Popular infielder Munenori Kawasaki announced that he will leave the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and appears to be ready to retire from baseball. The 36-year old returned to the Hawks, the team with which he made his name throughout the 2000s, last year following a five-year stay in the major leagues that saw him play with the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, and Chicago Cubs. Kawasaki has the rare honor of featuring on World Baseball Classic, Japan Series, and World Series-winning rosters. His career in Japan has seen him rack up 1,376 hits and 373 RBIs at an average of .292. Health reasons were cited as the reason for leaving the team. Fukuoka Now interviewed Kawasaki midway through last season; it may well have been one of his last interviews in uniform speaking English and goofing around. Enjoy!
Munenori Kawasaki – June 2017 in Fukuoka
Munenori Kawasaki interview with Nick Szasz / Fukuoka Now
