Tadahito Iguchi

Infobox MLB player
name=Tadahito Iguchi


width=250
position=Second base
team=Philadelphia Phillies
number=9
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1974|12|4
birthplace=city-state|Nishitōkyō|Tokyo Japan
debutdate=April 4
debutyear=2005
debutteam=Chicago White Sox
statyear=August 31, 2008
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.268
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=44
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=205
teams=
*Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (by|1997-by|2004) (NPB)
*Chicago White Sox (by|2005-by|2007)
*Philadelphia Phillies (by|2007)
*San Diego Padres (by|2008)
*Philadelphia Phillies (by|2008-present)nihongo|Tadahito Iguchi|井口 資仁|Iguchi Tadahito|born December 4, 1974 in Nishitōkyō, Tokyo, Japan is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. His nicknames include "Tad" and "Gooch."

Iguchi began playing in high school and after graduating in 1993, went to Aoyama Gakuin University where he distinguished himself by hitting the Tohto University Baseball League record of eight home runs in a season and winning the triple crown. He was a member of Japanese National Team in 1996 Summer Olympics that won the silver medal. He was the first pick in the by|1996 draft by Fukuoka Daiei Hawks.

In his debut year of by|1997, he hit a grand slam in the first game of his professional career. He suffered a shoulder injury in the by|2000 season and had a surgery which ended his season. He recovered fully in by|2001 hitting 30 home runs and leading the league with a personal best 44 stolen bases. In by|2003, he hit over .300, had over 100 RBI and led the league in steals. He left Fukuoka Daiei after the by|2004 season to play for the Chicago White Sox. He maintains a friendship with his former teammates Kenji Johjima and Koji Akiyama.

During the mlby|2005 MLB season, he had a .278 batting average with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases. In the 2005 Divisional Series, he hit a go-ahead 3-run home run in Game 2 against the Boston Red Sox.

In mlby|2006, Iguchi had two multi-homer games, both times hitting a grand slam and another home run.

On July 27, mlby|2007, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Michael Dubee. He was the first Asian-born player to join the Phillies.

He is the first everyday Japanese player to play on a World Series-winning team. (Hideki Irabu was on the New York Yankees 1998 World Series roster and got a ring, but did not appear in a World Series game.)

On December 18, 2007, Iguchi signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Padres, but he was released on September 1. [http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080831&content_id=3399825&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb]

On September 5, 2008, the Phillies signed Iguchi, making it his second stint with the team.

External links

*baseballstats |mlb=435338 |espn=6217 |br=i/iguchta01 |fangraphs=8581 |cube=I/tadahito-iguchi
* [http://sports.nifty.com/tadahito-iguchi/ Tadahito Iguchi Official site] （in Japanese）
* [http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7510 Yahoo! Sports profile page]
* [http://japaneseballplayers.com/en/player.php?id=iguchi Japanese league stats and info of Tadahito Iguchi]