was a Japanese professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

player for the

Hawks Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfamily a ...

franchise (known during his career as the Nankai Hawks and the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks) and the

Orix Braves The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team formed as a result of the 2004 Nippon Professional Baseball realignment by the merger of the Orix BlueWave of Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes of Osaka, Osaka Prefect ...

. Reputed for his slugging ability, he ate a lot and became a strong hitter, though was later weakened by

diabetes mellitus Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

. With 567 home runs, Kadota is number three on the NPB career list. Kadota won the

Nippon Professional Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award The Nippon Professional Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award is given to one player in each league of Central League and Pacific League. NPB Comeback Player of the Year Award See also * Nippon Professional Baseball#Awards * Baseball awards ...

in 1980 with 41 home runs and 84 RBI. He hit 44 home runs at the age of 40 in 1988, also knocking in 125 runs and winning the Pacific League Most Valuable Player Award. That year he was also given the

Matsutaro Shoriki Award Matsutaro Shoriki Award is named in honor of Matsutarō Shōriki, the owner of the Yomiuri Shimbun, whose achievements earned him the label of the real parent of present day Japanese professional baseball. The prize was founded in 1977. It is pre ...

, for contribution to the development of professional baseball. After playing for the

for two seasons, he returned to the Hawks in 1991; he retired after his last game against pitcher

Hideo Nomo is a Japanese former baseball pitcher who played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). He achieved early success in his native country, where he played with the Kintetsu Buffaloes from to . He then exploited a l ...

in 1992. Kadota was inducted into the

Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame The is a museum which includes a library, reference rooms and . It first opened in 1959 next door to Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. In 1988, the museum moved to a new site within the Tokyo Dome. The Hall of Fame and Museum was created as a ...

in 2006.

External links

Hiromitsu Kadota (Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame)
* 1948 births category:Baseball people from Yamaguchi Prefecture Fukuoka Daiei Hawks players Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Japanese baseball players Living people Nankai Hawks players Nippon Professional Baseball designated hitters Nippon Professional Baseball MVP Award winners Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders Orix Braves players {{japan-baseball-bio-stub