Look up spitball in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A spitball is an illegal baseball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of saliva, petroleum jelly, or some other foreign substance.

Such a pitch presents an additional challenge to the hitter because it causes the ball to move atypically during its approach due to the altered wind-resistance and weight on one side of the ball.

Alternative names for the spitball are spitter, mud ball, shine ball, supersinker, vaseline ball (because originally, Vaseline was used to give the ball a little more break), and emery ball, although technically, an emery ball is one where the ball has been abraded in much the same way that the original cut ball had been physically cut (an emery ball is also known as a scuff ball).

History[link]

The invention of the spitball has been popularly credited to a number of individuals, among them Elmer Stricklett and Frank Corridon. Numerous accounts, however, refer to different players experimenting with versions of the spitball throughout the latter half of the 19th century, and it remains unlikely that any one individual "invented" the spitball.^[1]

Ed Walsh, however, is certainly responsible for popularizing it. Walsh dominated the American League from 1906–1912 primarily on the strength of his spitball, and pitchers around the league soon copied his spitball or invented their own trick pitch.

The dramatic increase in the popularity of "freak deliveries" led to a great deal of controversy throughout the 1910s regarding the abolition of the spitball and related pitches. In his autobiography, Ty Cobb wrote that such "freak pitches" "were outlawed when the owners greedily sold out to home runs."^[2]

In addition, there were serious issues with the spitball, as a variation on the standard spitball called for the pitcher to smear the entire surface of the normally white ball with a mixture of tobacco spittle and dirt or mud in order to stain it the same deep brown color as the infield, making it nearly impossible for batters to see or avoid in low-light conditions. In August 1920, Ray Chapman was famously struck in the temple and killed by a spitball thrown by pitcher Carl Mays during a poorly lit game; Chapman is the second of only two Major League Baseball players to have died as a result of an injury received in a game (the first was Mike "Doc" Powers in 1909).

The spitball was banned in two stages. In the winter of 1919–1920, managers voted to partially ban the spitball, allowing each team to designate at most two pitchers who would be permitted to legally throw spitballs. Then, following the 1920 season, the spitball was banned leaguewide, except for existing spitballers who were grandfathered in and allowed to keep throwing the pitch legally until they retired.^[3]

Seventeen existing spitballers were granted this exemption. Burleigh Grimes lasted the longest, retiring in 1934. The complete list: Doc Ayers (played through 1921); Ray Caldwell (1921); Stan Coveleski (1928); Bill Doak (1929); Phil Douglas (1922); Red Faber (1933); Dana Fillingim (1925); Ray Fisher (1920); Marv Goodwin (1925); Dutch Leonard (1925); Clarence Mitchell (1932); Jack Quinn (1933); Allen Russell (1925); Dick Rudolph (1927); Urban Shocker (1928); and Allen Sothoron (1926).

In March 1955, MLB Commissioner Ford Frick advocated for the return of the spitball, telling a sportswriter, "If I had my way, I'd legalize the old spitter. It was a great pitch and one of the easiest to throw. There was nothing dangerous about it."^[4] Despite the Commissioner's enthusiasm, the pitch remained illegal.

Methodology[link]

Although the spitball is now banned at all levels of professional and organized amateur baseball, it is still sometimes thrown in violation of the rules. (In 1942, Leo Durocher, then-manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, fined Bobo Newsom for throwing a spitball and "lying to me about it.") Typically, a lubricant is hidden behind the pitcher's knee or under the peak of his cap. Others will place the ball in their mitt and then cough on or lick it. Another tactic pitchers use is to soak their hair in water before going out to the mound, and then rubbing their hand in their hair before a pitch. Some pitchers have even glued a piece of sandpaper to one of their fingers, and scuffed a part of the ball to achieve a similar effect to the spitball. Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe has stated that he would hide a piece of emery board in his belt buckle so that he could roughen the ball or even cut it. During the Minnesota Twins' 1987 pennant chase, one of their starting pitchers, Joe Niekro, was suspended when he was caught on the field with a nail file in his back pocket. Niekro said in defense that he had been filing his nails, a common practice amongst knuckleball pitchers. One week later, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Kevin Gross was caught with sandpaper in his glove and suspended.

One of the most famous spitballers was Preacher Roe, who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950s. Roe was renowned both for his ability to control the spitball, as well as to throw it without getting caught and described his methodology in a 1955 article in Sports Illustrated, "The Outlawed Spitball Was My Money Pitch", published a year after he retired.^[5] Another famous user of the pitch was Gaylord Perry, who went so far as to title his autobiography Me and the Spitter. (For example, Gaylord would put vaseline on his zipper because umpires would never check there.) Don Drysdale and Lew Burdette also used the pitch regularly.

Legal spits[link]

The name dry spitter is sometimes used to describe a pitch that moves like a spitball without saliva, such as the forkball or split-finger fastball. It is sometimes used simply as slang for the knuckleball.

There is also the remote term of God-given spitter, which is when the ball is naturally dampened by moist air or light rainfall, which allows pitchers to be able to throw pitches with sharper breaks, much like a spitball.

Comparison to other sports[link]

Preparing a spitball is analogous to illegal ball tampering in cricket, but is not the same thing. The shining of one side of the ball, as well as the use of sweat and saliva, even when tainted with mints that a player is sucking on, is not only legal in cricket but an integral part of the game as it is used to create such phenomena as swing bowling. Illegal ball tampering in cricket includes such practices as altering of the ball's state by the use of artificial substances such as sun block, dirt or degradation by fingernails or other hard substances.

See also[link]

• Ball tampering in cricket
• Live-ball era and Dead-ball era

References[link]

Clay Buchholz
Boston Red Sox – No. 11
Starting pitcher
Born: (1984-08-14) August 14, 1984 (age 27) Nederland, Texas
Bats: Left	Throws: Right
MLB debut
August 17, 2007 for the Boston Red Sox
Career statistics (through May 25, 2012)
Win-Loss record	39-26
Earned run average	4.06
Strikeouts	369
Teams
Boston Red Sox (2007–present)
Career highlights and awards
1× MLB All-Star (2010) Pitched a no-hitter on September 1, 2007 against the Baltimore Orioles.

Clayton Daniel Buchholz (born August 14, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. On September 1, 2007, in just his second major league start, he recorded a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles, becoming the third MLB pitcher since 1900 to throw a no-hitter in his first or second start.^[1] He is the first Red Sox rookie and 17th Red Sox pitcher to pitch a no-hitter.^[1]

Baseball career[link]

High school[link]

Raised in Lumberton, Texas, Buchholz played baseball for the local youth baseball leagues, and then for the Lumberton High School Raiders.

College[link]

Buchholz began his college career in 2004 at McNeese State University. Also that year, he and a hometown friend were arrested for stealing 29 laptop computers from Lumberton Intermediate School, selling many to other students at McNeese.^[2] Buchholz later expressed regret, saying "That was a mistake. I was hanging out with the wrong person. But I think it helped me out in the long run."^[3][4] He was subsequently dismissed from the McNeese baseball team.

Buchholz then transferred to Angelina College. In 2005, while competing for the Roadrunners, Buchholz appeared in 15 games, winning 12 and losing 1.^[5] His 1.05 ERA, seven complete games, and 129 strikeouts all stand as team records (through the 2010 season). He was also named an All-American in 2005.^[6]

Minor leagues[link]

Buchholz was drafted by the Red Sox in the supplemental first round of the 2005 draft. The Red Sox obtained their supplemental pick, the 42nd overall, as compensation for losing free agent Pedro Martínez to the New York Mets.^[5]

Buchholz pitched 41 ¹⁄₃ innings for the Lowell Spinners of the New York-Penn League, compiling a record of 0–1 with 45 strikeouts in fifteen starts. He then pitched for the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Single A-Advanced) and the Greenville Drive (Single A). Between the two teams, Buchholz struck out 140 and walked 33 in 119 innings while going 11–4.

Buchholz started his first spring training game in 2007 against the Tampa Bay Rays. He pitched 4 ²⁄₃ innings, gave up seven hits and three runs, and recorded three strikeouts. While competing for the Portland Sea Dogs in 2007, Buchholz played in fifteen games, winning 7 and losing 2. His success led him to be chosen to play in the All-Star Futures Game at AT&T Park.

Buchholz was promoted to the Pawtucket Red Sox, the AAA affiliate of the Red Sox, on July 8, 2007. He finished the AAA season with a 1–3 W-L record, while recording 55 strikeouts, 13 walks, and a 3.96 era over eight starts in 38 ²⁄₃ AAA innings.

Major leagues[link]

2007 season[link]

Buchholz made his MLB debut with the Boston Red Sox against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on August 17, 2007 at Fenway Park. The Sox won the game 8–4 and he picked up the win, going six innings and giving up four runs (three earned). After the game, however, Buchholz was sent back down to the Sox' Triple-A team in Pawtucket. "I got my feet wet," he said to a reporter. "I hope I can come back in September and help out."^[7] Before Buchholz' first major league start, Red Sox manager Terry Francona said: "This kid can come up and pitch a no-hitter, and he's going to go back down... If he throws a no-hitter I may send him back with a present. But he's going back."^[8]

No-hitter[link]

In Buchholz's second major league start on September 1, 2007, he became the first Boston Red Sox rookie to throw a no-hitter when he blanked the Baltimore Orioles 10–0. He threw 115 pitches, struck out nine, walked three, and hit Nick Markakis.^[9] After the game, Buchholz told the media, "It's amazing. That's all I can say ... I'm in a blur right now." According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Buchholz became the third pitcher since 1900 to pitch a no-hitter in his first or second major league start. Bobo Holloman did it in his first start on May 6, 1953, for the St. Louis Browns at home against the Philadelphia Athletics, and Wilson Alvarez did it in his second start on Aug. 11, 1991, for the Chicago White Sox at Baltimore.^[9]

Buchholz became the eleventh Red Sox pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Fenway Park history, and the seventeenth^[10] in Red Sox history.

Following the game, general manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona each independently confirmed that they had spoken by phone to each other in the seventh and eighth innings concerning Buchholz' pitch count. He had not thrown more than 98 pitches in a game all year, and was threatening to significantly exceed that total if he finished the game. Epstein reported that in no way would Buchholz have been allowed to face a batter after reaching 120 pitches, expressing concern about excessive pitches potentially damaging such a young and inexperienced arm. Buchholz finished the game with 115 pitches, allowing Francona to escape what would have been an unpleasant decision to remove a pitcher from the game in which he was throwing a no-hitter.^[11]

Buchholz' no-hitter was the third of a record-setting four caught by Jason Varitek. The first two were for Hideo Nomo and Derek Lowe (in which the final score was also 10–0); the fourth was Jon Lester's on May 19, 2008, against the Kansas City Royals, which was also the first no-hitter in major league play after Buchholz'.

Shut down[link]

Buchholz pitched in two more games after the no-hitter, earning a win while pitching three innings of relief at Baltimore on September 6,^[12] and taking a loss after a start of 4 ²⁄₃ innings at Toronto on September 19.^[13]

With a season total of 22 innings pitched, Red Sox management made a decision to end Buchholz' season and not include him on any of the team's post-season rosters,^[14] as they went on to win the World Series.

2008 season[link]

Buchholz pitching for the Portland Sea Dogs, Double-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox on August 25, 2008.

Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell stated that Buchholz would most likely be in line for 180–190 innings in the 2008 season.^[15] On May 15, Buchholz was placed on the 15-day disabled list as the result of a torn fingernail.^[16] He was sent to Pawtucket following the injury, and remained there for several weeks to work on his fastball. On July 11, he was recalled to Boston and was part of their regular pitching rotation, though he did not record a single win after his return. On August 20, 2008, as the Red Sox were trying to sweep the Orioles, the team that Buchholz had no-hit last year, he gave up a 4–0 lead by allowing three runs in the second inning, and two more in the third. He was removed after only pitching 2 ¹⁄₃ innings. In his previous start, he had only lasted three innings. In 2008, the Red Sox were 3–12 in Buchholz' fifteen starts. After the game, Buchholz was sent down to Double-A Portland. Buchholz stated "I've never had a streak like this," and "I've never been one to say the pressure was too much for me, but I've felt like I've had a lot of weight on my shoulders just trying to be perfect and trying to do everything as well as I could to help this team win".^[17] Following the 2008 season, Buchholz pitched in the Arizona Fall League.

2009 Season[link]

Following spring training, Buchholz was optioned to Pawtucket.^[18]

In his eighth start at Pawtucket in 2009, Buchholz took a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Louisville Bats, but it was broken up after a leadoff single; ultimately, he pitched a one-hit shutout.^[19]

After a July 12 win before the All-Star break, Red Sox manager Terry Francona announced that Buchholz would be activated to pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 17, in order to give more time off to the starters who were in the All-Star game.^[20] Buchholz went on to win the game, pitching five and two thirds innings, allowing four hits with one run, while walking three and striking out three. It was his first major league win since May 2, 2008.

The Red Sox pitching staff floundered in the second half of the year. Wakefield, Beckett and Lester were the only dependable starters in the first half (John Smoltz, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Brad Penny all had losing records). While Jon Lester remained effective in the second half, Josh Beckett began to struggle, and when All-Star Tim Wakefield was placed on the Disabled List, Buchholz replaced him in the rotation. Buchholz's pitching down the stretch was a large part of keeping the Red Sox afloat and helped them make it into the playoffs (along with a strong return from Matsuzaka). He finished the season 7–4 with a 4.21 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 16 starts.

2010 Season[link]

Buchholz delivered a strong first half of the 2010 season. On the strength of his 10–4 record, and a 2.45 ERA, he was selected to the American League All-Star Team. In the month of June, Buchholz went 3–1 with just a 1.84 ERA, including a 5-hit shutout at Baltimore on June 4.^[21] On the road in the season's first half, he went 5–1 with a 1.70 ERA. Though earning a spot on the roster, Buchholz was not called upon to pitch in the All-Star Game; he pulled a hamstring June 26 during an interleague game against the San Francisco Giants and was on the disabled list.

He made his first start after his stint on the DL on July 21, 2010 against Gio Gonzalez of the Oakland Athletics. He pitched 4 innings, giving up five earned runs, with two strikeouts and three walks in a 6–4 loss. Buchholz returned to his pre-injury form after the start in Oakland by going 4–0 in August with a 1.03 ERA and winning the AL pitcher of the month award. Buchholz finished the season with a 17–7 record and 2.33 ERA.

2011 Season[link]

Buchholz began the season as the number three starter in the Red Sox rotation. On April 10, Buchholz signed a 4-year contract extension, worth nearly $30 million.^[22] On June 16th, he went on the disabled list unexpectedly and in August it was reported that he had a stress fracture in his back. He then missed the rest of the season. ^[23]

Scouting report[link]

Buchholz throws a four-seam fastball (90–94 mph), a two-seam fastball (89–93), a cutter (87–91), a curveball (75–79), and a straight changeup (78–81). In 2012, he also debuted a slider (78–81) and has thrown a small handful of splitters to left-handed hitters. His most commonly thrown pitch is his 11-5 curveball. His repertoire does not vary greatly between left-handers and right-handers.^[24]

Major league statistics[link]

Awards and honors[link]

• Carolina League Pitcher of the Week (August 21–27, 2006)
• Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Month (August 2006)
• 2006 Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year
• Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Month (May 2007)
• 2007 Futures Game All Star
• 2007 Eastern League All Star
• Eastern League Pitcher of the Week (June 25 – July 1, 2007)
• 2007 American League Player of the Week
• MLB.com TYIB Single Game Performance of the Year (December 13, 2007)
• Selected to the 2010 AL All Star Team
• American League Pitcher of the Month (August, 2010)
• 2010 Guest Speaker of Lowell Spinners Alumni Dinner

Charity Work[link]

Buchholz has regularly supported the Jimmy Fund charity while a Red Sox. In November 2006, when he was Red Sox minor-league pitcher of the year, Buchholz was announced as a member of the New Stars for Young Stars team. In 2010, he was named Jimmy Fund Co-captain with Tim Wakefield. He signed on for the same role in 2011. He and Wakefield are the 2011 Spokesplayers for the Rally Against Cancer. ^[25]

In March 2011, he partnered with Charity Wines to release his own wine label under the Longball Cellars brand. Proceeds from sales of his ChardonClay chardonnay support the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber. He partners with teammate Jon Lester, who is also releasing a Charity Wine, called CabernAce, to raise money for the Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.^[26]

Personal life[link]

On November 14, 2009 he married Lindsay Clubine, a model on the TV show Deal or No Deal who was featured in People magazine's "100 Most Beautiful People."^[27] Their first child, a daughter named Colbi Dawn, was born on August 4, 2010.^[28]

He is related to New York Mets pitcher Taylor Buchholz.^[29]

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

References[link]

External links[link]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Clay Buchholz

• Video of Buchholz's windup,
• KFDM article,
• Photos from his No-Hitter on 9/1/2007,
• Boston Globe article,
• Scout.com article (subscription site)
• Box score of no-hitter
• Buchholz's SoSH Wiki Page
• Scouting Report on Moundtalk

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (June 2010)

Yu Darvish
Darvish in 2012 spring training.
Texas Rangers — No. 11
Starting pitcher
Born: (1986-08-16) August 16, 1986 (age 25) Habikino, Osaka, Japan
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Professional debut
NPB: June 15, 2005 for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
MLB: April 9, 2012 for the Texas Rangers
NPB statistics
Win–loss record	93–38
Earned run average	1.99
Strikeouts	1,259
MLB statistics (through May 27, 2012)
Win-loss record	7-2
Earned run average	3.25
Strikeouts	66
Teams
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (2005–2011) (NPB) Texas Rangers (2012–present) (MLB)
Career highlights and awards
2× Pacific League MVP (2007, 2009) 2007 Eiji Sawamura Award 3× Pacific League strikeout title (2007, 2010, 2011) 2× Pacific League ERA title (2009, 2010) 2× Pacific League Best Nine Award (2007, 2009) 2× Pacific League Mitsui Golden Glove Award (2007, 2008) 2006 Asia Series MVP 5× NPB All-Star Game (2007–2011) 2007 Pacific League Climax Series MVP
Last update: 8 December 2011

Medal record
Competitor for  Japan
Men’s Baseball
World Baseball Classic
Gold	2009 Los Angeles	Team
Asian Baseball Championship
Gold	2007 Taichung	Team

Yu Darvish (also spelled Yū Darvish) (Japanese: ダルビッシュ 有;^[1] born August 16, 1986, in Habikino, Osaka) is a Japanese starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers.

Darvish pitched in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as the 2009 World Baseball Classic as a member of the Japanese national team.^[2] He was considered by many to be the best pitcher in Japanese professional baseball prior to his arrival in Major League Baseball in 2012.^[3]

Early life[link]

Darvish was born in Habikino, Osaka, to an Iranian father, Farsad Darvishsefat, and a Japanese mother, Ikuyo.^[4] His parents met at Eckerd College, a liberal arts school in St. Petersburg, Florida, where his father played for the college soccer team.^[5][6] His grandfather was a travel agent in Iran, and sent Farsad to the United States in 1977 to attend high school in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, where he also raced competitively in motocross.

Darvish began playing baseball in second grade and led his team to the quarter-finals of the national tournament as well as a third-place finish in the international tournament as a member of the Habikino Boys. He was scouted by over 50 high schools while in junior high, but opted to attend Tohoku High School, a noted baseball powerhouse that produced players such as former Seattle Mariners and Yokohama BayStars closer Kazuhiro Sasaki and current Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Takashi Saito, in northern Sendai.

High school career[link]

Darvish became Tohoku High's ace pitcher by the fall of his first year (the equivalent of tenth grade in the United States) and led his team to four straight appearances in national tournaments held at Koshien Stadium in his junior and senior years, twice in the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament held in the spring and twice in the National High School Baseball Championship in the summer.

Darvish led his team to the finals of the 85th National High School Baseball Championship in the summer of 2003, but gave up four runs to Joso Gakuin High School (whose No. 3 hitter, second baseman Katsuhiko Saka, currently plays for the Hanshin Tigers), the Ibaraki champions, in a complete game loss.

Darvish attracted national attention when he pitched a no-hitter against Kumamoto Technical High School in the first round of the 76th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament as a senior on March 26 2004.^[7] Though the team lost in the quarter-finals despite stellar outings by Darvish and sidearmer Kenji Makabe (currently with Honda Motor Company's industrial league team), many saw Darvish as the best high school pitcher in the country by that time. He pitched 12 games and put up a 7-3 record with 87 strikeouts in 92 innings pitched and a 1.47 ERA in his four national tournament appearances, and posted a 1.10 ERA for his high school career, striking out 375 in 332⅓ innings (67 appearances).

2004 draft[link]

Darvish was scouted extensively by Major League teams, such as the then Anaheim Angels and Atlanta Braves, even while in junior high. As he entered his senior year of high school, the Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets had all expressed interest in signing him,^[8] but Darvish's intent remained to play for a Japanese professional team instead.

Darvish was considered one of the best high school pitchers in the 2004 NPB amateur draft along with Yokohama Senior High School right-hander Hideaki Wakui (later picked by the Seibu Lions) and Akita Municipal Akita Commercial High School right-hander Tsuyoshi Sato (Hiroshima Toyo Carp). While the Fighters, Carp, Chunichi Dragons, Fukuoka Daiei Hawks and Orix BlueWave all considered selecting Darvish with their first-round pick in the final months, the Fighters were one of the few teams that chose not to forgo the first round in exchange for signing a college or industrial league player prior to the draft. This enabled them to land Darvish with their first-round pick in the November 17 draft,^[9] signing him to a base salary of 15 million yen, a signing bonus of 100 million yen and additional performance-based incentives (the equivalent of what a first-round college or industrial league player would normally receive) on December 17.

Professional career[link]

2005[link]

Darvish received further publicity when he was caught smoking in a pachinko parlor on an off-day during his first Spring Training in 2005, despite not being old enough to legally smoke nor to gamble at the time. The incident prompted his high school to suspend him, and the Fighters to place him under probation for an indefinite period of time and order him to participate in community service.^[10]

Despite his suspension, Darvish made his professional debut later that season, taking the mound in an interleague game against the Carp on June 15. Though he gave up back-to-back solo home runs in the ninth, he pitched 8+ innings on those two runs alone and earned the win,^[11] becoming the 12th pitcher in NPB history to earn a win in one's professional debut as a rookie straight out of high school. He recorded his first complete game win on August 6 against the Lions and his first complete game shutout on September 18, holding the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles to just two hits and becoming only the 14th pitcher in NPB history to throw a complete game shutout as a rookie out of high school. He finished the season with a 5-5 record in 14 starts, throwing 94⅓ innings with an ERA of 3.53.

2006[link]

Darvish had a breakout year in 2006, compiling a 12-5 record with 115 strikeouts and a 2.89 ERA.^[12][13] In particular, he went 10-0 after May 30, playing a leading role in the Fighters' first Pacific League title since 1981 (his win streak lasted until April 14 of the following season, when it reached 12-0) and contributing to their first championship since 1961 in the Japan Series over the Dragons. Darvish was chosen to take the hill for the first game of each of the Pacific League playoffs, Japan Series, and the 2006 Asia Series (played between the champions of Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea at the end of the season). Darvish, then 20 years old, became the first pitcher to start a Japan Series game since 1987 while under the age of 21, and only the fifth pitcher in NPB history to win a Japan Series game at that age with his win in Game 5 of the series. He also won the Asia Series Most Valuable Player award.

2007[link]

Darvish pitching for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2007.

Darvish was named the Fighters' starter for their 2007 season opener, becoming only the fourth pitcher in franchise history (including the Fighters' years as the Senators and Flyers) to start a season opener within three years of graduating high school (the other three pitchers all started season openers as rookies). He struck out 14 over nine innings in a no-decision in his second start against the Lions on March 30 (the game ended a 2-2 tie in extra innings) and 14 again in a complete game win in his next start against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks on April 7, becoming only the second pitcher in Japanese professional baseball history to strike out 14 or more batters in two consecutive starts.

Darvish went on to post a 15-5 record with a 1.82 ERA (falling just 0.003 points short of the league lead, which went to Chiba Lotte Marines left-hander Yoshihisa Naruse) for the year, limiting hitters to a .174 batting average against and leading the league with 210 strikeouts.^[14] He led the Fighters to their second consecutive league title, winning both of his starts in the second round of the Climax Series (playoffs) against the Marines.^[15][16]

Darvish took the mound in Game 1 of the Japan Series that followed on October 27 against the Dragons for the second straight year, pitching a 13-strikeout, complete game win in an intense pitchers' duel with then-Dragons ace Kenshin Kawakami (currently with the Atlanta Braves) and becoming only the third pitcher in Japan Series history to strike out 13 or more batters in a single game.^[17] With the Fighters down 3-1 and facing elimination, Darvish started Game 5 on November 1 and held the Dragons to one run over seven innings while striking out 11. However, the Fighters had no answer for opposing right-hander Daisuke Yamai and closer Hitoki Iwase, failing to get a single man on base and allowing the first perfect game in Japan Series history. (However, the game was not an official perfect game according to NPB regulations, which state that a perfect game must be thrown by a single pitcher.) The Dragons won the game 1-0, charging Darvish with the loss and becoming Japan Series champions.^[18] The 24 strikeouts that Darvish totaled in his two starts were the second-highest by any single pitcher in series history (and the highest in a series that went only five games).

Darvish was presented with both his first career Eiji Sawamura Award^[19] (being the first to meet or exceed guidelines for the award in all seven categories in 14 years) and his first Most Valuable Player award following the season. He also won the Golden Glove and Best Nine awards that year.

Darvish made his national team debut in the 2007 Asian Baseball Championship (which also functioned as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2008 Beijing Olympics) against Chinese Taipei on December 3, 2007. Because Japanese law requires that a person holding dual citizenship choose a single nationality before their twenty-second birthday, Darvish had chosen to retain his Japanese citizenship so that he could play for the national team in the Olympics.^[20]

On December 22, Darvish re-signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters for 200 million yen plus payment at piece rates, up 128 million yen from 2006. At 21 years old, Darvish became the youngest player in Japanese baseball history to reach the 200 million yen mark.

2008[link]

In 2008, Darvish was named the Fighters' starter in the season opener for the second consecutive year, pitching a complete game shutout in that very game (the Fighters won 1-0). Even as his team struggled in the opening months of the season, Darvish continued to rack up wins at a pace that exceeded his own in the previous season. As the year went on, he and Eagles ace Hisashi Iwakuma emerged as the league leaders in both wins and ERA. On April 10, in their only match-up of the season, neither gave up a single hit through the first five innings. Iwakuma went the distance, throwing just 100 pitches and giving up just one run on three hits; yet Darvish topped this, throwing another complete game shutout on three hits and just 95 pitches in one of the best pitchers' duels of the season.^[21]

While he did not pitch the way he had hoped in the Olympics, Darvish promptly put up a perfect 5-0 record with a 1.29 ERA and two complete games in the five starts upon returning to the Fighters, leading them to a playoff berth in a heated race against the Marines. While the Fighters failed to make the Japan Series, Darvish took the mound in two playoff games, giving up one run in a complete game win in one and pitching a complete game shutout in another. Although he lost out to Iwakuma (who put up an astonishing 21-4 record) in wins, he finished second in all three Triple Crown categories, finishing the season with a 16-4 record, 1.88 ERA^[22] and 208 strikeouts. (It was his second straight year putting up an ERA under 2.00, throwing more than 200 innings, and striking out over 200 hitters despite missing time due to the Olympics.) Regardless, the Sawamura Award was presented to Iwakuma, and Darvish became just the second pitcher to clear the guidelines in all seven categories to not win the award (Suguru Egawa was the first in 1982).

Darvish took the mound in Game 1 of the first round of the Climax Series against the Orix Buffaloes on October 11, allowing nine hits but holding the team to one run while striking out 14 in a 4-1 complete game win.^[23] He started Game 2 of the second round against the Saitama Seibu Lions on October 18 and pitched a complete game shutout in a 5-0 win,^[24] but the Fighters lost the series 4-2 and fell short of their third straight appearance in the Japan Series.

On December 1, Darvish re-signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters for 270 million yen plus payment at piece rates, up 70 million yen from 2007.

2009[link]

Darvish started the Fighters' season opener for the third straight year in 2009, taking the mound in the game against the Eagles on April 3 in much-hyped match-up with the reigning Sawamura Award winner and World Baseball Classic teammate Hisashi Iwakuma. Darvish gave up three runs in the first inning but insisted on going the distance, giving up eight hits but allowing no runs from the second inning onward in a 121-pitch, complete game loss (Iwakuma held the Fighters to one run over six innings and was credited with the win).^[25] He had a stellar outing on April 24, striking out six straight and 11 overall en route to a four-hit, complete game shutout (his first of the season) over the Buffaloes,^[26] following it up by holding the Lions to one run and striking out 11 over nine innings in a no-decision in a match-up with fellow 22-year-old ace Hideaki Wakui on May 1 (the Fighters lost 2-1 in extra innings).

On August 22, Darvish was taken off the active roster for the first time in his career due to injury. The Fighters classified it as "shoulder fatigue," and the deactivation came after a career-worst start against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, in which he went 8 innings, but gave up 6 earned runs on 10 hits in a losing effort. He was reactivated on September 13 after recovering at farm team, but in his second start back a week later against the Orix Buffaloes, Darvish gave up a career-high 7 walks in 5 innings, even though he only gave up 2 runs. Three days later he was deactivated again due to a combination of discomfort in his shoulder and a sore back.

Darvish was activated again just in time for the 2009 Japan Series against the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants, and he pitched Game 2 on November 1. He went 6 innings, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits, and also striking out 7 Giants. He became the winning pitcher, and the team won 4-2. The Yomiuri Giants would go on and win the championship series 4 games to 1. After the Japan Series, It was revealed that Yu had stress fracture of the right hand forefinger. Darvish said he first experienced pain after practice on Oct. 28 but kept it to himself. Also, he was unable to fully use the lower part of his body due to hip pains.

Darvish was presented his second Most Valuable Player and Best Nine awards at the end of the season. He became only the third player to have won 2 MVP awards in their first 5 years in the NPB, joining Kazuhisa Inao and Ichiro Suzuki. However, he lost out on his second Sawamura Award to Saitama Seibu Lions ace Hideaki Wakui.

On December 9, Darvish re-signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters for 330 million yen, up 60 million yen from 2009. At 23, Darvish became the youngest player in Japanese baseball history to reach the 300 million yen mark, along with being the highest-paid pitcher in the Pacific League presently.^[27]

2010[link]

Darvish's 2010 season was another strong individual performance, but he struggled to win as many games due to the Fighters troubles. The Fighters finished 74-67,^[28] but in fourth place. His opening day loss was reflective of his 2010 season; he pitched well but the team struggled. He began the 2010 season losing to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks on March 20. Darvish allowed two early unearned runs on his way to a complete game loss (5 runs allowed, 3 earned runs) striking out 13.^[29] The Fighters began the season with a 5-14-1 stretch that was put them with their worst winning percentage in five years.^[30] They struggled in all phases of play, but Darvish continued to pitch well. Even at this low point, he was leading the league in strikeouts even as the rest of the rotation was 3-9.^[30] Darvish struck out at least 10 hitters in each of his first five starts.^[31]

Darvish's 2010 season also was noticeable because speculation increased about his potential move (or posting) to Major League Baseball. Darvish was interviewed by The Associated Press where he announced his plans to review his options at the end of the season. He noted, "Right now, I'm just focused on helping my team win this season ... Once the season is over, I'll consider my future."^[32] The Associated Press noted that both his exposure to international play during the 2009 World Baseball Classic and recurring injuries both led him to consider leaving Japan. In addition to back problems he also missed a start in June with a sore right knee.^[32]

Despite the injuries and potential distractions, Darvish pitched well down the stretch. His last three starts were all complete games and he struck out 35 hitters in those 27 innings.^[31] Darvish finished the season with only a 12-8 record, but with a 1.78 ERA.^[33] He lead the league with 10 complete games, 222 strikeouts, a 1.01 WHIP. This was Darvish's fourth consecutive sub 2.00 ERA.

On October 18, 2010 Darvish posted on his blog that he would be returning to the Fighters for the 2011 season.^[34]

2011[link]

On January 6, 2011 Darvish agreed to a contract for the 2011 season that would make him the highest paid player in Japan.^[35] His salary was 500 million Japanese Yen (which on January 6 converted to $6,065,490 US dollars).^[36]

The 2011 Nippon Professional Baseball season was delayed by the Tohoku earthquake. Controversy emerged over when baseball should resume. Commissioner Ryozo Kato was criticized for comparing the resumption to the return of Major League Baseball ten days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Darvish was among the players who felt it was not appropriate to quickly return to baseball, ""I am a baseball player and a human being as well. I cannot think about baseball alone as I normally do."^[37] Darvish took part in efforts to raise funds for the relief efforts and personally donated 50,000,000 Yen (about $620,000 USD) to the Japanese Red Cross.^[38]

Eventually the teams agreed to play the full 144 game schedule, but the start of the season would be pushed back several weeks^[39] The season began on April 12, 2011 and Darvish started against the Saitama Seibu Lions. He struggled, allowing seven runs in seven innings and taking the loss.^[40]

This poor start would not reflect his overall performance. After that opening game he would not allow more than three runs in any of his starts. Darvish would win his next eight starts and thirteen of his next fourteen decisions.^[41] Darvish would finish with his strongest all-around season, winning 18 games and featuring a career-low 1.44 ERA. He also led the league with 28 starts, 232 innings, 276 strikeouts and a 0.82 WHIP. He also featured remarkable control, walking only 36 batters.^[42]

Despite his accomplishments, Darvish was not recognized with the best pitcher in Japan honor, the Sawamura Award. Three of the five-member committee voted to recognize Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles right-hander Masahiro Tanaka. Selection committee chief Masayuki Dobashi explained, "ERA is the best stat to evaluate pitchers ... Tanaka's ERA was a little better than that of Darvish. Tanaka also had more complete games than Darvish."^[43] Pitchers must qualify for the award by meeting seven criteria, 15 wins, a 2.50 ERA, 200 innings pitched, 10 complete games, 150 strikeouts, 25 appearances and a .600 winning percentage. Both Tanaka and Darvish met all of the criteria. Tanaka graciously noted, "I only had better numbers than him (Darvish) ... As a pitcher, I'm nowhere near his caliber."^[43]

The Nippon Ham Fighters were eliminated in the first round of the Pacific League playoffs, losing both games to the Saitama Seibu Lions. Darvish started game one of the series, going seven innings and allowing only one run on four hits, while striking out nine. After Darvish departed, Seibu scored one run in the 9th inning to send the game to extra innings and added three more to win the game in the 11th inning.^[44]

After being eliminated, speculation again increased about Darvish being posted to Major League Baseball. His pending divorce allegedly complicated this situation. Speculation centered on his wife's potential claims to a share of a new contract with an American team.^[45]

2012[link]

In press conference at Sapporo Dome on January 24, 2012, Darvish told more than 10,000 Fighters' fans why he decided to make a move to Major League Baseball.^[46]

Darvish was posted to Major League Baseball prior to the 2012 season,^[47] and is represented by agents Don Nomura and Arn Tellem. He added confirmation of the posting on his blog.^[48] MLB teams had until 14 December 2011 to submit a blind posting bid, and Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters had until 20 December to announce whether the bid was accepted or rejected. Announcement of acceptance of the highest bid, from the Texas Rangers, was made on 19 December EST. The bid was reported to be $51.7 million. The Rangers had 30 days to negotiate with Darvish, or he would return to Japan.^[49] On January 18, the Texas Rangers signed Darvish to a $60M dollar contract for six years with a player option to void the last year, fifteen minutes prior to a 4:00pm CST deadline. Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan commented that Darvish had shown more control than he did at Darvish's age.^[50]

Darvish's first start in the Majors came on April 9 against the Seattle Mariners. His first MLB Strikeout was to Dustin Ackley on a 2-2 80 mph curveball. The first MLB hit that he allowed was a single into left field by Ichiro Suzuki on a 2-2 96 mph fastball. He threw for 5 2/3 innings, giving up 8 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks. However, he had 5 strikeouts. When Alexi Ogando came to relieve him in the 6th, Darvish got a standing ovation from the crowd.^[51]

Darvish's first start away from Rangers Ballpark in Arlington came on April 14 against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. He pitched for 5 2/3 innings, allowing 9 hits, 4 walks, and 2 runs (one of which was unearned), while collecting 4 strikeouts. Despite the Rangers winning the game, it was a no decision for Darvish. Instead, teammate Robbie Ross picked up the win.^[52]

On April 24, in a game against the New York Yankees, Darvish pitched for 8 1/3 shutout innings, collecting 10 strikeouts, while allowing 7 hits and 2 walks. He gave up a hit to Nick Swisher with 1 out in the 9th. Joe Nathan, the Rangers' closer, relieved him and induced a ground-ball double play to get the save and secure the third win for Darvish. As Nathan came in, Darvish got a deafening ovation from the crowd. This game also marked the 7th time in MLB history that the two starting pitchers were both Japanese, with Hiroki Kuroda on the mound for the Yankees. The game was also televised in Japan.^[53]

On April 30, Darvish gave up his first MLB home run to Edwin Encarnación of the Toronto Blue Jays, in a game Texas won 4-1. Darvish improved to 4-0.^[54]

For his performances in April, Darvish was named the AL Rookie of the Month. Darvish went 4-0 with a 2.18 ERA and 33 strikeouts. His first loss came on May 6 against the Cleveland Indians.

International career[link]

2008 Beijing Olympics[link]

Named the ace of the Japanese national team by manager Senichi Hoshino in the 2008 Beijing Olympics,^[55] Darvish took the hill in Japan's first game of the preliminary round against Cuba on August 13, but was charged with the loss after giving up four runs in 4 innings.^[56] The subpar outing caused Hoshino to lose faith in him and scratch Darvish from the semi-finals that he had penciled him in for, sending Darvish to the mound only in situations that would have no bearing on Japan's fate in the tournament. Darvish started the last game of the preliminary round against the United States on August 20 and was brought in to mop up after the U.S. had taken a decisive lead in the bronze medal match, finishing the tournament 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA (albeit with 10 strikeouts in seven innings pitched).

2009 World Baseball Classic[link]

Darvish pitched in the 2009 World Baseball Classic as the de facto ace of the Japanese national team,^[57] starting the opening game against China on March 5. He pitched four innings, allowing one walk and no hits and striking out three as Japan beat China 4-0. However, pitching in a Major League stadium for the first time in his career, he struggled in his second outing of the tournament against South Korea on March 17, throwing five innings and giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk and ultimately being charged with the loss.^[58] His first career save would follow six days later, when he pitched the final inning of the semi-finals against the United States, yielding no runs and a single and striking out two as Japan won 9-4.^[59]

Darvish came on in relief in the bottom of the ninth inning of the championship game against South Korea with Japan leading 3-2. He struck out his first batter, walked the next two, struck out his next, and then gave up a tying two-out single before finishing the inning with another strikeout. However, Japan scored two runs in the top of the tenth inning to regain a 5-3 lead, and after giving up a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning, Darvish retired the next three batters (striking out two of them) to clinch Japan's second consecutive tournament title.^[60] His WBC stats were 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 13 innings.

Pitching style[link]

Darvish is a right-handed pitcher who throws from a three-quarter arm slot in a drop-and-drive motion^[61] with exceptionally large frame for Japanese baseball, listed at 6 ft 5 in and 215 lb. In NPB he threw a four-seam fastball whose usual speed is around 147 to 152 km/h (91 to 94 mph) and tops out at 156 km/h (97 mph) {Only 1 pitch measured 161 km/h (100 mph) in World Baseball Classic final in 2009}, as well as a hard slurve around 80 mph (130 km/h) with a vicious break.^[62][63] He complements these two with a wide repertoire of secondary pitches, including a two-seam fastball (sometimes described as a shuuto), cutter, curveball, and a splitter.

While Darvish uses both the set, or "stretch" position and the windup, he has been noted for pitching exclusively from the stretch at times, even when there is no one on base.^[64] While pitching from the windup is generally thought to add velocity to pitches, the set position allows pitchers more control over baserunners.^[65] In Darvish's case the set position often is used as a way of keeping his delivery in sync and consistent.^[64]

Prior to the 2006 season Darvish's "go to" pitch was a screwball, and he tends to rely more on his off-speed pitches than his fastball. After injuring his shoulder in a exhibition game start against the 2006 World Baseball Classic Japanese national team in February 2006, because of the strain the screwball had gradually been putting on his shoulder, he took the pitch out of his in-game repertoire and worked to develop his splitter until it became an equally effective pitch that would replace the screwball. He also has succeeded in increasing his fastball velocity from year to year.

Personal life[link]

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On August 9, 2007, Darvish acknowledged reports of a relationship with the Japanese actress, Saeko, in a post-game interview. He also announced that they were planning to get married, and that Saeko was pregnant with their first child. The couple married in November 2007, in what Japanese tabloids reported was a shotgun wedding.^[66] They have two sons, but divorced in 2012.^[67]

Darvish established a humanitarian fund dedicated to the construction, installation, and maintenance of wells, well pumps, and rainwater storage facilities in developing countries called the "Yu Darvish Water Fund" in February 2007. He has announced plans to contribute to this fund by donating 100,000 yen each time he notches a regular season win. The fund is managed by the Japan Water Forum.

Darvish is the current spokesmodel for DyDo's D-1 COFFEE canned coffee line, succeeding former teammate Tsuyoshi Shinjo in this role.

References[link]

This article incorporates information from this version of the equivalent article on the Japanese Wikipedia.

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Yu Darvish

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• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Nippon Professional Baseball career statistics from Japanesebaseball.com
• Darvish Yu Official Site (Japanese)
• ダルビッシュ有 (Yu Darvish) on Twitter (Japanese)
• Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (Official Website) (Japanese)
• Yu Darvish at JapaneseBallPlayers.com
• Yu Darvish at Baseball Reference