Kenichi Marumo

Kenichi Marumo (丸毛 謙一, Marumo Ken'ichi) (born August 2, 1988) is a Japanese retired professional baseball player. He spent three seasons with the Yomiuri Giants organization before signing with the Orix Buffaloes, where he spent two seasons. He made his only Nippon Professional Baseball first-team appearance for Orix in March 2014, before retiring due to injury during the 2015 season.

Kenichi Marumo
Marumo playing for the Yomiuri Giants in May 2013
Outfielder / Infielder
Born: 丸毛 謙一
(1988-08-02) August 2, 1988
Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Bats: Right Throws: Right
NPB debut
Orix Buffaloes
Last NPB appearance
Orix Buffaloes
Teams

Career

High school and university

Marumo was a member of the Osaka Tōin High School baseball club. In his final year, he was a member of the team that qualified for the 2006 national championships. He appeared as a pinch-hitter in the 9th inning of the team's second-round loss to Waseda Jitsugyo High School and was struck out by Yuki Saito.

After graduating high school he enrolled at the Osaka University of Economics and became a regular starting member of the university baseball team at the start of his second year. He played not only in the outfield but also as a third baseman. During his 4 years in the Kansai6 Baseball League, he played in a total of 88 matches and hit 4 home runs with a batting average of .227.

Professional career

In October 2010 Marumo was drafted by the Yomiuri Giants in the 8th round of the 2010 development player draft.[1] He was the 29th player selected in the development draft that followed the regular draft (in which 68 players were selected), making him the 97th (and final) player picked overall that year. In a press release following the draft, the Giants described Marumo as "has top-class leg strength and will steal a lot of bases".[1]

Yomiuri Giants (2011–2013)

In 2011 Marumo played 11 matches for the Giants' farm team; he only had one plate appearance and was mainly used as a pinch runner, finishing with three stolen bases and four runs.[2] During the post-season camp, he was given the opportunity to practice as an infielder.[3]

In 2012, whilst registered as an outfielder, Marumo spent 57 games fielding at short stop, the most for the Giants' farm team.[4] He played a total of 87 matches and had a batting average of .227 with 5 home runs and 15 stolen bases.[5]

In 2013 Marumo batted in the number 4 position in all of the pre-season "training league" games and, in a rare event for a development player, started the first game of the farm team's Eastern League season in the number 4 position. In 88 games he had a .197 batting average and 10 stolen bases.[6] At the end of the 2013 season, Marumo became a free agent on 31 October,[7] having reached the maximum of three years as a development player prescribed in the rules governing development players. He was invited to the Orix Buffaloes post-season camp in Kōchi Prefecture[8] and was acquired by the Buffaloes as a regular squad member on 16 November 2013,[9] signing a contract with an estimated annual salary of 5.5 million yen the following month.[10]

Orix Buffaloes (2014–2015)

Marumo impressed Orix manager Hiroshi Moriwaki with a steal in a pre-season match[11] and started the 2014 season in the Buffaloes' first-team squad.[12] On 28 March 2014 Marumo made his first-team debut in the Orix' opening game of the season against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.[13] He appeared as a pinch runner in the top of the ninth inning and scored a run;[14] he was then replaced by catcher Katsuki Yamazaki in the middle of the ninth inning.[14] On 2 April he was dropped to the second-team squad.[15] Marumo played 64 games for the farm team, finishing the season with a .277 batting average and 12 stolen bases.[16]

On 5 February 2015 during the Orix pre-season camp, Marumo was struck in the left side of the head by a batted ball during fielding practice. He continued to practice, but complained of feeling unwell at the end of the session. He was taken to hospital and diagnosed with acute epidural hematoma and underwent an emergency craniotomy.[13] He was discharged from hospital on 18 February to commence rehabilitation.[17]

Although Marumo returned to batting practice and regained his abilities to the level they were before the accident,[18] on 2 July 2015 he announced his retirement from professional baseball on advice from his doctor, citing that a second blow in the same spot could be life-threatening.[19] The club accepted his resignation the same day.[20] The following day he made his final appearance in a farm league match, starting the game in the number 5 batting position and fielding in left field against the Hiroshima Carp. He fielded in the top of the first inning only and took one catch; at the end of the Hiroshima inning he was greeted by both teams standing in front of their benches and was presented with a bouquet of flowers by veteran teammate Yoshitomo Tani.[19] As his retirement was voluntary, a member of the Orix organization said Marumo would not be eligible for compensation for forced retirement due to injury; however, club president Ryōzō Setoyama announced Marumo would be joining the second-team staff.[19]

His career ended having made one first-team appearance as a pinch runner and scoring one run,[21] without ever making an appearance at the plate.[18]

Playing style

Marumo was noted for his leg speed, including being able to run 50 metres in 5.8 seconds.[13] However, Orix manager Moriwaki also rated his hitting and fielding abilities,[12] with the club expecting him to contribute as a utility infielder/outfielder.[19]

References
  1. "育成ドラフトでも8選手を指名" [8 more players selected at the development draft] (in Japanese). Yomiuri Giants Official Web Site. 28 October 2010. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  2. "2011年度 読売ジャイアンツ 個人打撃成績（イースタン・リーグ）" [2011 Yomiuri Giants – Individual Offensive Statistics (Eastern League)] (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  3. "原監督 大田＆丸毛を打撃指導「花を咲かせる状態に」" [Manager Hara gives batting lessons to Ota & Marumo: "I want to make them bloom"]. Sponichi Annex. 9 November 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  4. "2012年度 読売ジャイアンツ 個人守備成績（イースタン・リーグ）" [2012 Yomiuri Giants – Individual Fielding Statistics (Eastern League)] (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  5. "2012年度 読売ジャイアンツ 個人打撃成績（イースタン・リーグ）" [2012 Yomiuri Giants – Individual Offensive Statistics (Eastern League)] (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  6. "2013年度 読売ジャイアンツ 個人打撃成績（イースタン・リーグ）" [2013 Yomiuri Giants – Individual Offensive Statistics (Eastern League)] (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  7. "2013年度　自由契約選手（育成選手）" [2013 Free Agent Players (Development Players)] (in Japanese). Japan Professional Baseball. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  8. "【オリックス】ハム榊原、巨人丸毛を獲得" [Orix acquire Ham's Sakakibara and Giants' Marumo]. Nikkan Sports. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  9. "丸毛謙一選手、榊原諒投手　獲得のお知らせ" [News release: Kenichi Marumo and pitcher Ryo Sakakibara have been acquired]. Orix Buffaloes. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  10. "【オリックス】丸毛が550万で支配下登録" [Orix sign Marumo as regular member for ￥5.5 million]. Nikkan Sports. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  11. "オリ森脇監督、収獲は「丸毛のスチール」" [Orix' Manager Moriwaki: Result was "Marumo's steal"] (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 22 March 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  12. "オリ丸毛開幕1軍抜てき 走攻守を評価" [Orix' Marumo selected for opening first-team squad: Rated for running, hitting and fielding] (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  13. "オリックス・丸毛　頭部に打球受け緊急手術　長期離脱も" [Orix' Marumo takes batted ball to head, has emergency surgery: may be out long-term] (in Japanese). Sports Nippon Newspapers. 6 February 2015. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  14. "2014年プロ野球試合結果　３月28日" [2014 Professional Baseball match results – March 28] (in Japanese). Sports Nippon Newspapers. 28 March 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  15. "オリックスが岸田を登録 丸毛を抹消" [Orix elevate Kishida, drop Marumo] (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 2 April 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  16. "2014年度 オリックス・バファローズ 個人打撃成績（ウエスタン・リーグ）" [2014 Orix Buffaloes – Individual Offensive Statistics (Western League)] (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  17. "オリックス丸毛が退院　帰阪しリハビリへ" [Orix' Marumo leaves hospital, will return to Osaka for rehabilitation] (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 18 February 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  18. "【オリックス】再び衝撃受ければ生命の危機…丸毛が引退" [[Orix] A second blow could be life threatening... Marumo retires] (in Japanese). Hochi Shimbun. 3 July 2015. Archived from the original on 28 August 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  19. "頭部に打球直撃で引退…オリックス丸毛に球団からの補償なし" [Retiring following a blow to the head, Orix' Marumo to receive no compensation from club] (in Japanese). Tokyo Sports. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  20. "丸毛謙一選手任意引退のお知らせ" [News release: Kenichi Marumo resignation]. Orix Buffaloes. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  21. "個人年度別成績 【丸毛謙一 （オリックス・バファローズ）】" [Individual statistics by year (Kenichi Marumo, Orix Buffaloes)]. Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
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