Time for another "Japan Special" here on the blog, so today I post my 1951 card for all-time Japanese pitcher Shigeru Sugishita, who pitched between 1949 and 1961:
Over his career
the righty posted 215 wins, twice winning 32 games in a season (1952 and
1954) with six straight 20+ win seasons between 1950 and 1955.
His
1954 season was tremendous, as he appeared in 63 games for the Chunichi
Dragons, going 32-12 with an incredible 1.39 earned run average over
395.1 innings, completing 27 of his 32 starts while tossing seven
shutouts.
He also set a career best when he whiffed 273 batters, one of three seasons where he topped 200 strikeouts.
His
career totals: 215 wins, a 2.23 ERA over 525 appearances and 2841.2
innings, with 31 shutouts and 1761 strikeouts, taking home three
Sawamura Awards as top pitcher (the first pitcher to win three such
awards), getting elected to the Japan Hall of Fame in 1985.
