazutoyo |
Hayase |
53 |
Nissay |
Kansai Univ. |
| 31 |
Coach |
Masafumi |
Nishi |
51 |
SP corporation |
Amagasaki Oda High school |
| 32 |
Coach |
Shoichi |
Nakajima |
45 |
Sumitomo Metals |
Toyo Univ. |
| ＮＯ。 |
Position |
First name/Family name |
Date of Birth |
Team/Organization |
Alma Mater |
| 19 |
LHP |
Tomoyuki |
Kida |
02.09.1987 |
Nissay |
JABA |
Komazawa Univ. |
| 14 |
RHP |
Koichi |
Kotaka |
25.12.1982 |
Saginomiya Corp. |
JABA |
Hachioji Kita High school |
| 23 |
LHP |
Atsushi |
Tanaka |
29.08.1980 |
Panasonic |
JABA |
Kinki Univ. |
| 18 |
RHP |
Ken |
Togame |
07.11.1987 |
East Japan Railway |
JABA |
Nihon Univ. |
| 20 |
RHP |
Masamitsu |
Hamano |
03.12.1984 |
Kyushu Japan Railway |
JABA |
Kokushikan Univ. |
| 12 |
RHP |
Takashi |
Fujita |
1982/11.21 |
Toshiba |
JABA |
Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ. |
| 11 |
RHP |
Naofumi |
Mitsuhashi |
29.06.1979 |
JFE East Japan |
JABA |
Jobu Univ. |
| 13 |
RHP |
Hirofumi |
Yamanaka |
09.09.1985 |
Honda Kumamoto |
JABA |
Kyushu Tokai Univ. |
| 21 |
LHP |
Yuichiro |
Utagawa |
04.01.1987 |
Mitsubishi Motors Okazaki |
JABA |
Kyoto Sangyou Univ. |
| 17 |
LHP |
Hiroya |
Kawamitsu |
04.03.1991 |
Kyuushu Ryoritsu Univ. |
JUBF |
Miyako Sogo Jitsugyo High school |
| 27 |
C |
Shigeki |
Nakano |
01.08.1980 |
Kyushu Japan Railway |
JABA |
Toyo Univ. |
| 9 |
C |
Takahito |
Matsuda |
10.02.1981 |
Tokyo Gas |
JABA |
Kansai Univ. |
| 15 |
1B |
Kanichi |
Matoba |
17.06.1977 |
Toyota |
JABA |
Kyusho Kyoritsu Univ. |
| 5 |
2B |
Kenichi |
Yokoyama |
05.06.1981 |
Mitsubishi HI Kobe |
JABA |
Konan Univ. |
| 4 |
2B |
Mayo |
Sakagami |
07.08.1980 |
Mitsubishi HI Yokohama |
JABA |
Senshu Univ. |
| 6 |
3B |
Yuichi |
Tabata |
20.07.1982 |
Honda |
JABA |
Rikkyo Univ. |
| 2 |
3B |
Takato |
Kobayashi |
03.11.1983 |
Mitsubishi Motors Okazaki |
JABA |
Waseda Univ. |
| 3 |
SS |
Ryoichi |
Adachi |
07.01.1988 |
Toshiba |
JABA |
Jobu Univ. |
| 8 |
SS |
Yohei |
Kawato |
12.04.1984 |
Honda |
JABA |
Nihon Univ. |
| 7 |
OF |
Takayoshi |
Kawabata |
04.02.1985 |
East Japan Railway |
JABA |
Kokusai Budo Univ. |
| 1 |
OF |
Mitsugu |
Kitamichi |
11.11.1981 |
NTT East Japan |
JABA |
Komazawa Univ. |
| 24 |
OF |
Yoshinobu |
Kotegawa |
15.03.1985 |
Honda |
JABA |
Ritsho Univ. |
| 26 |
OF |
Toshiyuki |
Hayashi |
21.12.1979 |
Subaru |
JABA |
Ritsho Univ. |
| 10 |
OF |
Keiji |
Ikebe |
23.08.1982 |
JX-ENEOS |
JABA |
Keio Univ. |
Photo by Ezio Ratti, FIBS.it