Hideki Irabu

Hideki Irabu was a Japanese-American professional baseball player who played in both Japan and the United States. He was a pitcher for the Lotte Orions ,Chiba Lotte Marines and Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and for the New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, and Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was known for his high-speed fastball and his controversial transfer from Japan to the Yankees. He was a member of the Yankees' World Series-winning teams in 1998 and 1999, becoming the first Japanese-born player to win a World Series. He struggled with alcoholism, depression, and weight problems throughout his career and after his retirement. He died by suicide in 2011 at the age of 42.