Did You Know? Former Chicago White Sox Closer Serves as Japanese League Manager

With the Toyko Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs beginning next week, Japanese baseball is certainly on the minds of many.

And did you know that the Chicago White Sox have had multiple Japanese players on their roster over the years? Second baseman Tadahito Iguchi helped the White Sox win the World Series during the 2005 season, while reliever Shingo Takatsu served as the team's closer in 2004. Furthermore, outfielder Kosuke Fukudome made appearances on the South Side as well.

And with regards to Takatsu, did you know that he's also currently serving as a manager in Japan's NPB? According to some notes from the Gaijin Baseball account, he is the manager of the Yokult Swallows. Former big leaguers Masato Yoshii and Tsuyoshi Shinjo are also managers.

Every NPB Manager during their playing days pic.twitter.com/HyNZhHmX4O
— Gaijin Baseball/外国人野球 (@GaijinBaseball) March 11, 2025

Takatsu spent only two years in the big leagues, coming over at the age of 35. He was excellent for the White Sox in 2004, going 6-4 with a 2.31 ERA over 59 appearances. He also had 19 saves, striking out 50 batters in 62.1 innings. He finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.

He wasn't the same in 2005, going 1-2 with eight saves and a 5.97 ERA over 31 appearances before ending his season with the New York Mets. He never appeared in another major league game after that, though he did make 14 appearances for the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A team in 2009 at the age of 40.

In addition to his time in the big leagues, he played 15 seasons in the NPB, all for Yakult. He also spent one year in the Korean League and one year in the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

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