He won 20 or more games four times in his career, including notching 26 victories in 1976.

Yamada twice won the Pacific League earned run average championship, with marks of 2.37 in 1971 and 2.28 in 1977.

As coach of the Chunichi Dragons in 1999, he led the team to the Central League pennant.

[1] In 2009, Yamada served as a coach for the Japanese team in the World Baseball Classic.

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