Tadahito Iguchi

Tadahito Iguchi
Iguchi playing second base for the White Sox
San Diego Padres – No. 10
Second base
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
April 4, 2005, for the Chicago White Sox
Career statistics (through 2007)
Batting average	.276
Home runs	42
Runs batted in	181
Teams
Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (1997-2004) (NPB) Chicago White Sox (2005-2007) Philadelphia Phillies (2007) San Diego Padres (2008-present)

Olympic medal record
Men's Baseball
	Atlanta 1996	Team Competition

Tadahito Iguchi (井口 資仁, Iguchi Tadahito, born December 4, 1974 in Nishitokyo, Tokyo, Japan) is a second baseman for the San Diego Padres. He has also played for the Philadelphia Phillies, the Chicago White Sox and the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in Japan. He is married and has a five-year old daughter. 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 1996 draft by Fukuoka Daiei Hawks.

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

During the 2005 MLB season, he had a .278 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 2006, Iguchi had two multi-homer games, both times hitting a grand slam and another home run.

On July 27, 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 August 7, 2007, the Philadelphia Phillies took on the Florida Marlins. Tadahito Iguchi was welcomed into the hearts of Phillies fans with his own fan group "Tadahito's Burritos".

During the season, a Japanese man was arrested for impersonating Iguchi outside a Philadelphia night club owned by Charles Barkley. The man was said to have been charging for autographs and pictures. He was later executed.

On December 18, 2007, he signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Padres.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
• Tadahito Iguchi Official site（in Japanese）
• ESPN profile page
• Yahoo! Sports profile page
• Japanese league stats and info of Tadahito Iguchi
• Frank's Field of Dreams - Tadahito Iguchi