Irabu
| Hideki Irabu | |||
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| Pitcher | |||
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Born: May 5, 1969 Hirara, Okinawa, Japan |
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Died: July 24, 2011 (aged 42) Rancho Palos Verdes, California, U.S |
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| Professional debut | |||
| NPB: May 7, 1988, for the Lotte Orions | |||
| MLB: July 10, 1997, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| NPB: June 11, 2004, for the Hanshin Tigers | |||
| MLB: July 12, 2002, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 72–69 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.55 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,282 | ||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 34–35 | ||
| Earned run average | 5.15 | ||
| Strikeouts | 405 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Hideki Irabu (伊良部 秀輝 Irabu Hideki, May 5, 1969 – July 24, 2011) was a Japanese professional baseball player of Japanese and American mixed ancestry. He played professionally in both Japan and the United States. He joined New York Yankees to much fanfare, but his career struggled. He died in 2011 of an apparent suicide.
Irabu was born on May 5, 1969 in Hirara (present: Miyakojima),Okinawa, Japan then administered by the government of the United States. His father was an American service member whom Hideki never knew. Hideki's mother, Kazue, a native of Miyako, later married a restaurateur, Ichiro Irabu, from Osaka. Irabu raised Hideki as his son in Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture.
Irabu pitched for the Lotte Orions, who later became the Chiba Lotte Marines, of the Pacific League from 1988 to 1996. He was known as a high-speed pitcher and in 1993, he threw a 158 km/h (98 mph) fastball against Kazuhiro Kiyohara of the Seibu Lions. This was the fastest clocked pitch in all of Japanese Professional Baseball (NPB) until 2005, when the record was broken by Marc Kroon of the Yokohama BayStars. It remains the Pacific League record.
Irabu led the Pacific League in wins in 1994 (15) and in ERA in 1995 and 1996 (2.53 and 2.40, respectively). He also led the Pacific League in strikeouts in 1994 and 1995 (239, 239, and 167 respectively).
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