[REVISION HISTORY]

Yuki Karikawa retirement from Chiba Lotte Marines

10 recorded revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-04 00:11 UTC → 2026-10-09 05:18 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Yuki Karikawa, a pitcher for the Chiba Lotte Marines, has announced his retirement from professional baseball following a 19-year career. A first-round draft pick in 2007, Karikawa recorded 82 wins, 78 losses, and 64 holds with a 3.71 ERA. During his retirement announcement, Karikawa reflected on his time in the league, noting that he viewed his peers more as “comrades than rivals.” Teammates have shared extensive reflections on Karikawa’s influence. Kazuya Kojima described him as a supportive, “brother-like figure,” while Rikuto Yokoyama noted his emphasis on etiquette. Younger players highlighted his discipline and hospitality, such as hosting annual barbecues. On October 2 and 3, the Chiba Lotte Marines held retirement ceremonies at ZOZO Marine Stadium. ~~While previous reports noted a game on~~ On October 2, ~~subsequent details clarify that~~ outfielder Katsuya Tsunenaka played his final ~~game on October 2,~~ game, honored by the APA Hotel & Resort Tokyo Bay Makuhari with an illumination of his jersey number, ‘3’. On October 3, Karikawa concluded his career with a final start against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He recorded a strikeout using his signature cutter against Tomoya Masaki before teammate Masuda took the mound to complete a planned relief relay. In a dramatic finish, the Marines secured a 2-1 walk-off ~~victory. After Ueda hit a tying home run in the 8th inning,~~ victory after Yamaguchi hit a ~~walk-off~~ home run in the bottom of the 9th against SoftBank’s Matsumoto Yu, ending SoftBank’s seven-game winning streak. To commemorate Karikawa’s retirement, the club launched a second wave of memorial merchandise. The collection includes 42 items, such as T-shirts and tote bags featuring photos from his retirement game, alongside limited-edition memorabilia like signed photo panels and authentic uniforms.

Versions

Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.