Bacque threw a no-hitter in 1965 against the Yomiuri Giants, and won over 10 games for five years in a row from 1964 to 1968.
Notably, the 1979 European Tour band appeared on the same bill as Dizzy Gillespie, and the 1981 Japan Tour band performed in, among other venues, Korakuen Stadium, home of the Tokyo Giants baseball team.
Yomiuri Giants, a professional baseball team based in Tokyo, Japan
New York Giants | San Francisco Giants | They Might Be Giants | Huddersfield Giants | Giants Stadium | Land of the Giants | Yomiuri Giants | Yomiuri Shimbun | Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra | Yomiuri | They Might be Giants | Young Marble Giants | They Might Be Giants (album) | Standing on the shoulders of giants | Rotherham Giants | Riding Giants | New York Giants (MLB) | New York Giants' | Little Giants | Lincoln Giants | Land of Giants | Giants Wrocław | Fall of Giants | Dodgers–Giants rivalry | Belfast Giants | Baltimore Elite Giants | Avenue of the Giants | 1986 New York Giants season | 1982 San Francisco Giants season | Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation |
He called such things Tomasons, (named for Yomiuri Giants outfielder Gary Thomasson) and published photographs of them first within the magazine Shashin Jidai and later within books.
He was drafted in the first round of the 1988 draft by the Yakult Swallows, and his first professional hit was a home run against the Yomiuri Giants, and the pitcher was Bill Gullickson.
Again he won the ERA title, an All-Star selection, and even led the league in wins, but would ultimately lose the coveted Sawamura Award to young Yomiuri Giants ace Masumi Kuwata (15-6, 2.17).
Izawa has chaired organizations including the World Music Festival of Peace, the Yomiuri Giants Fan Appreciation Day, and the Tokyo International Marathon.
He drastically changed his appearance when he joined the Yomiuri Giants, shaving off his long hair and beard to adopt a gentleman-like look (similarly, Michihiro Ogasawara shaved off his trademark beard when he joined the Giants, though this was probably more in imitation of Johnny Damon and the New York Yankees).