Takao Kajimoto
Encyclopedia
was a left-handed Japanese
baseball pitcher for the Hankyu Braves from 1954 to 1973. He won 254 games and was a 12-time All-Star during his career. In 2007 he was elected to Meikyukai
, one of the two Japanese baseball halls of fame.
with his fastball
, which reached 150 km/h (93 mph). He was so impressive, he was named the Opening Day
starter and won. That year he was 20-12 with a 2.73 ERA as a rookie. Kajimoto led the Pacific League
with 118 walks, but made the All-Star team. Hankyu was only 46-58 when other pitchers got the decision.
In 1956, Kajimoto was 28-17 with a 2.24 ERA. He struck out 327 and walked 118 in 364 innings. He led the league in complete games (20), batters faced (1,478), hits allowed (284), hit batters (12), walks, strikeouts and shutouts (5, tied with Katsumi Nakanishi). He made his second All-Star team and was ninth in the Pacific League in ERA.
1957 presented him with a 24-16, 1.92 year in which he whiffed 301 in 337 IP. An All-Star, he reached 1,000 strikeouts in just his fourth season. On July 23, he became the first pitcher in Japanese professional baseball history to strike out nine consecutive batters. He led in complete games (26) and strikeouts. His seven shutouts tied Shoichi Ono for the most, while he finished fourth in ERA.
On September 14, 1958 he threw a one-hitter against the Toei Flyers. In 1963, Kajimoto fell to 9-17, 4.33, making his 8th All-Star team but posting the worst ERA of his career. That season, the Hankyu offense was so weak (they barely averaged 3 runs a game) that manager Yukio Nishimoto
once batted Kajimoto third. Overall, Kajimoto hit .204 in his career, with 13 homers and two intentional walks.
He rebounded to 9-13, 3.34 in 1964 and became the third NPB pitcher ever to reach 2,000 career strikeouts. In '65, Kajimoto went 5-11, 3.61 and made his ninth All-Star squad. He began 1966 2-0 - and went downhill from there, losing a Nippon Pro Baseball record 15 consecutive decisions to finish the year at 2-15, 3.68. You can't blame a bad team too much as Hankyu was 55-58 when other pitchers got the decision.
In '67, Kajimoto dropped his 16th in a row but went 15-8 afterwards and had a 2.44 ERA in a fine resurgent year. He was an All-Star for the 10th time and reached 200 career victories. At age 32, he was 7th in the league in ERA. Making it to the Japan Series
for the first time, he was toasted, going 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA and losing games three and six when Hankyu split the other four.
Kajimoto had a 12-8, 2.97 year for the 1968 Braves as they won another pennant. He had a 6.35 ERA in the 1968 Japan Series as Hankyu again fell to the Sadaharu Oh
-Shigeo Nagashima
Yomiuri Giants
dynasty, but Kajimoto did win his only decision in that Series. He also was an All-Star pick that year.
The 34-year-old left-hander won his most games since age 25 in 1969 when he had a 18-10, 2.97 record. He led the league with five wild pitches but made his 12th and last All-Star team. He was 0-1 with a 10.12 ERA in the 1969 Japan Series as Hankyu again fell to Yomiuri.
The '71 season had him at 6-8, 3.44. He pitched one scoreless inning in another loss to the Oh-Nagashima attack in the 1971 Japan Series.
By 1972, the veteran was 2-5, 3.65. In a game against Toei, he was called for a ball on the 20 second rule, the only known instance both before and after that anyone has ever been penalized with it.
Through 2005, Kajimoto was 9th all-time in NPB in wins, 3rd in losses, 14th in complete games (202), tied at 14th with Kazuhisa Inao
in shutouts (43), tied for 22nd in walkless complete games (25), third in games pitched (867), 6th in innings (4,208), 6th in strikeouts, 6th in hits allowed (3,849) and 13th in homers allowed (321).
. In 1980, the Braves fell to 5th (58-67-5) and Kajimoto was replaced at the helm by his predecessor, Toshiharu Ueda. Kajimoto became a coach again and worked as such from 1981 to 86.
When the Hankyu team became the Orix BlueWave in 1989, Kajimoto returned and coached for seven more years. At age 60, he could still throw 140 km/h (87 mph).
In 1998, Kajimoto became a coach with the Chunichi Dragons
minor league system for two years. He then worked as a commentator for Daily Sports. He died in 2006 of respiratory arrest. The next year, he was voted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame
.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
baseball pitcher for the Hankyu Braves from 1954 to 1973. He won 254 games and was a 12-time All-Star during his career. In 2007 he was elected to Meikyukai
Meikyukai
is one of the two Japanese baseball halls of fame . The Meikyukai is a company ltd. for public benefit.It was founded on July 24, 1978, to honor players born during the Shōwa period...
, one of the two Japanese baseball halls of fame.
Career
Kajimoto was signed by the Hankyu Braves in 1954 and surprised people in spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
with his fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
, which reached 150 km/h (93 mph). He was so impressive, he was named the Opening Day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
starter and won. That year he was 20-12 with a 2.73 ERA as a rookie. Kajimoto led the 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...
with 118 walks, but made the All-Star team. Hankyu was only 46-58 when other pitchers got the decision.
In 1956, Kajimoto was 28-17 with a 2.24 ERA. He struck out 327 and walked 118 in 364 innings. He led the league in complete games (20), batters faced (1,478), hits allowed (284), hit batters (12), walks, strikeouts and shutouts (5, tied with Katsumi Nakanishi). He made his second All-Star team and was ninth in the Pacific League in ERA.
1957 presented him with a 24-16, 1.92 year in which he whiffed 301 in 337 IP. An All-Star, he reached 1,000 strikeouts in just his fourth season. On July 23, he became the first pitcher in Japanese professional baseball history to strike out nine consecutive batters. He led in complete games (26) and strikeouts. His seven shutouts tied Shoichi Ono for the most, while he finished fourth in ERA.
On September 14, 1958 he threw a one-hitter against the Toei Flyers. In 1963, Kajimoto fell to 9-17, 4.33, making his 8th All-Star team but posting the worst ERA of his career. That season, the Hankyu offense was so weak (they barely averaged 3 runs a game) that manager Yukio Nishimoto
Yukio Nishimoto
was a Japanese baseball player and manager. He played for the Mainichi Orions from 1950 to 1955. As a manager he won eight Pacific League pennants. However his clubs would never go on to win the Japan Series, earning him the nickname "Great Tragic Leader". Nishimoto was inducted into the Japanese...
once batted Kajimoto third. Overall, Kajimoto hit .204 in his career, with 13 homers and two intentional walks.
He rebounded to 9-13, 3.34 in 1964 and became the third NPB pitcher ever to reach 2,000 career strikeouts. In '65, Kajimoto went 5-11, 3.61 and made his ninth All-Star squad. He began 1966 2-0 - and went downhill from there, losing a Nippon Pro Baseball record 15 consecutive decisions to finish the year at 2-15, 3.68. You can't blame a bad team too much as Hankyu was 55-58 when other pitchers got the decision.
In '67, Kajimoto dropped his 16th in a row but went 15-8 afterwards and had a 2.44 ERA in a fine resurgent year. He was an All-Star for the 10th time and reached 200 career victories. At age 32, he was 7th in the league in ERA. Making it to 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....
for the first time, he was toasted, going 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA and losing games three and six when Hankyu split the other four.
Kajimoto had a 12-8, 2.97 year for the 1968 Braves as they won another pennant. He had a 6.35 ERA in the 1968 Japan Series as Hankyu again fell to the Sadaharu Oh
Sadaharu Oh
Sadaharu Oh, or Wang Chenchih , is a retired Japanese-Taiwanese baseball player and manager. He batted and threw left-handed and primarily played first base. Oh, who was born in Sumida, Tokyo the son of a Taiwanese father and a Japanese mother, had originally signed with the powerhouse Yomiuri...
-Shigeo Nagashima
Shigeo Nagashima
is a Japanese former professional baseball player and manager.Nagashima was by far the most popular figure in Japanese baseball during his career. His contributions to the development of the sport in Japan are immeasurable.-Biography:...
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...
dynasty, but Kajimoto did win his only decision in that Series. He also was an All-Star pick that year.
The 34-year-old left-hander won his most games since age 25 in 1969 when he had a 18-10, 2.97 record. He led the league with five wild pitches but made his 12th and last All-Star team. He was 0-1 with a 10.12 ERA in the 1969 Japan Series as Hankyu again fell to Yomiuri.
The '71 season had him at 6-8, 3.44. He pitched one scoreless inning in another loss to the Oh-Nagashima attack in the 1971 Japan Series.
By 1972, the veteran was 2-5, 3.65. In a game against Toei, he was called for a ball on the 20 second rule, the only known instance both before and after that anyone has ever been penalized with it.
Career statistics
He went 3-0, 6.30 the next year to finish his pitching career at 254-255, 2.98 with 2,945 K in 4,208 IP.Through 2005, Kajimoto was 9th all-time in NPB in wins, 3rd in losses, 14th in complete games (202), tied at 14th with Kazuhisa Inao
Kazuhisa Inao
was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher. In 1957, he won 20 consecutive games. In 1958 Japan Series, he pitched six games and won 4 consecutive games after his team lost 3 games. He even made a home run in fifth game of Japan Series. He was the Pacific League's Most Valuable Player in 1957 and...
in shutouts (43), tied for 22nd in walkless complete games (25), third in games pitched (867), 6th in innings (4,208), 6th in strikeouts, 6th in hits allowed (3,849) and 13th in homers allowed (321).
After retirement
He worked as a coach for Hankyu in 1974 and 1978, when he is credited with helping Yutaro Imai develop by having him drink before pitching. (Kajimoto also had been known as a drinker.) He became the Braves manager in '79 and they went 75-44-11, posting the best record. That year, the Pacific League experimented with playoffs and Hankyu lost to the second-half champion Kintetsu BuffaloesKintetsu Buffaloes
The was a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka, Japan, which were in the Pacific League. The team was owned by Kinki Nippon Railway Co. and later sold to the Orix Group, the owner of the Orix BlueWave baseball team, in 2004...
. In 1980, the Braves fell to 5th (58-67-5) and Kajimoto was replaced at the helm by his predecessor, Toshiharu Ueda. Kajimoto became a coach again and worked as such from 1981 to 86.
When the Hankyu team became the Orix BlueWave in 1989, Kajimoto returned and coached for seven more years. At age 60, he could still throw 140 km/h (87 mph).
In 1998, Kajimoto became a coach with the Chunichi Dragons
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chubu region of Japan. The team is in the Central League. They won the 2007 Japan Series and 2007 Asia Series.-History:...
minor league system for two years. He then worked as a commentator for Daily Sports. He died in 2006 of respiratory arrest. The next year, he was voted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame
Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame
The Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum which includes a library, reference rooms and Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame ....
.
External links
- His statistics at Japanbaseballdaily.com
- Obituary