Satoshi Nakajima (中嶋 聡, Nakajima Satoshi, born March 27, 1969) is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) from 1987 to 2015 for the Hankyu Braves/Orix Braves/Orix BlueWave, Seibu Lions, Yokohama BayStars, and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
| Satoshi Nakajima | |
|---|---|
 Nakajima with the Orix Buffaloes | |
| Catcher/Coach/Manager | |
| Born: March 27, 1969 Takanosu, (present day of Kitaakita), Akita Prefecture, Japan[citation needed] | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| debut | |
| October 18, 1987, for the Hankyu Braves | |
| Last appearance | |
| August 10, 2015, for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters | |
| NPB[1] statistics | |
| Batting average | .232 |
| Hits | 804 |
| Runs batted in | 349 |
| Stolen Bases | 27 |
| Home runs | 55 |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Career
editNakajima became the manager for the Buffaloes in 2020, replacing Norifumi Nishimura, and led the team to two consecutive Pacific League pennants and two Japan Series appearances, before winning in 2022.[2][3] His efforts to help turn around the Buffaloes from an low-rated team to a Japan Series champion gave him the Matsutaro Shoriki Award in 2022.[4] However, he stepped down October 6, 2024, he announced he was stepping down as manager after he failed to lead the Buffaloes to a 4th straight pennant and a 5th place finish.[5]
Awards
edit- Best Nine Award: (1995)
- Golden Glove Award: (1989)
- Shoriki Award: (2022)
- Monthly MVP: (June 1991)
- Best Battery Award: 1 time (1995)
- Pacific League Association Special Award:(B2021, 2022, 2023)
{Source:Nippon Professional Baseball} [citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "Satoshi Nakajima Japanese League Statistics & History – Baseball-Reference.com". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
- ^ Allen, Jim (2021-11-23). "Tyler Higgins credits skipper Satoshi Nakajima with Orix's transformation". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
- ^ Coskrey, Jason (2022-10-03). "Buffaloes rise to occasion to claim Pacific League pennant". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
- ^ "Buffaloes manager Satoshi Nakajima wins Shoriki Award". The Japan Times. 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
- ^ "Baseball: Buffaloes manager Satoshi Nakajima steps down". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2024-10-11.