Tsuyoshi Nishioka #1

Tsuyoshi Nishioka (pronounced soo-YO-shee nee-shee-OH-kah)...wife Naoko...daughter Sena (8/8/11)...grew up in the city of Nara in the Kansai region of Japan...attended Osaka Toin Senior High School and helped lead his team to the National High School Baseball Championships...he hit 42 home runs in his high school career and was considered one of the top high school prospects in the country by Nippon Professional Baseball scouts...attended Nara Prefectural Heijo East Junior High School, playing in the national tournament as a member of Koriyama Senior.

2011

Played in his first Major League game, starting at second base and batting second, April 1 at Toronto...became the second Japanese-born player to play for the Minnesota Twins (Micheal Nakamura in 2003)...went 1-for-4 in the game, collecting his first Major League hit, a single off Ricky Romero in the sixth inning...Recorded his first Major League rbi with a fifth inning single off Brett Cecil, April 3 at Toronto...Recorded his first Major League extra-base hit, a fifth inning double, off Ivan Nova, April 4 at New York (AL)...Suffered a fractured left fibula when Nick Swisher slid into his leg while attempting to break up a double play, and was put on the 15-day disabled list following the game, April 7 at New York (AL)...Transferred to the 60-day disabled list, May 28, making room of the Twins 40-man roster for left-handed pitcher Chuck James...Played in seven games during a rehab assignment between Single-A Ft. Myers and Triple-A Rochester, batting .333 (8-for-24)...returned from rehab and was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list, June 15...played primarily as a shortstop upon his return from the disabled list...First career two-rbi game, July 4 vs. Tampa Bay...first career three-hit game (setting career-high), July 6 vs. Tampa Bay...Season-high nine-game hit-streak, going 10-for-31 (.323) with one double and four rbi, August 2-13...Posted a .478 on-base percentage in his final seven games, reaching base 11 times (six hits and five walks) in 23 plate appearances...Placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right oblique strain, September 22...Was one of 13 Japanese-born players to play in the Major Leagues during the 2011 season...ranked third among those players in games played, behind Ichiro Suzuki (151) and Kosuke Fukudome (141).

2010

Played his seventh season in Nippon Professional Baseball with the Chiba Lotte Marines...batted solely out of the leadoff position for Chiba Lotte and played all 144 games at shortstop for the Marines...was a teammate of former Major Leaguer Tadahito Iguchi...Hit safely in his first eight games of the season, batting .529 (18-for-34) with two doubles, two triples, two home runs, nine rbi and 11 runs...Hit safely in 22 straight games, batting .443 (39-for-88) with nine doubles, four home runs and 22 runs, April 29-May 29...Batted .417 (35-for-84) with 20 runs scored in 21 May games...batted .467 (43-for-92) with 19 rbi and 27 runs in 22 September games...Collected 62 multi-hit games, including five four-hit games and a season-high five hits, May 22 vs. Tokyo Yakult...Played in the NPB All-Star game for the Pacific League, going 0-for-2, while playing shortstop as a reserve in the first game...started at shortstop and batted second in the second game, going 0-for-2...Was the NPB Batting Champion with a .346 average, the highest since 2008 (Seiichi Uchikawa - .378)...also, NPB Safe Hit Champion...Led the NPB in runs scored...ranked first in the Pacific League in hits, was second in on-base percentage and third walks...Set career-highs in hits (206), at-bats (596), plate appearances (692), doubles (32), runs (121), rbi (59), walks (79), total bases (287) and batting average (.346)...Batted .181 (13-for-72) with three doubles, one home run, four rbi and 11 runs scored in 15 games in the postseason...batted .167 (6-for-36) with two doubles and three rbi in seven games in the Japan Series (NPB's equivalent of MLB's World Series)...Was given his third Gold Glove Award (first since 2007) after making just 18 errors in 1288.2 innings at shortstop.

2009

Spent the season with Chiba Lotte Marines...went 4-for-4 with a home run, three rbi and four runs scored, July 2 against the Saitama Seibu Lions...homered in consecutive games, September 9 and 10 against Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks...hit .265 (94-for-355) in the leadoff spot, .237 (22-for-93) in the third spot and .400 (2-for-5) in the ninth spot...set a career-high with 14 home runs, 11 coming off lefties...was tied for third on Chiba Lotte in doubles and runs scored, fourth in home runs, fifth in games and sixth in rbi...played all 115 games at shortstop (114 starts).

2008

Spent the season with Chiba Lotte...suffered injuries throughout the season in his knee, neck and feet, limiting him to just 18 stolen bases (his lowest since becoming a regular shortstop)...posted six consecutive multi-hit games, June 11-18..batted .353 (24-for-68) in 18 June games... represented the Pacific League in the All-Star game, starting at shortstop and leading off, going 0-for-3 (moved to second base mid-game)...went 1-for-2 with a run scored in the second game, entering the game as a reserve second baseman...played for Japan in the Beijing Olympics in August.

2007

Played the season with Chiba Lotte...suffered a wrist injury and neck pain most of the season...went 4-for-4 with four runs scored, May 27 at Hanshin...batted .346 (62-for-179) with 16 rbi, 33 runs scored, 12 walks and 16 stolen bases in 46 games in April and May combined... batted .373 (31-for-83) in 22 May games...hit safely in 17 straight games, July 7-August 2...represented the Pacific League in the NPB All-Star Game...batted .374 (58-for-155) against left-handed pitching...won the Gold Glove Award at shortstop...was a recipient of a Best Nine Award (as shortstop), given to the top performers in the Pacific League each season, voted on by national journalists (NPB's equivalent to the Louisville Silver Slugger Award)...batted .419 (13-for-31) in eight postseason games.

2006

Represented team Japan in the first annual World Baseball Classic...batted .355 (11-for-31) with two home runs and eight rbi in eight games helping lead the team to the Championship...led the WBC in stolen bases (five), was tied for fourth in hits (11) and walks (six), fourth in total bases (19), tied for fourth in runs scored (7) and tied for fifth in rbi (eight)...spent the NPB season with Chiba Lotte...shifted exclusively to shortstop from second base...went 5-for-5 with a double, a home run, three rbi and five runs scored, May 22 vs. Tokyo Yakult...hit safely in 12 straight, June 25-July 12...represented the Pacific League in the NPB All-Star Game...hit safely in 81 of his 115 games played...collected five four-hit games...led the league in stolen bases (33) and tied for league-lead in triples...caught stealing a league-high 17 times.

2005

Spent his first full season in NPB with Chiba Lotte...went 4-for-7 with a triple, a home run, six rbi and three runs scored in his first game, a 26-0 Marines victory, March 27 vs. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles...stole three bases in a game, April 23 at Tohoku...season-high five hits, April 23 at Tohoku...represented the Pacific League in the NPB All-Star Game...Chiba Lotte went 77-42-3 when he played...led the Pacific League with 11 triples...stole 41 bases (50 total attempts) to win his first Pacific League Stolen Base Award...was given the Gold Glove Award after making just two errors in 518.1 innings played at second base...was given the Best Nine Award as the top second baseman for the Pacific League...batted .282 (11-for-39) with seven runs scored and five stolen bases in 11 postseason games, helping guide the Marines to their first Japan Series championship since 1974.

2004

Played in 63 games for Chiba Lotte Marines...became a switch-hitter after batting right-handed his entire life...hit his first home run at the NPB level, June 27, off Seibu Lions right-hander Mitsutaka Goto...recorded his first career stolen base in that same game...homered the next day, June 28 at Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

2003

Assigned to the ichigun level (Japanese equivalent of Major League) during Spring Training but was sent down to nigun level (Minor League) to begin the season...recalled to ichigun and made his professional debut, June 23 as a pinch-runner...first professional hit, June 28, a double off Orix BlueWave's Hisashi Tokano.