Akinori Otsuka

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**Akinori Otsuka**
Major League Baseball debut
Texas Rangers — No. 40
Pitcher
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
April 6, 2004 for the San Diego Padres
Selected MLB statistics (through the end of the 2006 season)
Saves	35
ERA	2.43
Strikeouts	194
Former teams
San Diego Padres (2004–2005) Texas Rangers (2006-present)

Akinori Otsuka (大塚晶則, Otsuka Akinori^?) is a Japanese baseball player. He was formerly the set-up man for the San Diego Padres. Currently, he pitches for the Texas Rangers. He was also the closer for Japan's 2006 World Baseball Classic winning team.

Otsuka throws a low-90's 4-seam fastball that is very straight, along with a hard, late-breaking slider. He employs an unorthodox pitching delivery: He lifts his lead leg up very slowly, taps his glove, then fires to home plate, making his pitches look faster coming out of his hand, making them much harder to pick up.

Otsuka came to the United States after several years of pitching in the Japanese League, signing a three-year contract with the Padres on December 9, 2003. On January 6, 2006, Otsuka was traded to the Rangers, along with pitcher Adam Eaton and minor league catcher Billy Killian, in exchange for pitcher Chris Young}}, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, and outfielder Terrmel Sledge.

Otsuka took over the role as the closer for the Rangers during the 2006 season, replacing Francisco Cordero, and recorded 32 saves while posting a 2.11 ERA. However, on December 19, 2006 the Rangers announced that newly signed Éric Gagné would take over the closer role in 2007, with Otsuka moving back into a set-up role. On January 13, 2007, T.R. Sullivan reported that, in an interview in Japan, Otsuka said "If there is the team which needs me as a closer, I am going to think about (the trade)". [1]