Hiroshi Kito

Hiroshi Kito (鬼頭 洋)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 10", Weight 171 lbs.

• School Nagoya University of Commerce & Business
• High School Nagoya University of Commerce & Business High School

• Born April 18, 1943 in Ise, Mie, Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Hiroshi Kito pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball for 8 years.

Kito was signed by the Taiyo Whales in 1965, and he was 1-4 with a 3.56 ERA in his rookie year. He mainly stayed in the NPB Farm Leagues in the next two seasons, and he only had 13 appearances combined with the big club. He also pitched for the AIL Giants in 1969, and he allowed 8 runs in 9 innings. Kito entered the rotation in 1970, and he was 13-12 with a 2.40 ERA. He completed a no-hitter against the Yakult Atoms on June 9. He ranked 6th in the Central League in wins (tied with Yataro Oishi, Shizuo Shiraishi, Yoshiro Sotokoba, Tomoo Wako and Ritsuo Yamashita), 8th in strikeouts (151, between Sotokoba and Senichi Hoshino) and 8th in ERA (between Oishi and Hidetake Watanabe). He was also selected as part of the CL team for the 1970 NPB All-Star Game, but he allowed 3 homers - to Hiroyuki Yamazaki, Michiyo Arito and Atsushi Nagaike - in Game 1. The Ise native was 7-12 with a 2.43 ERA in 1971, and he had a 3-8 record with a 3.41 ERA in 1972. The Whales then traded him with Taiichi Yasuda to the Lotte Orions for Masaaki Koyama. Kito was 4-2 with a 3.42 ERA for the Orions in 1973, then he was sent back to the Whales. He only pitched 14 games for the Whales in 1972, then he announced his retirement.

Overall, Kito was 29-41 with a 2.88 ERA, struck out 458 and pitched 628 innings in 8 years in NPB.

Sources

• Wiki Japan
• NPB.com Bio
• 1970 NPB All-Star Game