It’s fun to think of Tokyo Yakult Swallows pitcher Masanori Ishikawa as kind of an ageless wonder. He’s pitched in NPB for over two decades — longer than some players have been alive — and at 46, the left-hander is the oldest player in the league. The problems with that line of thinking, though, are games such as the one on Thursday night at Jingu Stadium, when Ishikawa was charged with six runs while recording just a single out against the Yomiuri Giants in the top of the first. His fastball topped out at just 132 kph (82 mph), though he may have been hindered by a shoulder issue. You have to go back to 2001 to find the last NPB season in which Ishikawa did not play.
With Thursday’s brief appearance, he has started at least one game in 25 consecutive seasons.
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