Masaaki Ikenaga

Pitcher

Born: August 18, 1946 (age 70)
Hohoku, Toyoura District, Yamaguchi, Japan

Batted: right

Threw: right

Nippon Professional Baseball debut

April, 1965, for the Nishitetsu Lions

Last appearance

May, 1970, for the Nishitetsu Lions

NPB statistics

Win-Loss

103-65

ERA

2.36

Strikeouts

793

Teams

Nishitetsu Lions (1965–1970)

Career highlights and awards

1965 Pacific League Rookie of the Year
5x All-Star
1967 Pacific League leader in wins and complete games

Masaaki Ikenaga (池永正明, Ikenaga Masaaki^?, born August 18, 1946, in Hohoku Town, Toyoura-gun, Yamaguchi, Japan) is a former Japanese professional baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, he played in Japan for the Nishitetsu Lions. Ikenaga was one of the top pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball before a scandal derailed his career at age 23. Before being implicated in the Black Mist Scandal, he made five consecutive All-Star teams at the beginning of his career, and was in the top 10 in ERA every season of his career.

Ikenaga attended Shimonoseki Shogyo High School, with his school baseball team winning the spring 1963 Koshien Tournament.

He made his debut for the Nishitetsu Lions in 1965 at age 18, winning 20 games (3rd in the league) with a 2.27 ERA (5th in the league), and establishing himself as the team's ace. That year he made the Pacific League (PL) All-Star team, and was named the PL Rookie of the Year.

In 1966 he posted a 15-14 record with a 2.18 ERA, again fifth in the PL.

1967 was Ikenaga's most productive season, as he went 23-14 with a 2.31 ERA. He led the PL in wins, complete games (19), shutouts (6) and innings pitched (335-1/3).

1968 saw Ikenaga go 23-13, with a 2.45 ERA (3rd in the PL). The 1969 season saw Ikenaga post an 18-11 record and a 2.57 ERA, finishing 3rd in the league in wins.

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