Michihiro Ogasawara

Michihiro Ogasawara of the Dragons announced his retirement on September 17.  He played his last game on the 21st and the team held a retirement ceremony for him after the game.  He was one of the biggest stars in NPB during the 00's and is a member of the Meikyukai.

Ogasawara was drafted by the Fighers in the third round of the fall 1996 draft.  His rookie card (from the 1997 BBM set) says that he was an infielder but he actually spent most of the 1997 season as a catcher, at least at ichi-gun.

1997 BBM #454

2007 BBM Draft Story #098

He spent his first 10 seasons in NPB with the Fighers, moving north with the team to Hokkaido in 2004.

2001 BBM #430

2004 BBM 1st Version #140 (Facsimile Autograph Parallel)

2006 Calbee #034

He became a free agent following the 2006 season and signed with Giants - apparently he decided to return to the Tokyo Dome after three years in Sapporo.  He spent the next seven seasons with Yomiuri.

2008 Calbee Star Card #S-01

2009 BBM 2nd Version #653

2010 BBM Giants "Giants Pride" #G123

2010 Giants Winning Game Card #32

The Giants let him go following the 2013 season and he signed with the Dragons.  He was primarily a pinch hitter during his two seasons with Chunichi.

2015 BBM Classic #059

Ogasawara lead the Pacific League in batting twice (2002-03), hits twice (2000-01), OBP once (2003), home runs once (2006) and RBIs once (2006).  He won back-to-back MVP awards in 2006 and 2007 BUT he switched teams between the two years.  He is only the second player (other than Yutaka Entasu) to win the MVP award in each league and the only one to do it in consecutive years.

2007 BBM 1st Version #445

2008 BBM 1st Version #433

He made the Best 9 team seven times - five times in the PL (1999, 2001, 2003-04, 2006) and twice in the CL (2007, 2009).  He won a Golden Glove Award six times (1999-2003, 2006) - all in the PL.

2005 BBM 1st Version #BN5

2000 BBM #G3

He was named to the All Star team 11 times - eight times in the PL (1999-2006) and three in the CL (2007, 2009-10).

1999 BBM All Stars #A61

2009 BBM All Stars #A54

He played in four Nippon Series total - winning in 2006 with the Fighters and 2009 and 2012 with the Giants and losing with the Giants in 2008.  (I don't think he appeared in the 2013 Series that the Giants lost to the Eagles).

2006 BBM Nippon Series #S14

2009 BBM Nippon Series #S17

He got his 2000th career hit on May 5, 2011.

2011 BBM 2nd Version #703

He also played on the Japan National Team four times - for the 2003 Asian Games, the 2004 Olympics and the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic.

2009 Konami WBC Heroes #W09R105