Akinori Iwamura
A slick-fielding infielder whose pivotal plays at second base helped propel the small-market Tampa Bay Rays to an unlikely World Series.
Born 1979 (age 47)·Japanese baseball player & manager·Birthday: February 9·Generation X
Biography
Akinori Iwamura switched to second base in 2008, a position he had never played professionally, and helped lead the Tampa Bay Rays to the American League pennant. He arrived from Japan with a reputation as a power-hitting third baseman and defensive star. The Rays asked him to change positions. He adapted seamlessly. With shortstop Jason Bartlett, he formed a double-play combination that solidified the middle infield for a young pitching staff. His clutch hitting and professionalism were integral as the Rays shed their losing history. Born in 1979, Iwamura played only a brief MLB tenure. But his role in that magical 2008 season made him a beloved figure in Tampa Bay. He was a key import who helped change a franchise's destiny.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Akinori was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Akinori Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Akinori's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was the starting second baseman for the American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays in the 2008 World Series.
- Won a Gold Glove award as the best defensive third baseman in Japan's Pacific League in 2004 and 2005.
- Led Japan's Pacific League in home runs (44) in 2004 while playing for the Yakult Swallows.
- Recorded the final out of the 2008 ALCS, a groundball he fielded to send the Rays to the World Series.
Did You Know?
His nickname, both in Japan and MLB, was "Aki."
He hit a home run in his very first MLB at-bat in 2007, off the Yankees' Carl Pavano.
Before the 2008 season, he participated in a rigorous training camp with samurai swordsmen to improve his focus and discipline.
After his MLB career, he returned to Japan and became a manager in the independent Baseball Challenge League.
“The team needed a second baseman, so I became one.”
