Ryozo Kato

Ryozo Kato (加藤 良三)

• School Tokyo University, Yale University

• Born September 13, 1941 in Yuri, Akita Japan

Biographical Information

Ryozo Kato became the Commissioner of Nippon Professional Baseball in 2008.

Prior to joining NPB, Kato served as a Japanese diplomat. He was Japanese Ambassador to the United States from 2001 to 2008.

He became the center of a major controversy in 2013 when partway through the season, it was revealed that a new, livelier baseball had been introduced without consulting or even notifying the players union. The number of home runs hit was up sharply as a result, while Kato claimed that he had not been aware of the change, a statement that did little to increase players' confidence in his leadership ability. The players union called for his resignation as a result of the ensuing public relations disaster.