Hiroshi Kobayashi

Hiroshi Kobayashi (小林 宏)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.

• School Hiroshima University of Economics
• High School Sotoku High School

• Born November 30, 1970 in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Japan

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Hiroshi Kobayashi pitched for 12 years in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Kobayashi was the first-round pick of the Orix BlueWave out of college in the 1992 NPB draft, becoming the first player from his alma mater in NPB. He debuted for Orix with 9 outings in 1993, going 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA but 34 hits in 22 2/3 IP. Hiroshi went 3-3 with a 3.69 ERA in 21 games in 1994. He moved to the rotation in 1995 and had a 8-3, 2.68 record with 71 hits in 87 1/3 IP. He was 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in the 1995 Japan Series, with a win in game 3; it was Orix's lone win of the Series. He won the Fighting Spirit Award as the MVP of the losing team.

In 1996, Kobayashi went 8-7 with a 4.08 ERA. He walked five and gave up two runs in two innings in the 1996 Japan Series. Kobayashi moved to relief in 1997 and went 7-3 with 15 saves and a 2.56 ERA, with a WHIP under 1.00. He made the Pacific League All-Star team for the first time.

The right-hander went 10-9 with four saves and a 3.59 ERA in 1998, walking 73 in 133 innings. Had he qualified, he would have been 8th in the PL in ERA. He was Orix's Opening Day starter in 1999 and went 3-2 with a 4.55 ERA in six starts before he had season-ending elbow injury.

Kobayashi tossed an Opening Day shutout in 2000 but struggled from there out, going 5-9 with a 6.75 ERA. He did not pitch in 2001 and only pitched 20 2/3 innings in 15 games in 2002, with a 3-1, 4.35 record.

Hiroshi had a 4-8, 5.54 record in 2003. He went 1-0 with a 11.25 ERA in 17 games in 2004, giving up 44 hits and 12 walks in 24 innings. He finished up in 2005 with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, going 0-1 with 9 hits, 2 home runs and 6 runs in 3 1/3 IP.

Kobayashi finished his NPB career with a 53-47, 4.42 record in 245 games. He saved 19 games and pitched four shutouts.

Source: Japanbaseballdaily.com by Gary Garland