| Tokuji Iida | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First baseman /Manager | |
| Born:(1924-04-06)April 6, 1924 Yokohama, Japan | |
| Died: June 19, 2000(2000-06-19) (aged 76) | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| NPB debut | |
| 1947, for the Nankai Hawks | |
| Last appearance | |
| 1963, for the Kokutetsu Swallows | |
| NPB statistics | |
| Batting average | .284 |
| Hits | 1,978 |
| Home runs | 183 |
| Runs batted in | 969 |
| Stolen base | 390 |
| Teams | |
| As player As manager As coach | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the Japanese | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1981 |
Tokuji Iida (飯田 徳治,Iida Tokuji; April 6, 1924 – June 19, 2000) was a JapaneseNippon Professional Baseballfirst baseman. He both batted and threw right-handed.
Iida spent most of his 16-year career with theNankai Hawks, where he won 5Best Nine Awards, 4Pacific League pennants, and aPacific League MVP Award in 1955. He spent the remainder of his career with theKokutestu Swallows, with his final season in 1963. He played 1,246 consecutive games until finally taking a rest day on May 24, 1958.[1][2]
Iida was born inYokohama and played baseball atAsano High School. He did not go to college.
Iida began his professional career with theNankai Hawks of theJapanese Baseball League in 1947. He found success relatively quickly, leading the team in hits in 1949, and winning 4 consecutiveBest Nine Awards from 1950 through 1953. He led the league in RBIs in 1951. In 1955, he was both a Best Nine Award winner and aPacific League MVP. He was also chosen as the leading hitter of theJapan Series after hitting two home runs.[3] In 1956, he played 154 games, setting an NPB record, which is shared with Kohei Sugayama and Shinya Sazaki.[4] With the Hawks, Kazuto Tsuruoka, Chusuke Kizuka,Kazuo Kageyama, and Iida all made up what was known as the Million Dollar Infield, with Tsuruoka and Iida becoming Hall of Famers, Kizuka a six-timeAll-Star, and Kageyama aRookie of the Year award winner.[citation needed]
Iida went to the Swallows of Kokotestu for the 1957 season. As a Swallow, he ended his 1,246-game long streak of playing on May 24, 1958. He ranked second in the league in total hits in 1957, and 5th in 1959. By 1960, he was out of the top 10, and by 1963, he was out of the league.
Iida became the 8th manager of the Swallows, then-called the Atoms, in 1966, being replaced byTakehiko Bessho in 1968 after 3 consecutive losing seasons.[5] Soon after, in 1969, he was appointed manager of the Hawks, being replaced withKatsuya Nomura the next year, following a 50-76-4 campaign, finishing last in the Pacific League. His NPB managerial record was 224-292-18.
Iida died on June 19, 2000, at the age of 76.
| International | |
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| National | |
