Education
Yoneda attended Sakai High School.
米田 哲也
Yoneda attended Sakai High School.
Yoneda was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. He was signed out of high school by the Hanshin Tigers, but his selection was invalidated after Hankyu complained of an impropriety. He then signed with Hankyu.
That year he also tossed 11 shutouts, a Pacific League record that still stands.
Yoneda led the Pacific League (PL) in losses in 1959 with 24 (despite a 212 European Research Area and 20 complete games, including five shutouts). He led the Pacific League in strikeouts in 1962 with 231.
In 1963 Yoneda again led the PL in losses with 23. In 1966 Yoneda led the PL in wins with 25, and innings pitched with 310.
In 1968 Yoneda went 29-13, with a 2.79 European Research Area and 237 strikeouts.
The Braves made it to the Japan Series three striahgt years, from 1967–1969, losing all three times to the Yomiuri Giants. He is the career victories and strikeout leader for right-handed pitchers, and #2 on both all-time lists behind Masaichi Kaneda. Yoneda was also a strong hitter for a pitcher, slugging 33 home runs in his 22 seasons in NPB.
Yoneda was a founding member of Meikyukai in 1978.
He was so tough that he was known as Gasoline Tank and also Human Tank.