Masayoshi Kanai

Masayoshi Kanai (金井 正幸)
known as Jeong-haeng Kim in Korea

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 178 lb.

• High School Kumamoto Technical High School

• Born May 25, 1962 in Tamana, Kumamoto Japan

BR register page 1 BR register page 2

Biographical Information

Masayoshi Kanai played in Nippon Pro Baseball for 9 years and Korea Baseball Organization for 4 years.

Kanai signed with the Chunichi Dragons in 1973, and he allowed 4 runs in 3 1/3 innings in 1974. He had a 4.97 ERA in 8 games in 1975, but his ERA rose to 10.07 in 13 appearances in 1976. Kanai allowed 13 runs in 7 innings in 1978, and he pitched 39 games with a 5.22 ERA in 1980 after spending a season in the NPB Farm Leagues. He only had 5 appearances combined in the next two seasons, and he was traded to the Lotte Orions for Shoji Yasuki. Kanai notched 4 saves with a solid 1.99 ERA in 13 games in 1982, but his ERA rose to 5.19 in 13 games in 1983. He pitched one game in 1984, and the Orions released him.

The Kumamoto native then joined the Lotte Giants of the KBO. He was 7-5 with a 2.83 ERA in 1985, and he was 6th in ERA (between Il-eon Choi and Dong-soo Park. He completed a no-hitter against the Binggrae Eagles on June 5, 1986, and that was the first no-hitter by a foreigner in KBO history. (Kanai is a Korean-Japanese, so he was not considered a foreign player). He went 7-7 with a 2.90 ERA in 1987, and he was 6-5 with a 3.62 ERA in 1988. Kanai went 8-4 with a 3.64 ERA in 1989, then he announced his retirement.

Overall, Kanai was 28-21 with a 3.19 ERA, struck out 181 and pitched 429 1/3 innings in 4 seasons in the KBO. He was 1-6 with a 6.04 ERA and 6 saves in his career in NPB.

Source

• Namu Wiki
• Wiki Japan