Major League Baseball Player. A right-handed pitcher, he is remembered for the two World Series rings he earned with the New York Yankees in the late 1990s. Raised in Amagasaki, Irabu was a standout pitcher from his early years, and in 1988 signed with the Lotte Orions; a noted strikeout pitcher in Japan, he played for the Orions from 1988 thru 1996 when he was drafted by the San Diego Padres. Irabu stated he would only leave his native land for the Yankees, and so a trade was worked out, bringing him to New York in 1997. His best season was with the World Champion 1998 Yankees when he had 13 wins against 9 losses with a 4.06 ERA and 126 strikeouts. After getting another ring in 1999, he was traded to the Montreal Expos, where he remained for two seasons before finishing his big league career with the 2003 Texas Rangers. Irabu's final totals in the majors included 34 wins, 35 losses, 405 strikeouts, and a 5.15 ERA. He returned to Japan and pitched with the Hanshan Tigers in 2004, then settled in the U.S. In his final years he appeared with some independent minor league teams; Irabu experienced a number of legal problems before hanging himself in his Southern California apartment.
Major League Baseball Player. A right-handed pitcher, he is remembered for the two World Series rings he earned with the New York Yankees in the late 1990s. Raised in Amagasaki, Irabu was a standout pitcher from his early years, and in 1988 signed with the Lotte Orions; a noted strikeout pitcher in Japan, he played for the Orions from 1988 thru 1996 when he was drafted by the San Diego Padres. Irabu stated he would only leave his native land for the Yankees, and so a trade was worked out, bringing him to New York in 1997. His best season was with the World Champion 1998 Yankees when he had 13 wins against 9 losses with a 4.06 ERA and 126 strikeouts. After getting another ring in 1999, he was traded to the Montreal Expos, where he remained for two seasons before finishing his big league career with the 2003 Texas Rangers. Irabu's final totals in the majors included 34 wins, 35 losses, 405 strikeouts, and a 5.15 ERA. He returned to Japan and pitched with the Hanshan Tigers in 2004, then settled in the U.S. In his final years he appeared with some independent minor league teams; Irabu experienced a number of legal problems before hanging himself in his Southern California apartment.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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