Koshi Yamamoto

Koshi Yamamoto (山本 公士)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 5", Weight 187 lbs.

• High School Kumamoto Technical High School

• Born August 6, 1942 in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Japan
• Died August 18, 2023 in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Koshi Yamamoto played in the Nippon Pro Baseball for 7 years and once led the league in steals. His brother was NPB catcher Tetsuya Yamamoto

Yamamoto was signed by the Hankyu Braves in 1964, and he was named the main pinch-runner as a rookie. He hit .306/.333/.347 in 49 at-bats in his rookie year, but slumped to .154/.179/.185 in 94 games in 1965. The 1966 season was his only productive year. Yamamoto hit .257/.307/.336 with 32 swipes, and he broke the NPB record for fewest plate appearances for a steal leader with 158 (broken by Koshiro Wada in 2021. When prospect Tokuji Nagaike shined in 1966, Yamamoto lost his spot and he only hit .143/.217/.143. The Kumamoto native only got 59 more at-bats in the next three years, then announced his retirement after the 1970 season.

Overall, Yamamoto had hit .212/.266/.262 with 103 steals and 69 hits in 7 seasons in NPB.

Related Sites

• NPB site
• Wiki Japan