Former famous assistant left fielder who played for Lotte and Orix…Former famous assistant left fielder “allegedly gunned down his in-laws” and instant water heater’s horrifying true face. | FRIDAY DIGITAL

Former famous assistant left fielder who played for Lotte and Orix…Former famous assistant left fielder “allegedly gunned down his in-laws” and instant water heater’s horrifying true face.

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Serafini in a big fight with Daiei’s Zuleta (above) in September ’04 (PHOTO: Kyodo News)

A large man, nearly 190 centimeters tall, with the hood of his jacket pulled deeply over his head, enters the house. On his back is a large bag. The owner of the house was found dead a few hours later.

On October 21 (Japan time), professional baseball fans were shocked by the news. NBC News and other media outlets reported that Dan Serafini, 49, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and homicide. Serafini is a former famous left fielder who played for the Lotte and Orix teams from 2004 to 2007.

According to the report, the suspect Serafini was arrested by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office in California. The incident occurred about two years ago, in June ’21. He allegedly killed Robert Spohr, then 70, a resident of the state, with a gunshot. Upon hearing the gunshots, a concerned citizen called the sheriff, who responded to the scene and found Spohr and his wife, Wendy Wood (68), lying on the ground. Mr. Spore was already dead and Mrs. Wood died about a year later.

After more than a year of investigation, investigators concluded that Serafini and his accomplice murdered Spohr and his wife. Mr. Spohr is the father of the ex-wife and Serafini’s father-in-law,” said a U.S. correspondent for a national newspaper.

Serafini graduated from the prestigious Stanford University in the United States and played for several major baseball teams, including the Twins. He joined Lotte in January 2004.

He never had good control, but his rough, nearly 150-km fastball from his left arm was intimidating to hitters. He was initially used as a reliever, and in his second year with Lotte, he became a fixture in the starting rotation, posting an 11-4 record.

He was also the winning pitcher in the Japan Series that year, but he left the team because he could not agree on the terms of his contract. The following year, he moved to the Orix, but due to shoulder and finger injuries, he was unable to produce the results that were expected of him.

In September 2007, he returned to the majors with the Rockies, but the situation remained difficult after that. In November of the same year, he was suspended for 50 games for violating the major league drug policy, and he was dismissed at the end of that year. He returned to Italy and other countries, but was never again in the limelight as a baseball player.

He was known as an “instantaneous water heater” because of his quick temper. He is famous for the huge brawl he played in a game against Daiei in September 2004 with Zuleta, a giant of a man, 197 centimeters tall and weighing 113 kilograms. Zuleta became furious when Serafini threw a pitch near his head. Zuleta rushed to the mound, and Serafini responded, causing chaos. Both were injured and sent home.

The detailed cause and background of the killing incident are not known. It is likely that some kind of trouble occurred, and the bloodthirsty Serafini could not take it anymore. The former famous baseball player has tarnished his own career with the “murder of his parents-in-law.

  • PHOTO Kyodo News

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