Career
In 1968, he recorded 401 strikeouts, which is still the world record. Enatsu was a bit player in the Black Mist Scandal which embroiled Japanese baseball from 1969–1971. In November 1970 he received a stern warning from the Central League president due to "involvement with persons in baseball gambling."
He recorded 9 consecutive strikeouts in one of the 1971 All-Star games, and 15 consecutive strikeouts in three of the All-Star games between 1970 and 1971.
His consecutive strikeouts were broken up by Katsuya Nomura.
The two records are still unbroken. A starting pitcher for the first part of his career, in 1977 he became a relief specialist, altogether accumulating 193 saves.
In 1985, he attempted to play in Major League Baseball, but generated little interest because at 36 years old, he was near the end of his career. Enatsu is a major shadow-figure in Yoko Ogawa"s novel The Housekeeper and the Professor (Hakase no ai shita sūshiki, 博士の愛した数式, 2003).
