Yutaka Fukumoto

Who is Yutaka Fukumoto?

Yutaka Fukumoto is a retired Japanese professional baseball player in Nippon Professional Baseball born in Osaka, Osaka.

After a brief career at the company team of Matsushita, he was drafted seventh overall by the Hankyu Braves in 1968. In his second season, he stole 75 bases, setting the Japanese single-season record. In 1972, he stole 106 bases, setting the all-world single-season modern-era record. He also led the Braves to the Japanese championship. Fukumoto was named Most Valuable Player and became the first Japanese MVP who had also led the league in steals. In 1983, he stole his 939th career base, passing Lou Brock and setting the all-world career steals mark. He also hit his 2000th career hit. He was contacted for a National Honor Award but declined.

After the 1988 season, the Braves were slated to become the Orix Blue Wave. At the last game of the year, manager Toshiharu Ueda delivered a farewell address at the post-game ceremony. Ueda made the mistake of saying, "We bid farewell to Yamada and Fukumoto ..." instead of "We bid farewell to Yamada but will have Fukumoto ...". Everyone was caught by surprise, including Fukumoto himself, since he had intended to play at least another year. Fukumoto shrugged to reporters and said, "Ueda said so, I'm retiring," and ended his career. Fukumoto felt no ill will towards Ueda and went on to coach for Orix in 1989 and 1990. From 1998 to 1999, he coached for the Hanshin Tigers. In 2002, Fukumoto was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.