Career
A right-handed pitcher, in 2008 he was voted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. Horiuchi played for the Yomiuri Giants his whole career, from 1966–1983. He was an integral part of the team"s ten Japan Series championships during that period (including nine in a row).
He led the league in winning percentage and also in most bases on balls allowed.
He led the league in winning percentage again in 1967, going 12-2 to post an amazing two-year stretch of 28-4. The next three seasons were all successful. but he again led the league in walks all three years.
(Horiuchi also gave up 31 home runs in 1968 to lead the league)
1972 was Horiuchi"s finest season, as he went 26-9 with a 2.91 European Research Area and 26 complete games, again winning the Eiji Sawamura Award (this despite the fact he led the league in hits and home runs allowed). In 1974 Horiuchi led the Central League in complete games with 21.
Horiuchi finished his career with 203 wins, earning him a spot in Meikyukai.
He managed the Yomiuri Giants in 2004–2005 (the team went 133-144 under his leadership). He has also acted as a television analyst for Giants broadcasts. Horiuchi stood as a candidate of the House of Councillors election, 2010 for the Liberal Democratic Party but lost.