// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Kazuhiro Kuroda? A ku-roda to success?
| Kazuhiro Kuroda | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Center fielder | |
| Born: September 13, 1924 Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan | |
| Died: August 17, 2007 (aged 82) | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Kazuhiro Kuroda (黒田 一博, September 13, 1924 – August 17, 2007) was a Japanese professional baseball centerfielder in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Career
[edit]Kuroda attended Sasebo Shogyo High School.
Kuroda was a center fielder for eight years in NPB. He debuted with the 1949 Nankai Hawks, hitting .324/.360/.408 in 51 games, mostly as a bench player. In 1950, Kuroda hit .257/.282/.405 in his first year as a regular, then he batted .259/.279/.382 the next season. In 1952, Kazuhiro had a .241/.263/.324 year and he finished his Nankai run at .246/.287/.322 in 1953. Kuroda was taken in the expansion draft by the new Takahashi Unions and hit .246/.290/.334 their first year. In 1955, he slipped to .237/.269/.307, then he finished his career by going just 7 for 62 for the 1956 Daiei Stars. Overall, his batting line read .246/.279/.340.
Retirement
[edit]After retiring, he opened a sports store and was active in Little League. He died of lung cancer at age 82.
Personal life
[edit]Kuroda's wife, Yasuko,[1] competed in the 1964 Olympics in the shot put. His son, Hiroki, pitched in NPB and Major League Baseball.[2]
References
[edit]- ↑ Hernandez, Dylan. "THE RISING SON," Los Angeles Times (OCT. 18, 2009).
- ↑ LaRue, Larry. "M’s deal Broussard, keep Ramirez," The News Tribune (December 12, 2007).
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)