Japanese baseball pitcher who was unable to replicate the success he had at home upon his arrival in the Major Leagues.
He began his professional career in Japan in 1988.
The Yankees signed him to a $12.8 million contract, and expected him to become an All-Star. Instead he was a major disappointment.
He was survived by his wife and two children when he took his own life in 2011.
He was unable to achieve the success that his countryman Hideo Nomo had in the United States.
