Earning the 1993 Central League Rookie of the Year Award, Tomohito Ito blew out his arm pitching five complete games his first professional year.

Compiling a 7-2 record, the right-handed starter pitched four shutouts while posting a 0.91 ERA in 109 innings. While only allowing 35 walks, Ito tallied 126 strikeouts. It was a hell of a breakthrough season, but he paid the price, sitting out the next two season with arm trouble.

Ineffective when he returned in 1996, Ito went under the knife that winter and rehabilitated with teammate Kazuhisa Ishii in Cleveland (the Swallows and Indians have a working agreement). That must have done the trick because in 1997 the recovering hurler returned to his earlier form (but as a reliever).

Picking up 26 saves, Ito posted a 7-2 record with a 1.51 ERA and 53 strikeouts while only allowing ten walks in 47.2 innings. It was a great comeback, but even if the 27-year-old fireman can't repeat, the Swallows can probably count on Shingo Takatsu to fill the closing role.

In the Professional Baseball News '98 Year Book, the staff of writers named Ito as having the second-best slider in the Central League (behind teammate Kazuhisa Ishii).