Kiyoshi Yamanaka

Kiyoshi Yamanaka (山中 潔)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 170 lb.

• High School PL Gakuen High School

• Born October 29, 1961 in Sakai, Osaka Japan

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Biographical Information

Kiyoshi Yamanaka was a backup catcher for 15 seasons and five teams in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Yamanaka was a 4th-round pick of the Hiroshima Carp in the 1979 NPB draft. He was 0 for 1 as a rookie in 1981. Returning in 1983, he was 3 for 15 with a walk. His first hit came April 12 off Fumitaka Ito. In 1984, he was 14 for 80 with 2 doubles and 3 walks as the backup to Mitsuo Tatsukawa. He played two games but did not bat in the 1984 Japan Series, in which the Carp beat the Hankyu Braves. On April 14, 1985, Yamanaka went deep off Rich Gale for his first NPB homer. He hit .276/.338/.398 with 6 homers and 22 RBI in a career-high 202 plate appearances for the year. In 1986, he was just 4 for 31 with a double. He played one game and did not bat as Tatsukawa's sub in the 1986 Japan Series, which Hiroshima dropped to the Seibu Lions. Kiyoshi went 8 for 27 with two doubles and a walk in 1987 and 10 for 38 with two doubles and two walks in 1988.

Moving to the Daiei Hawks, Yamanaka batted .256/.310/.410 in 1989 and .271/.355/.375 with 22 RBI in 144 AB in 1990 (split between Daiei and the Chunichi Dragons. With Chunichi for all of 1991, the veteran was 11 for 67 with a double, homer and 4 walks. His next stop came with the Nippon Ham Fighters. He was 14 for 64 with 4 doubles and 2 walks in 1992, 1 for 18 in 1993 and 6 for 38 with a double, walk and homer in 1994.

The Osaka native ended his playing career with the Chiba Lotte Marines. He hit .183/.216/.225 in 61 games in 1995 and was 0 for 5 in 1996. In 550 NPB games (977 plate appearances), he put up a .224/.277/.305 line with 13 home runs and 74 RBI. He later was a Fighters coach.

Source: Japan Baseball Daily