Okajima's favorite films are romances including Ghost, Pretty Woman, and Autumn in New York. [22], On December 3, 2010, he was non-tendered by the Red Sox, making him a free agent. [7] It was the eleventh time in MLB history a pitcher gave up a home run on his first pitch. [2], Okajima was drafted in the third round in 1993 by the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. [33] Initially, numerous coaches in Japan, such as Tsuneo Horiuchi, attempted to change Okajima's pitching form.
in Kyoto, Japan As great as the Dodgers are, they won't end their title drought if they come up empty in high-leverage moments the way they did in Wednesday's loss to the Rays. [20] He closed the 2007 postseason with a home run to Garrett Atkins. New York Yankees signed free agent LHP Hideki Okajima to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
Athletics promote reliever Okajima from minors, A's left-hander Anderson out for up to 6 weeks, Minors 4.7.13: Cam, Noah key 4-0 St. Lucie. [36] As of May 10, 2007, the Okie-Dokie had been thrown for strikes 79% of the time with hitters swinging through the pitch 14 out of 30 times. Okajima calls Masumi Kuwata his "master. [13], For all of his early success, Okajima remained relatively anonymous in his forays around Boston. A look back at an underappreciated roster. Exceeded rookie limits during 2007 season, Agents: Joe Rosen • Previously: Anthony Nakanishi, Pronunciation: \hih-DECK-ee oh-kuh-JEE-muh\, More Hideki Okajima Pages at Baseball Reference, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Thursday, October 22, 12:56AM. MLB: N.Y. Yankees 4, Boston 3 (10 innings). World Series 2020: Inside Los Angeles Dodgers' failures in Game 2's big at-bats. Juan Miranda drew a bases-loaded walk from Hideki Okajima in the 10th inning Sunday, handing the New York Yankees a 4-3 win over Boston. [17] Following the All-Star break, Okajima continued to pitch solid and reliable relief innings occasionally closing games for the Sox as they held their place at the top of the AL East. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? David Ortiz had a homer, three RBI and three runs scored Tuesday to help the Boston Red Sox outslug the Toronto Blue Jays 10-9. [9] At the start of the 2007 Red Sox season, injuries and poor performances limited the effectiveness of anticipated setup relievers Mike Timlin and Joel Piñeiro. Okajima was awarded Rookie of the Month of the American League for April 2007. Oakland Athletics optioned LHP Hideki Okajima to Sacramento River Cats. Oakland Athletics selected the contract of Hideki Okajima from Sacramento River Cats. vs. KCR 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 SO, 0 BB, 1 ER, Last Game: He also received an invitation to spring training. "Do you have a favorite quote from or about this particular Major League Baseball player that you would like to see here?
Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Senate panel votes to confirm Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Supreme Court rejects COVID-19-related curbside voting in Alabama, Netflix: What's coming and going in November 2020, Gallup: Most U.S. voters say Trump doesn't deserve 2nd term, Cybersecurity firm: Millions of voter, consumer records for sale on 'dark web'. Copyright © 2000-2020 Sports Reference LLC. On May 20, 2011, Okajima was designated for assignment. Okajima is said to have mimicked the pitching form of a pitcher in Yoichi Takahashi's manga Ace! Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. Hideki Okajima assigned to Sacramento River Cats. Okajima returned to Japan in 2014, signing a one-year contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Hideki Okajima was born on Thursday, December 25, 1975, in Kyoto, Japan. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Who is on your greatest team? Hideki Okajima (岡島 秀樹 , Okajima Hideki, born December 25, 1975) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. [30], Okajima had a distinctive pitching form in which he turned his head downwards just before he released the ball and after release jerked it hard towards third base. Okajima pitched for the Yomiuri Giants, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, and Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball, and … May 20, 2011: Boston Red Sox designated Hideki Okajima for assignment. [31] Okajima admits, "I was trying to copy the motion. Copyright: © 2020 ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Find out more. Hideki Okajima (岡島 秀樹, Okajima Hideki, born December 25, 1975) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher.