Today, when a Japanese player wants to leave his native land behind to go chase the millions of dollars in America, there is a complicated posting process involved. This became the norm not because of Suzuki, Matsui, Ohtani or Nomo, but a man named Hideki Irabu.
The San Diego Padres originally signed him, but when the 27 other teams cried foul, MLB decided to create the posting system we know today to give everyone a chance to get a foreign all star. Irabu had no interest in being a Padre and made it public that he would only play for the Yankees. With that kind of leverage, the Yankees were able to swing a trade and bring him in.
Now Hideki was a Yankee in the 90s, with all the good and bad that was associated with playing under George Steinbrenner in those days. The Boss was able to tout another big name pitcher in his rotation...and he would ultimately become so frustrated with Irabu and his weight issues that he would give him the infamous nickname "Fat ***** Toad"
Irabu debuted in July 1997 to much fanfare, but as his card shows, longevity in a game coupled with no control and allowing homers on his own chart became a recipe for disaster. But hey, trying to get a foothold halfway through a season is tough on most rookies.
1998 was Irabu's best season, featuring a career best 13 Wins. Yes, he still allows homers on his chart, but the control and innings became more normalized. The 1998 Yankees were known for the all time record of 125 wins and a title, but most people don't know how badly the Yankees struggled at the very start of the season. Irabu was the only reliable pitcher in the rotation, even winning Pitcher of the Month in May, keeping the Yankees above water during the tumultuous first couple of months. By the end of May, the Yankees were rolling and the historic team we remember was terrorizing opponents, but it was Irabu that they relied on to keep them out of a complete spiral.
Irabu has a card from the original Showdown 2000 run, but its a Pennant Race card showing him as an Expo to represent the trade that happened after the season. 1999 was actually another season with the Yankees, with him getting another Pitcher of the Month recognition in July. That season saw him featured in his only playoff appearance, a disastrous relief appearance in the ALCS during the Yankees only loss that postseason. All in all, Hideki won his 2nd ring with the Yankees that year.
As mentioned before, after 1999 the Yankees traded Irabu to the Montreal Expos. The 2001 Showdown set actually has an Irabu card, so we skip to the 2001 season that featured very little Irabu action. Here is what his 2002 Showdown card would have looked like.
In 2002, Irabu signed with the Rangers for the final season of his brief career. And while the 2003 Showdown set does feature an Irabu card with the Rangers, they list him as a run of the mill Reliever when he should have been the Closer. He led the team with 16 Saves. So here, we have what a *proper* 2003 Showdown card for Hideki Irabu would have looked like.
In 2003, Irabu would return to Japan where he would win a pennant in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. For the 2004 MLB Japan exhibition series to start the season, he pitched for Japan against the Tamp Bay Devil Rays. He'd eventually return to America and pitch in the Independent League in 2009.
Sadly, Hideki Irabu was found dead in his home in 2011 in an apparent suicide after battling alcohol and depression.
