Hiroki Kokubo
Encyclopedia
Hiroki Kokubo is a professional baseball player from Wakayama, Japan
. He currently plays for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks
in the Japanese Pacific League
.
Kokubo was one of Japan's leading power hitters during the 1990s and early 2000s. He hit over 40 home runs in 2001 and 2004, but has only led the league in the category once (1995), with only 28 home runs. He also led the league in RBIs in 1997.
He was suddenly given away to the Yomiuri Giants
in 2003, despite being the team's cleanup hitter. Kokubo was seemingly given away for free, since the Giants did not give a player to the Hawks in exchange. The motives behind this transaction remain a mystery.
He played with the Yomiuri Giants for three years before signing with his former team (now the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks) during the 2006 off-season as a free agent.
He won a bronze medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics
before entering the Japanese professional leagues.
In 2011, as team captain, he helped lead the Hawks to victory in the Japan Series
, winning MVP status.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He currently plays for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
The are a Japanese baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The team was bought on January 28, 2005 by the SoftBank Corporation.The team was formerly known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. In 1988, Daiei bought the team from Osaka's Nankai Electric Railway Co., and its headquarters were...
in the Japanese Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
.
Kokubo was one of Japan's leading power hitters during the 1990s and early 2000s. He hit over 40 home runs in 2001 and 2004, but has only led the league in the category once (1995), with only 28 home runs. He also led the league in RBIs in 1997.
He was suddenly given away to the Yomiuri Giants
Yomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
in 2003, despite being the team's cleanup hitter. Kokubo was seemingly given away for free, since the Giants did not give a player to the Hawks in exchange. The motives behind this transaction remain a mystery.
He played with the Yomiuri Giants for three years before signing with his former team (now the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks) during the 2006 off-season as a free agent.
He won a bronze medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
before entering the Japanese professional leagues.
In 2011, as team captain, he helped lead the Hawks to victory in the Japan Series
Japan Series
, or is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a seven-game series between the winning clubs of the league's two circuits, the Central League and the Pacific League....
, winning MVP status.