Buffaloes infielder Eiichi Koyano retiring after 16 seasons

OSAKA - Orix Buffaloes infielder Eiichi Koyano, a three-time Golden Glove winner, will retire at the end of the season, the team announced Thursday.

Koyano, 37, entered the Pacific League in 2003 as a fifth-round draft pick of the Nippon Ham Fighters and cemented himself in the Hokkaido-based club’s starting lineup in the 2007 season.

He received the Golden Glove award as a third baseman for the Fighters in 2009, 2010 and 2012. As a batter, he had his best statistical season in 2010, when he batted .311 with 177 hits and 109 RBIs.

Koyano joined the Buffaloes in 2015 as a free agent. After playing 130 games last year, he was limited to just 69 games this season because of a knee injury and other health issues.

The Chiba Lotte Marines on the same day announced that infielder Shunichi Nemoto and catcher Takeshi Kanazawa will also call it quits this year.

After joining the Marines in 2006, Nemoto played his entire 13-year career with the PL club.

He batted .250 for his career with 583 hits in 837 games.

“I’m delighted to have been able to play baseball for a great team, with great teammates, in front of the best fans,” the 35-year-old Nemoto said.

Kanazawa, 34, joined the Marines in 2008. He had a .232 batting average in 176 games for the club.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

LATEST BASEBALL STORIES

Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame showing little respect for former NPB great Tuffy Rhodes

It's one thing for another year to pass with Tuffy Rhodes not yet even within shouting distance of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. But there has to be something in the voters' water for the ...

Kazuyoshi Tatsunami, Hiroshi Gondo and Haruo Wakimura elected to Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame

Kazuyoshi Tatsunami began his career with a double and by the end of his 22 pro seasons had racked up more two-baggers than any NPB player before or since. "I wasn't really much of a home run hi...

Marines sign former Fighters slugger Brandon Laird

The Chiba Lotte Marines have acquired former Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters third baseman Brandon Laird, the team announced on Monday. Laird joined the Fighters in 2015 after stints in the ...