Hideki Irabu

Hideki Irabu (伊良部 秀輝, Irabu Hideki, May 5, 1969 – July 27, 2011) was a Japanese professional baseball player of American and Japanese mixed ancestry. He played professionally in both Japan and the United States. Irabu left Japan for the San Diego Padres under a controversial deal that would lead to future changes. In 1997, he joined the New York Yankees to much fanfare; however, he was ultimately unsuccessful in the MLB.

Irabu died by suicide in 2011.