Noriyoshi Omichi (大道 典良, Ōmichi Noriyoshi, born October 28, 1969) is a Japanese former professional baseball Infielder, and current the third squad hitting coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).[1]
Noriyoshi Omichi | |
---|---|
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – No. 75 | |
Infielder / Coach | |
Born: Daiō, Shima District, Mie, Japan | October 28, 1969|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
NPB debut | |
October 14, 1989, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks | |
Last NPB appearance | |
September 19, 2010, for the Yomiuri Giants | |
NPB statistics (through 2010 season) | |
Batting average | .284 |
Hits | 906 |
Home runs | 60 |
RBIs | 415 |
Stolen Bases | 9 |
Teams | |
As player
As coach | |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Last updated on: 26 June 2020 |
He was called the last Nankai Warrior during his active player era because he was drafted in his final year as a member of the Nankai Hawks.[2]
He previously played for the Fukuoka Daiei / SoftBank Hawks, and the Yomiuri Giants.[3]
On November 18, 1987, Omichi was drafted fifth round pick by the Nankai Hawks in the 1987 Nippon Professional Baseball draft.[4]
In order to continue his professional baseball career for a long time, Omichi developed a unique batting form in which he gripping the bat extremely short despite his height of 185 cm, and grew as a skilled hitter.[5][6]
In 1996 season, he became a regular member, appearing in 90 games and recorded with a batting average of .325, 10 home runs and a 51 RBI.[3]
In the latter half of his career, he was called a left-handed pitcher killer and a pinch-hitter's ace, and he mainly played as a pinch-hitter against left-handed pitchers.[5] Also, Omichi totaled 15 home runs in pinch hitter at bats.[7]
He appeared in 1,212 games over an 18-season career with the Hawks before being traded to the Yomiuri Giants in the off-season of 2006.
Omichi also served as a pinch hitter for the Giants, appearing in 60 games during the 2008 season, batting .274 with 16 RBIs and two home runs.[3][4]
He played four seasons with the Giants, but announced his retirement on October 29, 2010.[2]
Omichi played 22 seasons, appearing in 1,356 games and a batting average of .284, a 60 home runs, a 906 hits, a RBI of 415, a 9 stolen bases, and a 80 sacrifice bunts.[3]
After receiving coaching training with the New York Yankees in 1A during the 2011 season, Omichi was appointed as the Yomiuri Giants' development coach during the 2012 season.[8]
On October 29, 2012, Omichi was appointed as the second squad hitting coach of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.[9]
He serve as the third squad hitting coach since the 2022 season.[1]