Kensuke Tanaka…was a 2nd round draft pick of Hokkaido in 2000 after playing at Higashi Fukuoka High School…is married to Chiho Nishimori.
2013
Was a non-roster invitee in San Francisco's major league training camp…spent most of season at Fresno (AAA), ranking among the Pacific Coast League leaders in batting (3rd, .329), on-base percentage (6th, .400), and stolen bases (T9th, 22)…was also 2nd on the Grizzlies in walks (42), 3rd in runs (54), and 4th in hits (113)…fanned just 36 times in 343 at bats…appeared in 55 games at 2B and 30 in LF…played exclusively at 2B through June 17 before moving to LF for remainder of season…had a .398 (35-88) average in his 1st 23 games through April 29, going 15-for-27 (.556) in the final 7 games of that span…hit safely in 7 straight games on 3 occasions with 4 hits on April 26 vs. Reno…batted .345 vs. RHP and .262 vs. LHP…had a .319 average in 33 games in the leadoff spot…connected for lone homer on Aug. 23 at Las Vegas…was batting .330 in 78 games for Fresno when purchased by San Francisco on July 9…went 1-for-4 in start in LF in major league debut that night vs. NYM, singling off Dillon Gee for 1st hit…hit safely in 1st 4 games at .400 (6-15) but went just 2-for-15 in final 11 games…appeared in 9 games in LF with 7 starts and had 6 chances without an error…hit .364 (4-11) on the road…was 0-for-4 as a pinch-hitter…was 5th native of Japan to play for the Giants…was optioned to Fresno on July 29 and designated for assignment and released on Sept. 3…played for Margarita in Venezuelan Winter League, batting .281 with 4 RBI in 9 games.
2012
Was voted Best Nine in Pacific League at 2B…was sidelined for the season after sustaining a fracture and ruptured ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow in game vs. Seibu in late August...had surgery in early September.
2011
Began season with a streak of 620 consecutive games played…appeared in only 49 games due to season-ending fracture of the talus bone in his left foot…suffered injury on slide into 2B vs. Hiroshima in mid-June.
2010
Was voted Best Nine and won Mitsui Gold Glove at 2B…..had the 2nd highest batting average in the Pacific
League at a career-best .335 and was among the overall NPB leaders in hits (4th, 193), steals (5th, 34), batting average (6th), on-base percentage (6th, .408), and runs (10th, 89).
2009
Was a Mitsui Gold Glove recipient…placed among the NPB leaders in runs (2nd, 93), walks (2nd, 79), steals (T6th, 31), and hits (7th, 163)…batted .360 (9-25) in 6 playoff games.
2008
Won his 1st Mitsui Gold Glove…among all NPB players, ranked 2nd in triples (9) and tied for 4th in runs (89).
2007
Was voted Best Nine in the Pacific League at 2B..led the PL with 58 sacrifice bunts and tied for 2nd in triples (7).
2006
In 1st season as a starter was selected as Best Nine for the 1st time…topped the PL in sacrifice hits (34) and ranks 6th in steals (21)…batted .313 in the postseason, when Hokkaido won its 1st Japan Series Championship since 1961.
