Katsumi Watanabe

Katsumi Watanabe (渡部 勝美)

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 6' 0", Weight 174 lb.

• High School Hokkaido Sunagawa High School

• Born May 16, 1962 in Hokkaido Prefecture Japan

Olympics-Reference page

Biographical Information

Katsumi Watanabe was an Olympic Bronze Medalist. His son Ryuichi Watanabe pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Katsumi got a tough assignment, starting against Gold Medal-bound Cuba during a period where they not only won every tournament but every game for years. He went five innings and allowed eight hits (two homers) and four runs while fanning five before Yasuhiro Sato closed it out; Watanabe took the loss. Against Team USA, he allowed 3 hits and 3 walks in 3 innings, fanning two, but only one run (on a Jeffrey Hammonds homer); Sato relieved with a 1-0 deficit but Japan rallied to win. Only Sato had a higher ERA than Watanabe but the two had pitched against two of the stronger offenses. He later managed in the industrial leagues. He also represented Japan in the 1991 Asian Championship.

Sources

• Old IBAF site
• Japanese Wikipedia