After eleven seasons Wladimir Balentien is leaving NPB and Japan. The Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League announced that they had signed him last week. Balentien led the Central League in home runs his first three years in Japan, culminating in his record setting 60 home run season in 2013. He also led the CL in RBIs in 2018. He won the CL MVP award in 2013, won Best 9 awards in 2012 and 2013 and made the All Star team six times (2011-14, 2016 & 2018). After spending his first nine years in Japan with the Swallows he signed with the Hawks as a free agent and spent the past two years mostly on the Hawks' farm team in Chikugo. It was a little surprising that he didn't sign with another Japanese team after he and Hawks parted ways as he's been in Japan long enough that he no longer counts as a foreign player.
Here's a 2014 Calbee card (#C-1 from the Series One set) celebrating his 60th home run of the 2013 season - this was on October 4th, about two and a half weeks after he hit home run number 56 to pass Sadaharu Oh as the single season leader:
No comments:
Post a Comment