Keiichi Yabu

Keiichi Yabu (藪 恵壹, Yabu Keiichi; real name: 藪 恵一) (born September 28, 1968) is a Japanese baseball pitching coach for the Hanshin Tigers and a former professional baseball pitcher. He played eleven seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics (2005) and the San Francisco Giants (2008).

Early Life

Yabu was born on September 28, 1968, in Mihama, Minami Muro-gun, Mie Prefecture, Japan. He attended Tokyo Keizai University. He bats and throws right-handed.

Professional Career

NPB — Hanshin Tigers (1994–2004)

Yabu began his professional career with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball, pitching for the team from 1994 to 2004. Over 268 games (206 starts), he compiled a record of 84 wins and 106 losses with a 3.57 earned run average. He completed 39 complete games and recorded 1,035 strikeouts. In 1994, he was named the NPB Central League Rookie of the Year.

MLB — Oakland Athletics (2005)

Yabu made his MLB debut on April 9, 2005, with the Oakland Athletics. He appeared in 40 games (all in relief), pitching 58 innings with a 4–0 win–loss record, one save, and a 4.50 ERA, striking out 44 batters.

MLB — San Francisco Giants (2008)

After sitting out the 2007 season, Yabu signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants and made the 2008 Opening Day roster. He appeared in 60 games, pitching 68 innings with a 3–6 record and a 3.57 ERA, striking out 48 batters. On May 30, 2008, he entered a game against the San Diego Padres and induced a triple play on his first and only pitch of the inning, then continued to pitch two additional hitless innings.

Return to NPB and Retirement (2010)

After being released by the Giants, Yabu returned to Japan and pitched for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2010. He retired from professional baseball at the conclusion of that season.

Coaching Career

Following his playing career, Yabu served as a pitching coach for the Hanshin Tigers from 2011 to 2013, and later returned to the role in subsequent years.

Career Statistics