Yasunori Takami

Yasunori Takami (高見 泰範)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 8", Weight 163 lb.

• School Aichi Institute of Technology
• High School Hashima Kita High School

• Born January 6, 1964 in Ginan, Gifu Japan

Olympics-Reference page

Biographical Information

Yasunori Takami caught for the Japanese national team, including in the Olympics.

Takami hit .314 in college. The Hankyu Braves took him in the 5th round of the 1985 NPB draft but he opted to play for Toshiba in the industrial leagues instead of turning pro. He played for Japan in the 1989 Asian Championship, joining future legend Atsuya Furuta and Toshio Suzuki behind the dish. Japan tied Taiwan and South Korea for first that year. He also played on the Japanese team that won Silver at the 1989 Intercontinental Cup.

In the 1990 Baseball World Cup, he started ahead of Masahiko Jozume and hit .269/.321/.577 with 2 homers, 6 runs and 7 RBI in 8 games. He also played for Japan when they finished third in the 1990 Asian Games, before baseball was a medal event in the Games.

Takami started ahead of Takashi Miwa in the 1991 Intercontinental Cup, when Japan again finished second to Cuba. He hit .304/.360/.478 and had no errors in 67 chances, while catching 2 of 8 would-be base-stealers. He went 3 for 5 with a RBI against Omar Ajete and Osvaldo Duvergel from the #8 slot in the Gold Medal Game, forcing Cuba into extra innings as they nearly lost a tournament for the first time since the 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games He was MVP of the 1991 Asian Championship, as Japan won a spot in the 1992 Olympics.

The Gifu native was captain of Japan's team in the Barcelona Olympics, the first to feature baseball as a medal event. He had 3-hit games against Puerto Rico and Team USA. Hitting 8th in the Bronze Medal Game, he again lit up the US, going 2 for 5 with 2 doubles, a run and two RBI in a 8-3 win. For the Olympics, he hit .370/.433/.519 with 5 runs and 5 RBI in 9 games, throwing out 3 of 7 on the bases and fielding .988.

He later coached for Toshiba. In the 2006 Asian Games, he coached for Japan when they won the Silver Medal.