The Hiroshima Carp announced that they accepted player/Ni-gun hitting coach Akihiro Higashide's decision to retire. A press conference will be held in Hiroshima in the near future.
The thirty-five-year-old infielder suffered a serious injury to his left knee while sliding into home plate during an spring camp intra-squad game in 2013 and never managed to make it back to Ichi-gun. He added Ni-gun hitting coach to his title when he accepted the position last October.
Source: Chunichi Sports 10/8/2015, Daily Sports 10/8/2015, Daily Sports 10/8/2015
[UPDATE 10/10 @ 10:44pm]
Higashide held a press conference at the team offices in Minami-ku, Hiroshima earlier today.
Notes taken from various sources:
- He felt he did okay over the first fourteen years of his career. The last three, not so much.
- He made it into baseball because of his speed. He had decided to quit once his legs stopped working for him.
- He considered retiring after his leg injury during spring camp in 2013.
- He does not feel sad about the decision.
- Most of his memories are not positive: he remembers feeling like he would never make it professionally, not having the confidence to play in Ichi-gun games, and the taunts he heard after making mistakes. He does remember feeling happy when he could tell his skills were improving.
- He is proud of how he was able to actively approach older players around him for advice.
- He wishes (half-jokingly) he had a chance to pitch.
- Working as a coach this year, his main message to younger players was to enjoy and value the process, and to work through issues as they came up.
- He could remain in the organization as a coach.
Source: official announcement, Sponichi 10/10/2015, Daily Sports 10/10/2015
[UPDATE 10/11 @ 9:15pm]
The Carp are planning to hold a retirement ceremony for Higashide during fan appreciation day in November.
Source: Daily Sports 10/11/2015
Career Stats
| Year | Team | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | TB | RBI | SB | CS | SH | SF | BB | IBB | HBP | SO | DP | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Hiroshima | 78 | 267 | 233 | 25 | 53 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 34 | 5 | .227 | .273 | .258 | .531 |
| 2000 | Hiroshima | 119 | 485 | 429 | 62 | 112 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 143 | 28 | 17 | 6 | 22 | 3 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 87 | 7 | .261 | .309 | .333 | .642 |
| 2001 | Hiroshima | 140 | 637 | 545 | 82 | 143 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 190 | 35 | 26 | 9 | 49 | 4 | 35 | 0 | 4 | 84 | 8 | .262 | .310 | .349 | .658 |
| 2002 | Hiroshima | 107 | 437 | 377 | 41 | 90 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 102 | 17 | 12 | 8 | 35 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 44 | 5 | .239 | .281 | .271 | .552 |
| 2003 | Hiroshima | 47 | 92 | 82 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | .146 | .186 | .146 | .332 |
| 2004 | Hiroshima | 76 | 85 | 75 | 17 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 1 | .240 | .288 | .307 | .594 |
| 2005 | Hiroshima | 39 | 75 | 67 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | .209 | .264 | .284 | .547 |
| 2006 | Hiroshima | 138 | 550 | 504 | 57 | 142 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 154 | 23 | 11 | 18 | 14 | 2 | 27 | 0 | 3 | 60 | 7 | .282 | .321 | .306 | .626 |
| 2007 | Hiroshima | 132 | 516 | 458 | 57 | 123 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 135 | 15 | 13 | 4 | 22 | 2 | 33 | 1 | 1 | 55 | 3 | .269 | .318 | .295 | .613 |
| 2008 | Hiroshima | 138 | 576 | 522 | 76 | 162 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 176 | 31 | 13 | 8 | 24 | 4 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 63 | 1 | .310 | .341 | .337 | .678 |
| 2009 | Hiroshima | 142 | 625 | 558 | 71 | 164 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 196 | 26 | 14 | 7 | 19 | 3 | 44 | 3 | 1 | 39 | 5 | .294 | .345 | .351 | .696 |
| 2010 | Hiroshima | 108 | 492 | 454 | 53 | 121 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 153 | 40 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 55 | 4 | .267 | .307 | .337 | .644 |
| 2011 | Hiroshima | 137 | 601 | 543 | 60 | 151 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 174 | 27 | 8 | 6 | 18 | 2 | 35 | 0 | 3 | 71 | 7 | .278 | .324 | .320 | .645 |
| 2012 | Hiroshima | 91 | 282 | 247 | 15 | 61 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 3 | .247 | .293 | .279 | .572 |
| 1492 | 5720 | 5094 | 632 | 1366 | 144 | 30 | 12 | 1606 | 262 | 143 | 81 | 264 | 24 | 313 | 5 | 25 | 659 | 61 | .268 | .312 | .315 | .627 | ||
Titles/Awards
- Best Nine: 2008, 2009
- All-Star Game: 2006, 2008-2010
The post [10/8/2015] Hiroshima Carp: Akihiro Higashide to retire appeared first on Yakyu Baka.