Faridun Yu Darvishsefat , more commonly known as Yu Darvish, is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Darvish has also played in MLB for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. In international play, Darvish pitched in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2009 World Baseball Classic as a member of the Japan national baseball team.
Darvish with the San Diego Padres in 2022
In a press conference at Sapporo Dome on 24 January 2012, Darvish told more than 10,000 Fighters fans why he decided to make a move to Major League Baseball.
Darvish pitching in the spring training before his debut season with the Texas Rangers.
Darvish with the Dodgers during the 2017 season
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters is a Japanese professional baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō, in the Sapporo metropolitan area. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at ES CON Field Hokkaido. The Fighters also host a select number of regional home games in cities across Hokkaidō, including Hakodate, Asahikawa, Kushiro, and Obihiro. The team's name comes from its parent organization, Nippon Ham, a major Japanese food-processing company.
Tokyo Dome, former ballpark of the Fighters
Sapporo Dome in 2004
Sapporo dome