Retired right-hander Hiroki Kuroda on Friday reflected on his career with satisfaction and expressed gratitude to the only team in Nippon Professional Baseball he ever played for, the Hiroshima Carp, who he helped win their first Central League pennant in 25 years in his final season.
The 41-year-old spent 11 seasons at the club from 1997, and after playing seven years in the major leagues for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, returned before the 2015 season when far larger offers were on the table to stay in the United States.
He went 10-8 with a 3.09 ERA this year to close out his career with a 203-184 record overall.