Koji Akiyama (秋山 幸二 Akiyama Kōji, born April 6, 1962) is a retired Japanese professional baseball player. He played for the Seibu Lions and the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (currently the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks) in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Playing career A speedy slugger, Akiyama accumulated more than 400 career home runs and 300 career stolen bases, a feat matched only by one other NPB player in history (Isao Harimoto). Akiyama was an integral part of the "Invincible Seibu" during the 1980s and 1990s, named such due to their sustained domination of the league, winning 11 league championships and eight Japan Series championships between 1982–1994. (Akiyama left Seibu after the 1993 season.) On July 13, 1989, Akiyama hit for the cycle.
Around 1990, he was called "The man closest to the Major Leagues." At the time, it was an unimaginable dream for a Japanese player to play in MLB, but his ability, which was complete with running, hitting, and fielding, led to that nickname.
Akiayma was a Best Nine Award-winner eight times, a Golden Glove winner 11 times (1987–1996, 1999), and appeared in 18 consecutive Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Series (1985–2002), an NPB record. In addition, Akiyama was Japan Series MVP twice (1991 and 1999), and a Matsutaro Shoriki Award-winner three times (1991, 2011, and 2014). (He also struck out 1,712 times, third on the all-time list.) Akiyama was elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. He is also a member of Meikyukai (the Golden Players Club).
Managing career He replaced Sadaharu Oh on October 8, 2008 as manager of the Hawks, serving as the team's manager through 2014.
Career statistics YearTeamSquadnumberGABRH2B3BHRTBRBISBBB+HBPSOBA1981Seibu Lions71351101030012.200 198224Played at San Jose Bees to train 1983Played at San Jose Bees to train1984541401633524541461332.236 19851304689311816040254931770115.252 19861304928813219341280115216394.268 198711304968213013243276943851102.262 198813051793151232382921032058132.292 1989130478921442443126999317393.301 19901304768412216035243915173120.256 1991116455971352333526988215596.297 19921304809214226231265891383114.296 1993127470671162343023772965136.247 1994Daiei Hawks1294739312026524228732690125.254 19951224766112725121217661348101.264 199612146653140270919466134178.300 19979737146912021215152114762.245 199811542343110324101804974676.260 19991133864199162121554433083.256 20001244274411223151524825163.262 2001822693177133111293211843.286 200276229145770579250945.249 Career Total218979971231215737741437392713123039851712.270 ※Bolded figures are league leading
Titles and accomplishments Home Run Champion : once (1987) Stolen Bases Champion : once (1990) Decisive RBIs Champion : 4 times (1985,1987)
See also List of top Nippon Professional Baseball home run hitters List of Nippon Professional Baseball players with 1,000 runs batted in List of Nippon Professional Baseball career hits leaders
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