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43-400: The team's undisputed star for most of its history was two-way player Jirō Noguchi , who excelled as a pitcher. Other notable players for the franchise included Chujiro Endo , Yutaka Ishii , Sadao Kondoh , Toshio Kurosawa , and Jirō's brother Akira Noguchi . The Senators were founded by a group that included politician Yoriyasu Arima . Saburo Yokozawa managed the team in 1936–1937. In

86-600: A 158 OPS+ as a hitter and a 3.18 ERA on the mound, winning the AL MVP award unanimously. In 2022, Ohtani became the first modern-era player to qualify for hitting and pitching leaderboards in the same season, and in 2023 was again the unanimous AL MVP, also making the All-MLB first team as both a designated hitter and starting pitcher. Pitcher Michael Lorenzen , a former two-way player at Cal State Fullerton , amassed 133 at-bats, 31 hits and seven home runs in his seven seasons with

129-501: A DH on days when he does not pitch. Ohtani was named the 2018 American League Rookie of the Year after becoming the first player since Babe Ruth to hit at least 20 home runs and pitch at least 50 innings in the same season. In 2021, Ohtani became the first player to be selected for the MLB All-Star game as both a pitcher and designated hitter, and he finished the year with 46 home runs and

172-404: A fastball, but arriving much slower to the plate. Its reduced speed coupled with its deceptive delivery is meant to confuse the batter's timing. It is thrown the same as a fastball, but simply further back in the hand, which makes it release from the hand slower, but still retaining the look of a fastball. A changeup is generally thrown 8–15 miles per hour slower than a fastball. If thrown correctly,

215-450: A given pitcher can throw while maintaining control. Some variations involve movement or breaking action, some do not and are simply straight, high-speed pitches. While throwing the fastball it is very important to have proper mechanics, because this increases the chance of getting the ball to its highest velocity, making it difficult for the opposing player to hit the pitch. The cut fastball, split-finger fastball, and forkball are variations on

258-467: A league-leading 0.93 earned run average. He also hit .260. He had nearly 60% of the team's total number of victories for the season. Following the 1940 season, the team was wholly acquired by Yoriyasu Arima ; the failing Nagoya Kinko was also merged with Tsubasa and for 1941 the new team was renamed the Taiyō Baseball Club . Jirō Noguchi went 25–12 with a league-leading 0.88 ERA in 1941, becoming

301-489: A play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules . Originally, the ball had to be thrown underhand, much like "pitching in horseshoes" . Overhand pitching was not allowed in baseball until 1884 . The biomechanics of pitching have been studied extensively. The phases of pitching include the windup, early cocking, late cocking, early acceleration, late acceleration, deceleration, and follow-through. Pitchers throw

344-652: A player who chooses to do both. Commonly used in basketball, a two-way player excels at both the offensive side of the game and the defensive side of the game. Some of the best two-way players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) have been awarded the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award . Michael Jordan , Hakeem Olajuwon , David Robinson , Kevin Garnett , and Giannis Antetokounmpo are

387-467: A team's active roster instituted in 2020, and also are not subject to restrictions on pitching by position players that were also introduced in 2020. For the 2020 season only, statistics from either 2018 or 2019 could be used to qualify a player for two-way status. This allowed the Los Angeles Angels to classify Shohei Ohtani, who did not pitch in 2019 while recovering from Tommy John surgery , as

430-468: A tie game against Nagoya Club that featured Nagoya's Michio Nishizawa also pitching the entire game. The team's manager in 1942–1943 was Shuichi Ishimoto . Financial instability led to the team being acquired in 1943 by Nishi-Nippon Railroad , and it being renamed the Nishitetsu Baseball Club . Despite finishing with a .513 winning percentage that year (with Jirō Noguchi winning 25 games),

473-552: A two-way player in 2020. In 2017, the Tampa Bay Rays selected Brendan McKay , a two-way player, and began developing him as a pitcher and a first baseman ; he made his MLB debut as a pitcher and DH during the Rays' 2019 season. Shohei Ohtani , a two-way player as a pitcher and outfielder , moved from Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB in 2018 and became one of the few players to hit and pitch professionally. He has been used as

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516-432: A variety of pitches, each of which has a slightly different velocity, trajectory, movement, hand position, wrist position and/or arm angle. These variations are introduced to confuse the batter and ultimately aid the defensive team in getting the batter or baserunners out . To obtain variety, and therefore enhance defensive baseball strategy, the pitcher manipulates the grip on the ball at the point of release. Variations in

559-442: A wide receiver, played significant time at cornerback when starters were injured during the 2004 season. His three interceptions ranked second among Patriots players that season. He also played cornerback in an emergency role during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Linebacker Mike Vrabel (who was Brown's New England Patriots team-mate for several years) frequently lined up at tight end or fullback in short-yardage situations at

602-763: Is listed as a forward; and Dustin Byfuglien , who began his junior career as a defenseman before being moved up to right wing by the Chicago Blackhawks , then was moved back to defense when he was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers . Only two players have won both the Hart Trophy (the NHL's MVP award) and the Norris Trophy (the defensive player of the year award): Bobby Orr three times and Chris Pronger once, each time in

645-404: Is normally considered risky. Examples include dribbling in defence, taking penalty kicks or free kicks , or if a team is 1 goal behind near the end of a match while a corner kick or free kick is awarded, the keeper can run up to the offence to attempt a last-minute goal . Pitch (baseball) In baseball , the pitch is the act of throwing the baseball toward home plate to start

688-496: Is presented with the Frank J. Selke Trophy . The term two-way defenseman is used to describe a defenseman who also makes contributions on offense. Occasionally, a player will be designated as both a defenseman and forward in his career; some recent examples are Nicolas Deslauriers , who was listed as a defenseman in his time in the QMJHL and in his first two professional seasons but as of 2022

731-426: Is the three-quarters delivery. Other deliveries include the submarine (underhand) and the sidearm deliveries. There is also the crossfire pitch, which only works for sidearm delivery. A pickoff move is the motion the pitcher goes through in making pickoff . There are two legal pitching positions: Typically, pitchers from the set use a high leg kick , but may instead release the ball more quickly by using

774-449: The 2020 season , "two-way player" became an official MLB roster classification. A player qualifies once he reaches the following statistical milestones in either the current or the immediately previous season: Once the player qualifies, he retains two-way status for the remainder of the current season plus all of the next season. Two-way players do not count against the limit of 13 pitchers (14 for regular-season games after September 1) on

817-579: The Cincinnati Reds , and he played as an outfielder in 36 games. He would stop batting in the Major Leagues after leaving the Reds, pitching for the Los Angeles Angels , Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies , being named an All-Star and pitching a no-hitter in 2023. Other major-league teams have evaluated prospects as two-way players, including Anthony Gose , Brett Eibner and Trey Ball . In

860-566: The National Football League (NFL), there are few two-way players, as most offensive players do not play defense nor do defensive players play offense. A major concern is the possibility of injury when a player is overused. In the early years of the NFL, two-way players were more common as part of the one-platoon system , but in modern times, they are a rarity. Deion Sanders was a starter on defense who occasionally played offense, except for

903-459: The National League still had to bat for themselves, but they were usually poor batters. In 2017, the average batting average for pitchers was .124, significantly worse than the league average of .255. Until Shohei Ohtani in 2021, Babe Ruth (in 1918 and 1919) was the last player to pitch 100 innings and have 200 plate appearances as a batter in the same season. ( Bullet Rogan achieved

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946-607: The WNBA Most Valuable Player Award and the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award . Griffith, Swoopes, Leslie, Jackson, and Wilson won both awards in the same year, with Swoopes doing so twice. In the National Hockey League (NHL), the term two-way forward is used for a forward who handles the defensive aspects of the game as well as the offensive aspects of the game. The best two-way forward

989-413: The manager or a coach relays the pitch selection to the catcher, via secret hand signals, to prevent the opposing team from having the advantage of knowing what the next pitch will be. The fastball is the most common pitch in baseball, and most pitchers have some form of a fastball in their arsenal. Most pitchers throw four-seam fastballs. It is basically a pitch thrown very fast, generally as hard as

1032-455: The 1996 season in which he played a considerable amount of offense as a wide receiver. William Perry , "The Fridge" was a defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears from 1985 to 1993. Perry occasionally played fullback in goal line situations and set the then-record for the heaviest player to score a touchdown at 335 lb (152 kg). Troy Brown , well-regarded for his special-teams skills and as

1075-817: The Pac-12 Conference Offensive and Defensive Freshman Player of the Year awards. In the mid-1980s, Gordie Lockbaum was a notable two-way player—he twice finished in the top five in Heisman Trophy balloting, and later was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame . Box-to-box midfielders are a prominent example of two-way players in association football. Box-to-box midfielders are hard-working and have good all-round abilities, which makes them skilled at both defending and attacking; these players can therefore track back to their own box to block shots or to make tackles and interceptions, and also carry

1118-420: The ball forward or run to the opponents' box to try to score. Some notable examples of box-to-box midfielders are Lothar Matthäus , Clarence Seedorf , Bastian Schweinsteiger , Steven Gerrard , Johan Neeskens , Sócrates , Patrick Vieira , Bryan Robson and Roy Keane . In recent times, full-backs have become two-way players, with the traditionally defensive position taking on a more attacking role than

1161-406: The batter, but these pitches are ruled balls even if they pass through the strike zone . The responsibility for selecting the type of pitch is traditionally made by the catcher , who gives hand signals to the pitcher with his fingers, usually one finger for fastball or the pitcher's best pitch, with the pitcher having the option to ask for another selection by shaking his head. Alternatively,

1204-495: The changeup will confuse the batter because the human eye cannot discern that the ball is coming significantly slower until it is around 30 feet from the plate. For example, a batter swings at the ball as if it was a 90 mph fastball, but it is coming at 75 mph which means he is swinging too early to hit the ball well, making the changeup very effective. The most common changeups are: Other pitches which are or have been used in baseball are: The most common pitching delivery

1247-477: The fall 1936 campaign, rookie pitcher Akira Noguchi went 15-13 with a 2.65 earned run average, following that with a combined 34–22 record in 1937, with a 2.21 ERA. (The 1936 and 1937 JBL seasons were split into spring and fall half-seasons.) Noguchi's 1937 totals led the league in games pitched and innings; he started nearly 70% of his team's games, and his 34 wins represented 68% of the Senators combined victories for

1290-443: The fastball with extra movement, and are sometimes called sinking-fastballs because of the trajectories. The most common fastball pitches are: Well-thrown breaking balls have movement, usually sideways or downward. A ball moves due to the changes in the pressure of the air surrounding the ball as a result of the kind of pitch thrown. Therefore, the ball keeps moving in the path of least resistance, which constantly changes. For example,

1333-468: The franchise is now known as the Saitama Seibu Lions . Two-way player In sports that require a player to play on offense and defense (such as basketball and ice hockey ), a two-way player refers to a player who excels at both. In sports where a player typically specializes on offense or defense (like American football ), or on pitching or batting (like baseball ), it refers to

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1376-426: The full season. Akira Noguchi left the team after the 1937 season, but he was replaced in 1939 as the team's ace by his brother Jirō Noguchi . Jirō's rookie season was remarkable: a workhorse, he went 33–19 with a 2.04 earned run average, setting a rookie record for victories. He led the league in innings pitched, most games pitched, complete games (a remarkable 38), and hits and home runs allowed. He pitched in 72% of

1419-472: The goal line. He received ten touchdown passes as a receiver during the regular season, and two more during the playoffs. Those two post-season touchdowns came in successive Super Bowls: XXXVIII and XXXIX . Patrick Ricard played both as a fullback and a defensive lineman in 2017. At the college level, some players play on both sides of the ball. While he was at UCLA (2013–2015), linebacker Myles Jack also played running back , and he won both

1462-400: The grip cause the seams to catch the air differently, thereby changing the trajectory of the ball, making it harder for the batter to hit. The selection of which pitch to use can depend on the type of hitter who is being faced; whether there are any base runners ; how many outs have been made in the inning; and the existing score. Pitchers may bounce their pitches in the dirt before they reach

1505-529: The only Defensive Player of the Year winners to have also won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) during their careers. Jordan, Olajuwon, and Antetokounmpo won both awards in the same season. In the Women's National Basketball Association , Yolanda Griffith , Sheryl Swoopes , Lisa Leslie , Lauren Jackson , Candace Parker , Tamika Catchings , Sylvia Fowles , and A'ja Wilson have won both

1548-605: The only pitcher in Japanese professional baseball history to have two consecutive sub-1 ERA seasons. The franchise had its best season in 1942, finishing with 60 victories and a winning percentage of .606, good for second place in the league behind the Tokyo Kyojin . Jirō Noguchi won two-thirds of his team's victories, a league-leading 40 (he also lost 17 games), to go with a 1.19 ERA, and a still-league-record 19 shutoutsas well as 264 strikeouts. That year Noguchi pitched all 28 innings of

1591-522: The same feat yearly from 1921 to 1927 seasons in the Negro leagues , which were not considered major leagues at the time.) Two-way players are still common in college baseball, with the John Olerud Award being given to the best two-way player of the season. However, by the major league level, a player is usually better at either pitching or batting, and rarely is given the chance to do both. Effective with

1634-581: The same season. In Major League Baseball (MLB), there are few true two-way players, as most pitchers are poor batters, and position players generally do not also pitch . In the American League especially, the two-way player had mostly ceased to exist, as the designated hitter (DH) rule has allowed a team to have a designated batter bat in place of the pitcher since 1973. This rule was what largely made it possible for two-way player Shohei Ohtani to pitch and bat on separate days. Before 2021, pitchers in

1677-446: The spin from a properly thrown slider (thrown by a right-handed pitcher) results in lower air pressure on the pitcher's left side, resulting in the ball moving to the left (from the pitcher's perspective). The goal is usually to make the ball difficult to hit by confusing the batters. Most breaking balls are considered off-speed pitches . The most common breaking pitches are: The changeup is an off-speed pitch, usually thrown to look like

1720-590: The team was dissolved before the 1944 season. In 1946, former team manager (and later Hall of Fame umpire) Saburo Yokozawa revived the Tokyo Senators team name. Although the team name was changed after one season, the franchise still exists as the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters . Nishitetsu gained a new baseball team in 1950 as the Nishitetsu Clippers joined Nippon Professional Baseball ;

1763-580: The team's games and had 67% of their total victories. When not pitching, he often played outfield or first base (although he only hit .251). For the 1940 season, the team was renamed the Tsubasa Baseball Club ( Tsubasa meaning "wing"). (In October 1940, responding to rising hostility toward the West due to World War II , the league outlawed the use of English in Japanese baseball.) In 1940, Jirō Noguchi put together another remarkable season, going 30–11 with

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1806-560: Was David Webb , who started one match in 1971 for Chelsea F.C. as goalkeeper, and none at higher levels can consistently switch between starting as a goalkeeper and an outfielder. In the event that a team loses all its regular goalkeepers to injuries or red cards, outfielders have occasionally switched mid-match to the goalkeeper role for the rest of the match, but the player's switch is not typically normalised in later matches. Regular goalkeepers are not prohibited from participating in outfield activity while being goalkeeper, though this

1849-425: Was the case traditionally, with full-backs often overlapping with wingers down the flank; wingerless formations, such as the diamond 4–4–2 formation, require the full-back to cover considerable ground up and down the flank. Two-way players who are skilled at playing both goalkeeper and outfielder are very rare at the higher levels of play. One of few who've started different matches as outfielder and goalkeeper

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