Departures of note

Kojiro Ikegaya was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher who spent his entire Nippon Professional Baseball career with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Born in Shizuoka Prefecture, he played for Shizuoka Shogyo High School and the corporate teams Kanashiki Zosen and Nippon Gakki (later Yamaha), helping the latter win the 1972 Intercity Baseball Tournament championship before being drafted first by Hiroshima that year and joining the team in 1974.

In his second season, 1975, he won 18 games as the Carp captured their first league championship in franchise history. The following year he posted 20 wins, earning the league lead in victories and the Sawamura Award, the top honor for a starting pitcher in Japanese baseball. His distinctive high-windup delivery was nicknamed the seesaw pitching style.

Ikegaya retired after the 1985 season with a career record of 103 wins, 84 losses and 10 saves in 325 appearances, along with a 4.13 earned run average. He died on October 29, 2026, at the age of 74 from multiple myeloma.