Toad the Dead Sprocket

Hideki Irabu, long plagued by hanging pitches in the major leagues, made himself a hanging pitcher, committing suicide at the age of 42. A star of the Japanese Pacific League, Irabu demanded the chance to come to the United States, and his team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, eventually complied and sold the negotiating rights to the San Diego Padres. Irabu refused to sign with the Padres, eventually forcing a trade to the New York Yankees, where he made his debut to a capacity crowd with 35 million more watching in Japan. He won that game, which would be the highlight of his season, and probably his career. Built for comfort, not for pitching, Irabu, pronounced I-rob-you, was a profound disappointment, with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner calling a “fat, pussy toad.” Finishing his career with a record of 34 -35, Irabu was less the Japanese Nolan Ryan, as he had been dubbed, and more the Japanese Ryan Drese.