Yu Darvish

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Yu Darvish

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters — No. 11
Pitcher
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Nippon Professional Baseball debut
June 15, 2005 for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
Selected NPB statistics (through 2007)
Win-Loss	32-15
Innings pitched	451.2
Strikeouts	377
Teams
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters (2005–present)

Yu Darvish (also spelled Yuu Darvish) (Japanese: ダルビッシュ 有, Persian: یو درویش, born August 16, 1986 in Habikino, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese starting pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. He is ethnically half Iranian on his father's side. At 21 years of age, he is widely heralded as an ace for the Fighters, as well as Japanese baseball. He is listed as 6'5" tall (196 cm) and 185 pounds (85 kg). Darvish wears the number 11.

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life and high school days

Yu's father is Farsad Darvish, an Iranian businessman, while his mother Ikuyo is Japanese.^[1] Yu's parents met at Eckerd College, a liberal-arts school in St. Petersburg, Florida, where Yu's father played for the university soccer team ^[2] in addition to playing for the Iran national football team.^[3] Yu’s grandfather was a travel agent in Iran, and sent Yu's father to the United States in 1977 to attend high school in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and race competitively in motocross.

Farsad and Ikuyo married and moved to Osaka in 1982. In 1986, Farsad started working for the United States Junior Chamber and Ikuyo gave birth to Yu. Initially Farsad tried to teach Yu soccer and then motocross both of which did not appeal to Yu's talents. Yu is the elder of their two sons.

Darvish first inspired interest in Japan in 2004 after playing an active role in the Koshien National High School Baseball Championship ^[4], including pitching a no-hitter, during his senior year for Tohoku High School, a school that has produced many professional players, including Major League and Japanese All-Star Kazuhiro Sasaki and Takashi Saito. He participated in the Koshien High school Baseball Tournament 4 times.

He was extensively scouted since his days in Junior High School by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Atlanta Braves who later tried to sign him. The New York Mets also were in competition for his services. The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, Hiroshima Toyo Carp, Chunichi Dragons, Fukuoka Daiei Hawks and Orix Blue Wave were also in the battle to sign Darvish.^[5]

The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters won the first pick of the 2004 draft and proceeded to draft and sign. During that year Darvish occupied a large part of the sports news in Japan.

He received further press when he was caught smoking in a pachinko parlor on an off-day at his first Spring Training in 2005, despite being underage for both activities. The incident led to his subsequent suspension from his team and high school, along with orders to give community service time.

[edit] Professional career in Nippon Professional Baseball

Despite his suspension, Darvish made his professional baseball debut later in the season in an interleague game against the Hiroshima Carp. Darvish went 8 innings and got the win, despite giving up back-to-back solo home runs in the 9th.

In 2006, Darvish helped the Fighters win their first Japan Series since 1961, over the Chunichi Dragons. Darvish lost Game 1 to Chunichi ace Kenshin Kawakami, but the Fighters were able to overcome the loss and Darvish pitched the clinching Game 5 at the Sapporo Dome, 4-1. Darvish also won the championship game of the Konami Cup Asia Series 2006, played between the league champions of Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea at the end of the 2006 season. He won the Most Valuable Player Award for that series, and is considered to be one of Japan's biggest rising stars. ^{[6] [7]}

Darvish also concluded an exclusive management contract with Avex network in 2006. Trey Hillman, the former manager of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, has said of Yu Darvish "How good do I think he can be? I think he can be the best in the world. He's not there yet ... but I think he can potentially pass a guy like Matsuzaka." ^[8]

Since Daisuke Matsuzaka signed for the Boston Red Sox and left Japan for the United States of America, attention has been focused on Yu Darvish to help keep up the popularity of baseball in Japan. As a young star in Japanese baseball Darvish is expected to fill the void left by Matsuzaka’s departure.^[9]Unlike Matsuzaka, Darvish has told the Japanese press that he has no intention of seeking a move to America anytime in the future.

On August 9, 2007 after winning against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles Yu acknowledged reports of a relationship with the Japanese actress Saeko. He went onto declare that he was going to get married and that Saeko is pregnant.^[10] Darvish said he had vowed to Saeko that he would win that night's game because he wanted to be interviewed on TV and make their news official. The 35,000 spectators in the stands responded with thunderous approval. "I was surprised at first, but now I am happy there is a baby of my own blood on the way," Darvish said.^[11]

As Japanese law requires a person holding dual citizenship to choose a single nationality before reaching the age of 22. Darvish had to choose either his Iranian or Japanese nationality. He decided to take his Japanese nationality so that he could play for the Japanese national baseball team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.^[12] He had his national team debut in the 2007 Asian Baseball Championships, against Taipei.

On October 29, 2007, he won the Sawamura Award meeting all seven criteria.

[edit] Career statistics (through 2007)

[edit] Charitable work

• Darvish participated in the “Making of Superstars," a book by Leslie Kee which is a compilation of photos and interviews of Asian stars and the accompanying charity exhibition. The proceeds of this project were donated to World Vision Japan. ^[13]

• On 29 March 2007 the “Yu Darvish Water Fund “was announced. The fund offers the construction of wells, installment and maintenance of well pumps and construction or installment of rain water storage in developing countries. Yu Darvish will directly contribute to this fund by donating 100,000 Japanese Yen for every win during the regular season. The Japan Water Forum will oversee, monitor and manage this fund.

Darvish has stated about the fund that “When I thought what I could do to help the society and the world through baseball, I just thought of starting something small. I wish this fund and hope of mine will eventually lead to help and encourage many people; and even myself.”^[14]

[edit] Notes

• Yu is also known by the Persian and Arabic name Farid, meaning unique.^[15]

• 20 year old Yu Darvish became the first under 21 to open a Japan Series game since 1987.^[16]

• Is currently the spokesmodel for DyDo's D-1 canned coffee line, taking over the duties from former teammate Tsuyoshi Shinjo.

• Darvish is the fourth player in the history of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters including the period when they were known as the Tokyu Flyers to be Opening Day starter within 3 years of graduating high school.

• The other three were all Opening Day starters as rookies.

• • Hiroshi Tsuno was 4 months short of turning 20 when he started and won the 1985 Opening Day game for the Fighters.^[17]
  • Toshiaki Moriyasu was selected by the Fighters who were then known as the Toei Flyers in the first round of the very first draft in Japan in 1965. His first professional game was Opening Day 1966, where at the age of 18 he pitched a complete game shutout against the Nankai Hawks for the win. Five years later he was banned for life from baseball for fixing games in the Black Mist Scandal. ^[18]
  • The earliest of the young openers was Noboru Makino, who pitched the Opening Day game for the Flyers in 1956 also at the age of 18. ^[19]

[edit] References

[edit] Books

• Kee, Leslie (2006). Making of Superstars. (ISBN 4903323110). 

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Yu Darvish

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Yu Darvish

• Yu Darvish's Official Website
• Pitcher strikes out purist Japan at The Daily Telegraph 19 November 2004
• Yu Darvish Room at Nikkan Sports
• Darvish Gallery
• Darvish Watch
• 2007 Spirits Of Darvish Series at YouTube
• Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters Official Website
• Japanesebaseball.com - Nippon Professional Baseball career statistics
• Yu Darvish at japaneseballplayers.com
• Yu Darvish at baseball-reference.com
• Yu Darvish Article at ESPN