Akira Nakamura Doubles in Farewell as SoftBank Hawks Beat Orix 12-5
Akira Nakamura doubled in his farewell game as SoftBank beat Orix 12-5 on September 27. He finished his 19-year NPB career with 1,522 hits.
World Baseball News Editorial Team , 1 min read 
Akira Nakamura made his farewell count on Sunday, September 27, driving a double to right-center in his first at-bat as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks beat the Orix Buffaloes 12-5 at Mizuho PayPay Dome. It was the 1,522nd hit of his 19-year NPB career, and the Hawks sent him into retirement with a 21-hit victory.
Batting sixth and starting at first base, Nakamura connected in the first inning and smiled at second as the home crowd celebrated. He finished 1-for-5 in his farewell game. SoftBank scored three runs in the opening inning and pulled away with four more in the seventh.
A farewell framed by old teammates
Nakamura’s last plate appearance came against Orix reliever Sho Iwasaki, a former Hawks teammate and fellow member of the club’s 2007 draft class. Nakamura popped up in foul territory to the catcher in the seventh, then greeted Iwasaki on the field. After the game, SoftBank held a retirement ceremony for its longtime No. 7.
The lineup supplied plenty of offense around him. Kensuke Kondo hit his 30th home run of the season, a two-run shot in the first, and went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Kenta Imamiya had four hits and three RBIs, including a three-run homer in the seventh. The official NPB box score listed an attendance of 39,894.
One club, 19 seasons
Nakamura spent his entire professional career with the Hawks. He won the Pacific League hits title with 176 in 2014 and earned four consecutive Gold Glove awards, milestones that made his farewell more than a ceremonial appearance. His double on Sunday offered one last example of the contact hitting that defined his years in Fukuoka.
