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Three players received first ballot inductions into East Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2013. Two-way player Umi Kihara led the way as a slam dunk at 97.4%. DH Yorikane Furimizo at 79.7% and LF Si-Hun Park at 72.7% also made it in with very respectable efforts. 3B Kazo Shiraki debuted at 56.1%, missing the 66% requirement by around 10%. Only one returner was above 50% with SP Nazonokusa Mori at 50.2% on his second try.



Dropped after ten tries was RF/DH Yao Zhao, who played his entire 15-year EAB run with Gwangju. He had one Silver Slugger, 2352 hits, 1138 runs, 369 doubles, 325 triples, 63 home runs, 867 RBI, 1235 stolen bases, a .332/.379/.503 slash, 141 wRC+, and 59.9 WAR. Zhao was one of the all-time speedsters and as of 2037 ranks sixth in stolen bases and 13^th in triples.

Zhao notably led the league in triples four times, steals five times, hits twice, batting average once, and OBP twice. However, it isn’t easy for leadoff guys to get noticed. The voters also wanted corner outfield/DH types to hit homers, which Zhao didn’t do. He peaked at 31.2% on his ballot debut before ending at a mere 5.9%.

Also dropped after ten ballots was pitcher Joon-Young Cho, who split 14 years between relief and starting. He had 176 saves, a 100-90 record, 3.00 ERA, 1523 innings, 1497 strikeouts, 127 ERA+, and 41.3 WAR. Cho won Reliever of the Year once, but didn’t slot in statistically compared to other closers or other starters. Cho debuted at 23.6% and ended with 4.4%.

Catcher Haruyuki Sakai was also notable, falling below the 5% requirement on his ninth ballot. He peaked at 37.8% on his second ballot. Sakai was hurt by the general anti-catcher bias of voters, although he won five Silver Sluggers and was an 11-time all-star. Sakai had 2119 hits, 811 runs, 339 doubles, 202 home runs, 893 RBI, a .264/.311/.395 slash, 110 wRC+, and 65.4 WAR.

As of 2037, Sakai ranks sixth in WAR among all EAB catchers. However, the low accumulations that come with the position doomed him like so many others before him. With that, Sang-Sik Bom remained the only pure catcher to ever make EAB’s Hall of Fame over nearly a century. Umi Kihara would be the second catcher to make it, but his two-way value as a pitcher is what really put him over the top.



Umi Kihara – Pitcher/Catcher – Kitakyushu Kodiaks – 97.4% First Ballot

Umi Kihara was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher and catcher from Kitakyushu, Japan. He was a two-way player that was a left-handed batter. Kihara had the very rare two-way combo of pitcher and catcher, a pairing that physically is almost impossible to pull off. He managed it though, becoming the second-ever catcher added into EAB’s Hall of Fame. Kihara was also one of 17 two-way players in world history as of 2037 with 100+ career WAR.

Many of the other two-way guys were excellent on one side and merely good or above average on the other. For Kihara, he was pretty strong in either role, but narrowly produced more WAR pitching. He had a rocket arm and was known for having good stuff with above average control and movement. Kihara’s fastball regularly hit 98-100 mph and was his best pitch.

He was also unique in having a six-pitch arsenal that included a forkball, splitter, curveball, changeup, and circle change. Kihara’s stamina was pretty good and he showed remarkable durability considering the physical demands required. He certainly had injuries, but still managed a 17-year career. Kihara was very adaptable to his situation, but some argued that he could be selfish and lazy at times.

His pitching expertise meant that he was very good at calling games behind the plate. Despite his arm strength, Kihara wasn’t great at throwing runners out, but he was generally considered a reliable presence defensively at catcher. Kihara had good pop on his bat, getting 27 home runs and 28 doubles per his 162 game average. He topped 20+ homers in six seasons despite usually only starting around 95-110 games as a hitter in those years.

Kihara was considered a slightly above average contact hitter with a decent eye, although his strikeout rate was subpar. Like most catchers or pitchers, he was an incredibly sluggish and poor baserunner. Kihara was certainly viewed as a strong starter in both roles. The combination made him one of the more unique and valuable players of his era.

Teams certainly took notice of this two-way potential as Kihara played as Tokai University Junior College. Some teams were worried about the demands of a P/C combo, but Kihara made it clear he expected to do both. His hometown team Kitakyushu picked him second overall in the 1988 EAB Draft and he quickly became a beloved superstar. Few Japanese players of his era matched the levels of adoration Kihara received from the public.

Kitakyushu didn’t use him in 1989, but debuted him in 1990 with nice results on both sides. Kihara won a Silver Slugger as a pitcher and took second in Rookie of the Year voting. The Kodiaks ended a five-year playoff drought, but lost in the 1990 Japan League Championship Series to Niigata. They would fall in a JLCS rematch to the Green Dragons in 1991. Despite being healthy, Kihara was barely used in the 1991 season with five starts on the mound and only 17 games hitting.


Kihara made it back to the starting role in 1992, but missed the final three months to shoulder inflammation. He wasn’t available in the playoffs as Kitakyushu began their dynasty, winning the EAB Championship over Suwon. The Kodiaks would three-peat, beating Gwangju in the 1993 final and Yongin in the 1994 championship. This was only the second-ever EAB title three-peat in history to that point.

In 1993 and 1994, Kihara had a starring role. 1993 had a career-best 1.89 ERA, posting 6.0 WAR and five shutouts on the mound. He also had 6.0 WAR in 111 games at the plate with a 184 wRC+, 23 home runs, and .922 OPS. Kihara won Silver Slugger at catcher and finished second in both MVP and Pitcher of the Year voting. In the 1993 playoffs, he was a workhorse with 40.2 innings, 1.4 WAR, and a 3.98 ERA pitching; along with 46 at-bats, 13 hits, and 0.3 WAR hitting.

Kihara’s pitching was closer to middling in 1994, but his bat remained strong. He won Silver Sluggers both as a catcher and a pitcher and placed second in MVP voting. Kihara had a great postseason with a 4-1 record, 2.63 ERA, 41 innings, 48 strikeouts, and 1.4 WAR on the mound; plus 12 hits in 44 at-bats at the plate. Kihara would be beloved for his role in what many considered Japan’s best-ever dynasty.

Kitakyushu remained strong in 1995 and 1996, but narrowly missed out on the playoffs due to Hiroshima edging them in the West Division. Kihara won a catcher Silver Slugger in 1995 and again took second in both MVP and POTY voting. As a pitcher, he led the league in wins (227), strikeouts (298), innings (284.2), quality starts (27), and complete games (14). At the plate, he had 5.2 WAR, 158 wRC+, and 22 homers in 123 games.

In 1996, Kihara finally earned his lone MVP win and another Silver Slugger as a catcher. This was his strongest hitting season by WAR (6.7), wRC+ (193), and OPS (.958), also posting career bests in average (.329), runs 967), and hits (127). Kihara also had 5.9 WAR over 255 innings on the mound with a 2.22 ERA and 244 strikeouts. By total WAR (12.6), this was his strongest year and his third season worth 12+ WAR.

Kihara had 11.6 combined WAR in 1997, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting and second in MVP voting. Kitakyushu made it back to the JLCS, but Kihara missed the playoffs to shoulder tendinitis. With him out, the 109-win Kodiaks were upset in the JLCS by Sapporo. This would be their final playoff berth for more than 20 years.

1998 was set to be Kihara’s final season under team control and he both wanted and expected a big pay day. He had the leverage as a beloved superstar and had no plans on offering a hometown discount. The Kodiaks surprisingly struggled that year, ultimately finishing at 72-90. They figured it was time for a full rebuild and traded Kihara in July to Gwangju for three prospects.

As a pitcher for Kitakyushu, Kihara had a 127-73 record, 2.57 ERA, 1840 innings, 1829 strikeouts, 401 walks, 127 ERA+, and 41.4 WAR. At the plate, he had 786 games and 699 starts, 718 hits, 373 runs, 137 doubles, 154 home runs, 398 RBI, a .280/.338/.524 slash, 164 wRC+, and 34.4 WAR. His role in the great Kodiaks dynasty would earn his #1 uniform’s retirement at the end of his career.

Kihara’s Gwangju run was very brief, suffering a torn labrum in September. With that, they opted to let him enter free agency for his age 31 season. He had 1.9 WAR in 91 innings and 0.8 WAR in 90 at-bats with the Grays. Kawasaki was hopeful to get the same production from Kihara that Kitakyushu had, signing him to a six-year, $21,520,000 deal.

It had a rough start, as a setback from the torn labrum required surgery in January 1999. This put Kihara out another 12 months, missing the entire 1999 campaign. Kawasaki would win the Japan League title that year without him, losing the EAB Championship to Daegu.

It was uncertain what Kihara would look like in his return, but he delivered in 2000 with a league-best 23-8 record over 279 innings with 293 strikeouts and a 3.10 ERA. The 6.9 WAR on the mound was a career-best for Kihara, while he also had 4.8 WAR at the plate with 174 wRC+ and a .930 OPS in 113 games. Kihara topped 10+ WAR combined for the sixth time, taking third in MVP voting and a Silver Slugger as a pitcher. This was his seventh and final total Slugger.

The Killer Whales had the best record in EAB at 107-55 and won it all, getting revenge in the championship against Daegu. In the playoffs, Kihara had a 3.82 ERA and 3-1 record over 33 innings on the mound and an 84 wRC+ and 0.1 WAR in 14 games in the field.

Kihara led in wins again in 2001 and posted 4.3 WAR pitching. He saw a lesser role with only 87 games batting with 2.2 WAR. Kihara had three strong playoff starts on the mound with a 1.90 ERA over 23.2 innings, but suffered a torn flexor tendon in his third start. Kawasaki repeated as EAB champs, beating Yongin for the ring. This gave Kihara five EAB championship rings and he is perhaps the only EAB player with five that wasn’t part of Pyongyang’s 1960s dynasty.

The injury kept him out most of 2002, although Kihara made it back for the stretch run. He tossed 26.1 playoff innings with a 3.08 ERA, but the Killer Whales fell to Osaka in the JLCS. A strained triceps cost Kihara part of 2003, but he led in WHIP at 0.83 and was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He had 3.4 WAR pitching and 1.7 WAR hitting this season. Kawasaki won the Capital Division for the sixth straight year, but suffered a round one exit. They wouldn’t make it back to the playoffs in Kihara’s remaining seasons.

Kihara’s ability to go both ways provided value on its own, but his playoff rate stats for his career were somewhat underwhelming. He had a 3.53 ERA and 93 ERA+ over 183.1 innings with a 11-9 record, 183 strikeouts, and 4.0 WAR. At the plate, he had 63 games and 52 starts, 50 hits, 22 runs, 11 doubles, 8 home runs, 24 RBI, a .258/.318/.448 slash, 124 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. Still, Kitakyushu and Kawasaki fans would say Kihara was a critical piece to the playoff runs for those dynasties.

Injuries kept Kihara out much of 2004, although he was abysmal on the mound with a 5.91 ERA in 56.1 innings. He still had 1.8 WAR and a .904 OPS in 62 games and 31 starts at the plate. With that, Kihara’s pitching career essentially ended, only seeing four relief appearances for the remainder of his career. Now at age 37, Kawasaki made Kihara a full-time catcher for 2005.

He showed he still had value there with 4.7 WAR, 138 wRC+, and .784 OPS over 139 games and 120 starts behind the plate. This ended his Killer Whales run, which at the plate had 493 games and 395 starts, 408 hits, 181 runs, 83 doubles, 67 home runs, 252 RBI, a .281/.347/.488 slash, 149 wRC+, and 16.1 WAR. On the mound, he had a 64-24 record, 2.88 ERA, 860.2 innings, 884 strikeouts, 117 ERA+, and 17.1 WAR.

The 38-year old Kihara signed a two-year, $7,600,000 deal for 2006 with Chiba. He started 121 games and played 144 as a catcher with 3.0 WAR in 2006 for the Comets. They traded him in the offseason to Fukuoka, where he made 108 starts and played 125 games with 1.9 WAR and a 113 wRC+. Kihara decided to retire that winter at age 39.

For his pitching career, Kihara had a 197-100 record, 2.68 ERA, 2797 innings, 2813 strikeouts, 563 walks, 243/349 quality starts, 141 complete games, 24 shutouts, 123 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 60.5 WAR. Just from pitching alone, he had a decent Hall of Fame case, although he didn’t quite have the innings to factor prominently on the leaderboards.

At the plate, Kihara had 1574 games and 1346 starts with 1364 hits, 656 runs, 274 doubles, 259 home runs, 758 RBI, a .273/.332/.493 slash, 148 wRC+, and 56.2 WAR. Of all the two-way players in world baseball history as of 2037, his combined 116.7 WAR ranks eighth best. He also narrowly beat out Tadasumi Tanabe’s 116.0 for the most two-way WAR in EAB history. Among all EAB players, Kihara is 23^rd in WAR.

Many would still cite Tanabe as the all-time top two-way guy in EAB history since he won four MVPs and three Pitcher of the Year awards. Kihara certainly deserves a strong look though, especially with his featured role in two different dynasty runs. He’s an obvious Hall of Fame headliner, leading the 2013 EAB class at 97.4%.