Hideki Irabu’s tenure as a Yankee was generally regarded as a big disappointment, and frankly, many fans and people around the organization would likely use harsher terminology. As always is the case, hindsight is clearer than real-time evaluations, which often lead to trees blocking the view of the forest. To that end, it’s worth taking two decades of hindsight to reevaluate Irabu’s career with the Yankees and perhaps finish with a different perspective.
Irabu’s contract was purchased in January of 1997 by San Diego from the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League in Japan. He had been electric for the Marines, leading the Pacific League in strikeouts in the previous two seasons with a combined 406 in 360.