Kiyoshi Doi

Kiyoshi Doi (土井 淳)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 162 lb.

• School Meiji University
• High School Okayama Higashi Shogyo High School

• Born June 10, 1933 in Okayama, Okayama Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Kiyoshi Doi caught for the Taiyo Whales for 13 years, making 7 All-Star teams, and later managed the club for two seasons.

Doi played for the Japanese national team that won the 1955 Asian Championship, the national team's first title. He debuted in 1956 and hit .190/.256/.267 in 85 games yet still made the Central League All-Star team. The next year, he batted .248/.329/.347 and again was an All-Star. He set career highs in runs (34), homers (7) and RBI (38) in 1958 when he hit .242/.319/.339 and was an All-Star.

Making his fourth All-Star team in a row in 1959, Doi again fell under the Mendoza Line at .190/.260/.246. His batting line improved to .212/.298/.271 in 1960, his 5th All-Star season. He made the Best Nine as the top overall catcher in the Central League; Masaaki Mori would begin a run of eight straight Best Nines the next year. He fell to .196/.243/.225 with just 18 runs produced in 115 games in 1961 but was an All-Star for the sixth straight time.

He ended his All-Star run in 1962 with his 7th appearance despite his fourth sub-.200 season at .199/.261/.241. Doi remained a starter in 1963 and had one of his better seasons offensively at .242/.307/.275.

Down to 69 plate appearances in 60 games as Isao Ito became the starter in 1964, Doi hit .200/.258/.333. In a similar role in 1965, he was just 9 for 64 with 2 doubles and 4 walks. He hit .189/.222/.221 in 61 games in 1966 and .248/.301/.333 in 71 games in 1967. He ended up in 1968 by going 5 for 23 with 2 walks and a homer with 8 RBI.

Doi hit .215/.284/.281 overall in 1,138 games in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Kiyoshi coached for the Hanshin Tigers after his playing career ended. He managed Taiyo to a 59-62-9 record in 1980 and 38-71-7 in 1981 (when he was let go with a couple weeks left and the team mired in last).

Source: Japan Baseball Daily by Gary Garland