Shintaro Yokota
{{Short description|Japanese baseball player (1995–2023)}}
{{Infobox NPB player
| name = Shintaro Yokota
| image = 2014T24.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Yokota with the Hanshin Tigers in 2014
| position = Outfielder
| team =
| number =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1995|6|9}}
| birth_place = Hioki, Kagoshima, Japan
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|7|18|1995|6|9}}
| death_place =
| bats = Left
| throws = Left
| debutleague = NPB
| debutdate = March 25
| debutyear = 2016
| debutteam = Hanshin Tigers
| statleague = NPB
| stat1label = Batting average
| stat1value = .191
| stat4label = Runs
| stat4value = 14
| stat5label = Stolen bases
| stat5value = 4
| teams =
- Hanshin Tigers ({{npby|2014}}–{{npby|2019}})
}}
{{Nihongo|Shintaro Yokota|横田 慎太郎|Yokota Shintarō|June 9, 1995 – July 18, 2023}} was a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Hanshin Tigers Nippon Professional Baseball. He played for the Tigers from 2014 to 2019.{{cite news|title =阪神Ｄ２・横田"糸井級"証明！木製バットで１３０メートル弾|url =http://www.sanspo.com/baseball/news/20131026/tig13102605030009-n3.html|publisher =Sankei Sports|date =2013-10-26|accessdate =2013-11-01|url-status =dead|archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20131030033320/http://www.sanspo.com/baseball/news/20131026/tig13102605030009-n3.html|archivedate =2013-10-30}}
Early baseball career
Born in Hioki, Kagoshima, Shintaro was the son of Masashi Yokota, a former outfielder for the Lotte Orions (now Chiba Lotte Marines).{{cite news|title =阪神２位横田は父子でプロ野球選手に|url =http://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/professional/draft/2013/news/f-bb-tp0-20131024-1208664.html|newspaper =Nikkan Sports|date =2013-10-24|accessdate =2013-11-02|archive-date =2013-11-03|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20131103130046/http://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/professional/draft/2013/news/f-bb-tp0-20131024-1208664.html|url-status =live}} His family migrated to Kagoshima when he was 3,{{cite news|title = 【阪神】和田監督、ドラ２横田に掛布塾入門指令！|url = http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/baseball/npb/news/20131026-OHT1T00168.htm|newspaper = Sports Hochi|date = 2013-10-27|accessdate = 2013-11-02|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20131103080702/http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/baseball/npb/news/20131026-OHT1T00168.htm|archivedate = 2013-11-03}} and he started playing softball in third grade all the way to junior high.{{cite news|title = 阪神ドラ２横田 大先輩・杉内と対決熱望|url = http://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/professional/draft/2013/news/p-bb-tp0-20131030-1211295.html|newspaper = Nikkan Sports|date = 2013-10-30|accessdate = 2013-11-02|archive-date = 2013-11-03|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131103125912/http://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/professional/draft/2013/news/p-bb-tp0-20131030-1211295.html|url-status = live}}
Yokota entered Kagoshima Jitsugyō High School, and batted fourth in his first year. From his third year onwards, he doubled as a pitcher and, with a fastball that surpassed 140 km/h, became the school's ace. Unfortunately, his team always got eliminated during the prefectural tournament. He recorded a total of 29 home runs during his high school career.
Professional career
Yokota was the 2nd pick of the Hanshin Tigers in the 2013 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. He inherited Shinjiro Hiyama's former jersey number, 24. He spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons with Hanshin's Western League affiliate.{{cite web |title=Shintaro Yokota Japanese Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=yokota000shi |website=Baseball Reference |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |access-date=18 July 2023 |archive-date=31 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131184359/https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=yokota000shi |url-status=live }} Yokota made his debut with the Tigers on Opening Day of the 2016 season in centerfield.{{cite news |title=Yokota Retires at Age 24 |url=https://www.thehanshintigers.com/2019/09/23/yokota-retires-at-age-24/ |access-date=18 July 2023 |agency=Hanshin Tigers English News |publisher=Hanshin Tigers |date=23 September 2019 |archive-date=19 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719061018/https://www.thehanshintigers.com/2019/09/23/yokota-retires-at-age-24/ |url-status=live }} He would play 38 games in the Central League in 2016, again spending the bulk of the season in the Western League. After a lost 2017 season due to treatment for a brain tumor, Yokota returned to Hanshin on a development player contract for the 2018 season. However, Yokota continued to be plagued by after-effects from his cancer treatment, forcing him to retire at the end of the season.
Playing style
Yokota's physical prowess was highly praised, and even likened to that of Yoshio Itoi's, earning him the moniker "Itoi junior".{{Cite web|url=http://www.daily.co.jp/opinion-d/2014/10/24/1p_0007443618.shtml|title=昨年の阪神２位・横田の開花に期待|publisher=Daily Sports|accessdate=2014-10-24|archive-date=2014-10-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024122359/http://daily.co.jp/opinion-d/2014/10/24/1p_0007443618.shtml|url-status=live}} He employed solid batting techniques, was also known to have a good sense for the ball.{{cite news|title =ホーム>野球>ドラフト会議2013>阪神タイガース|url =http://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/professional/draft/2013/team/tigers.html|newspaper =Nikkan Sports|accessdate =2013-11-02|archive-date =2013-11-03|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20131103125742/http://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/professional/draft/2013/team/tigers.html|url-status =live}}「週間ベースボール」(Weekly Baseball) November 11, 2013 edition He possessed arm strength worthy of a pitcher, and his speed (6.1 seconds for a 50-meter dash) was also one of his better selling points.
Illness and death
In February 2017, Yokota experienced headaches; he was later diagnosed with a brain tumor. He underwent treatment over the following six months. On September 3, 2017, he announced that he was in remission.{{cite news |title=Yokota Had Brain Tumor; In Remission |url=https://www.thehanshintigers.com/2017/09/04/yokota-had-brain-tumor-in-remission/ |access-date=18 July 2023 |agency=Hanshin Tigers English News |publisher=Hanshin Tigers |date=4 September 2017 |archive-date=11 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111212338/http://www.thehanshintigers.com/2017/09/04/yokota-had-brain-tumor-in-remission/ |url-status=live }} Yokota made an attempt at returning to baseball after treatment, but due to dealing with the after-effects of his treatment, including blurred and double vision, his comeback attempt was short-lived. Yokota later cited fellow teammate Fumihito Haraguchi, who also dealt with cancer, as an inspiration for his recovery.
Yokota died of brain cancer on July 18, 2023, at age 28.{{cite news|url=https://news.livedoor.com/topics/detail/24634271/|title=横田慎太郎さんが死去、28歳 阪神で14年から6年間プレーし19年に現役引退|date=18 July 2023|publisher=Livedoor News|language=Japanese|access-date=18 July 2023|archive-date=19 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719061018/https://news.livedoor.com/topics/detail/24634271/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |title=元阪神・横田慎太郎さん死去、28歳 昨年3月に脳腫瘍が再々発 家族に見守られて旅立つ - スポニチ Sponichi Annex 野球 |url=https://www.sponichi.co.jp/baseball/news/2023/07/18/kiji/20230718s00001173528000c.html |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=スポニチ Sponichi Annex |language=ja |archive-date=2023-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718193906/https://www.sponichi.co.jp/baseball/news/2023/07/18/kiji/20230718s00001173528000c.html |url-status=live }}
After the Tigers won the 2023 Central League pennant and the 2023 Japan Series, the team celebrated by throwing closer Suguru Iwazaki in the air, with Iwazaki holding Yokota's #24 jersey. Iwazaki and Yokota joined the Tigers at the same time: the Tigers drafted Iwazaki sixth in 2013.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Baseballstats|brm=yokota000shi}}
- [http://bis.npb.or.jp/eng/players/31635139.html NPB stats]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yokota, Shintaro}}
Category:Baseball people from Kagoshima Prefecture
Category:Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders
Category:People from Hioki, Kagoshima
Category:Japanese baseball players