Kazuhiro Takeoka

Kazuhiro Takeoka (竹岡 和宏)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 190 lb.

• School Kinki University
• High School Moriyama High School

• Born January 25, 1975 in Ritto, Shiga Japan

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Kazuhiro Takeoka pitched in the US, Japan and Taiwan.

Takeoka played for IBM in the Japanese industrial leagues. The Atlanta Braves signed him. In 2001, he was 5-3 with 3 saves and a 2.68 ERA in 45 games for the Greenville Drive. He was 8th in the Braves chain in games pitched (between Dave Stevens and Matt Gawer) and was third with 10 hit batsmen (trailing Marc Valdes and Ben Kozlowski). He split 2002 between Greenville (1-3, 4 Sv, 5.82 in 21 G, 19 BB in 34 IP) and the Richmond Braves (1-0, 2.32 in 23 G). He was 9th in the Braves chain in pitching appearances, between Alec Zumwalt and Blaine Boyer. Control was an issue as he walked 31 in 65 innings. In 2003, he again was with Greenville (2-1, Sv, 6.00 in 20 G) and RIchmond (2.31 ERA in 9 G) and also pitched two games for the independent St. Paul Saints (7.56 ERA). He finished his US career 9-7 with 8 saves and a 3.87 ERA in 120 games; he allowed 194 hits and 71 walks in 186 IP while striking out 110.

Kazuhiro was picked by the Daiei Hawks in the 8th round of the 2003 NPB draft, although he was already 28 years old; the previous round, Daiei took another relatively old pitcher (Koji Mise, 27). He was 2-0 with a 6.11 ERA in 13 games in 2004, walking 18 in 28 IP. He had a 1-2, 2.31 record in 16 outings in 2005. The Hawks became the Softbank Hawks in 2006 and the veteran did well (1-0, 1.88 in 22 G, only 6 BB in 28 2/3 IP). Among Hawks hurlers with 15+ IP, only Takahiro Mahara and Kazumi Saitoh had better ERAs. In 2007, Takeoka gave up 7 hits and 3 runs (2 earned) in 12 IP. He was 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 19 games in 2008 to end his NPB career at 4-3, 3.03 in 77 games. In 116 IP, he allowed 110 hits and 47 walks and only struck out 52.

He signed with Taiwan's La New Bears for 2009 but only pitched one game in the minors (1-0, 2.57) and was let go. He later coached in Japan.

His fastball peaked around 93 mph.

Sources include Taiwan Baseball Wiki