Akinori Iwamura

Akinori Iwamura is a Japanese professional baseball player currently signed as an infielder for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Throughout the Major League he is commonly referred to as "Aki", although in Japan his nickname was "Gan-chan".

Iwamura played for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball since 1998, before he was signed on December 15, 2006 by the Rays on a three-year contract worth $7.7 million, with a fourth year club option valued at $4.25 million. His brother, Takashi Iwamura, was also a professional baseball player who spent two seasons in the Kintetsu Buffaloes' farm system. The two were both drafted in 1997.

Nippon Professional Baseball

Iwamura was a third baseman for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the Japanese Central League. He represented Japan in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, and was nicknamed "Japanese Lightning". Iwamura played in the Central League from 1998 to 2006 and won six Golden Glove awards at third base. He also hit 106 home runs in his last three seasons in the Central League, including 32 (with a .311 batting average) in 2006. His best season was 2004, when he hit 44 home runs with 103 RBI and a .300 batting average. In that same season, he also set the Japanese baseball record for strikeouts with 173.

During the 2006 offseason, Iwamura opted to be posted for Major League Baseball. The posts were due to the commissioner of Major League Baseball on November 10, 2006; the highest bidder would be granted the right to negotiate a contract with Iwamura. Incidentally, Daisuke Matsuzaka, who signed a six-year, $52 million contract with the Boston Red Sox that same year, is a close friend of Iwamura. On November 14, information leaked that the highest bidder that won the right to negotiate with Iwamura was the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Major League Baseball announced the next day that the Rays had made the winning bid; Newsday reported that the Rays had bid $4.5 million. Iwamura was the second player that the Rays had been able to obtain through the posting system; in 2005, they won the rights to negotiate with pitcher Shinji Mori.


Major League Baseball

On December 15, 2006, Iwamura signed a three-year contract with the Rays worth $7.7 million, with a club option for a fourth year at $4.25 million. With his defensive position still undecided, Iwamura brought gloves for five different positions to his first year of spring training in the major leagues. However, he eventually won the starting third base job, despite the competition, and began his major league career at his natural position for the Devil Rays.

Iwamura did not hit well in spring training but seemed to adjust quickly to major league pitching once the 2007 season began, hitting .339 in April. However, he was hit in the eye on a freak play while chasing down a fly ball and spent time on the disabled list until May 28. Iwamura's bat cooled off somewhat when he returned. He finished his rookie campaign with a .285 batting average, 7 home runs, 34 RBI and 82 runs scored while serving mostly as the Devil Rays' leadoff hitter.

With Evan Longoria, a highly coveted third base prospect for the Rays, rising quickly through the team's minor league system, Iwamura was moved to second base for the beginning of the 2008 season. The transition went extremely well, as he and Jason Bartlett, a shortstop that the Rays had newly acquired from the Minnesota Twins, quickly became one of the best double play combinations in baseball, helping the Rays to their best season in franchise history. Again batting leadoff, Iwamura struggled at the plate in April, hitting just above .200 for much of the month. However, his batting improved significantly in May and June, when he was among the league leaders in hits. In Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, Iwamura fielded Jed Lowrie's ground ball and stepped on 2nd base himself, making the last out and allowing the Tampa Bay Rays to advance to their first World Series in franchise history.