Kenshin Kawakami
- Chunichi Dragons (1998-2008)
- Atlanta Braves (2009-2010)
- Chunichi Dragons (since 2012)
Kenshin Kawakami (Japanese川 上 宪 伸, Kenshin Kawakami, born June 22, 1975 in Tokushima, Tokushima Prefecture) is a Japanese baseball player. The throwing with the right pitcher for the Atlanta Braves in the North American Major League Baseball was eleven years earlier at the Chunichi Dragons from Nagoya in Japan under contract and won the 2004 Sawamura Award for the best pitcher in the league.
Career
With the Tokushima Kōgyō High School succeeded Kawakami in its third year, to penetrate the Summer Koshien to the semifinals in 1993. After finishing school, he played as a student of Meiji University in the League of Six Universities of Tokyo. In 1997 he was drafted in the first round of the Chunichi Dragons of the Central League.
In his first pro season 1998 Kawakami had 26 missions, scoring 16 wins. For this performance he was as shinjin'ō - the Japanese Rookie of the Year - the Central League Award. Together with Masa Yamamoto, he was one of the best starters of the Dragons and with the exception of the years 2000 and 2003, when he was in poor health, he threw to 2008 every year in at least 20 games for Chunichi. On 1 August 2002 he threw against the Yomiuri Giants at the Tokyo Dome a no-hitter. 2004 and 2006, as the Dragons each also reached the first place in the table of the Central League, he led the league with 17 wins. 2004 Kawakami was honored for his performance this season with the Sawamura - Eiji - shō and as MVP of the Central League. In the Nihon Series 2007, his third appearance as the opening pitcher for the final series ended ( after 2004 and 2006), although with a defeat; but thanks to the team's performance in the following games, he could celebrate the first and only league title with the Dragons.
In the National Kawakami took part in Beijing at the 2008 Olympic Games.
In January 2009, Kawakami signed a three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves. His major league debut was on April 11, 2009 in a game against the Washington Nationals with a win. Overall, however, he threw moderately and was 7-12 with an ERA of 3.86 in 2009, the only regular starter the Braves with a losing record. In 2010, he threw 1-10, 5:15 weak, was temporarily shifted to the Gwinnett Braves in the minor league and had after the All -Star Game just three appearances in the first team.