Hideki Irabu to be introduced as pitcher for Long Beach Armada on Monday

Published on May 15, 2009 under Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Long Beach Armada News Release


LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The Long Beach Armada Professional Baseball Team is holding a press conference to introduce its newest Major League experienced acquisition Hideki Irabu on Monday, May 18 at 4pm at Legends Sports Bar at 5236 E. 2nd Street in Long Beach.

Irabu, who won two World Series with the New York Yankees in 1998 and 1999, is the greatest power pitcher in professional baseball history in Japan. He joins former NL All-Star Jose Lima to give the Armada the Golden Baseball League's strongest pitching 1-2 punch for the 2009 season.

Irabu, 39, broke into professional baseball in Japan with the Lotte Orions in 1988 and became known as the hardest thrower and one of the most dominant pitchers in the League over the next eight seasons. His 98 mph fastball is still the fastest ever by a Japanese pitcher. After the 1996 season, he became one of the early pitchers to move from the NPB to the Major Leagues in the U.S. as he joined the New York Yankees. He went on to pitch for the Montreal Expos and Texas Rangers during six seasons in Major League Baseball before returning to Japan where he joined the Hanshin Tigers and helped them to their first pennant in 20 years. Knee surgery finally sidelined him, and he has spent the last two years rehabbing to get back into pitching shape.

Now healthy and with a fastball clocked at more than 92 mph already this month, he is determined to show that he can once again contribute to the success of a MLB or NPB team.

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