HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 31 (ACN) Cuban Alfredo Despaigne will debut today in the Japanese Professional Baseball League of (NPB) with his new team, Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, on the first day of the Pacific Circuit.
Debutante in the NPB in 2014, the outstanding athlete will face the Chiba Lotte Marines today, with which he played his three previous seasons in that Asian nation, as cleanup hitter, DH and main offensive figure of the squad.
This will be his fourth season in the NPB, and in his first three he played in 282 games, with BA of .277, thanks to 280 hits in 1,010 ABs, with 156 runs scored and 187 RBIs, 54 homers, 58 doubles and a triple.
Last year Despaigne had his best season there, as despite losing several matches due to injury, he scored more than 80 runs, drove in more than 90 runs and hit 26 home runs, his personal best in one season in Japan, including two in the postseason.
His offensive average was of .280, result of 139 hits in 496 at bats, and he had an acceptable OBP of .361, with 27 doubles and 64 walks.
During his first season in the NPB, he batted for .311, with 12 home runs and 33 RBIs, but only played in 45 games.
A year later he played in 103 games, with a low average of .258 and 18 home runs.
Before signing a contract in Japan, he participated in 11 Cuban National Series, as a member of the Granma Alazanes, and hit 232 homers with 780 RBIs, according to statistics from the official website of the Cuban Baseball Federation.
The 36 homeruns he hit in 2012 is the current record for a Cuban season.
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