Yoshinori Kido

Yoshinori Kido (木戸 美摸)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 154 lb.

• High School Hyogo Prefecture Agricultural High School

• Born September 18, 1936 in Kakogawa, Hyogo Japan

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Yoshinori Kido spent six years with the Yomiuri Giants.

Kido was 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA and .217 opponent average in 1956, walking only 11 in 73 1/3 innings. Early in the year, he was hospitalized when a Hiroshima Carp fan hit him in the leg with a glass bottle. He went 17-7 with a 2.36 ERA, .213 average and 1.01 WHIP in 1957. He was 6th in the Central League in ERA during his career season. He had a 0-1, 4.50 record in the 1957 Japan Series, dropping game five in relief, as the Giants fell to the Nishitetsu Lions in five.

Kido fell fast, to 1-3, 5.51 in 1958. He had a 5-4, 3.92 record in 1959. He allowed no runs in 1 1/3 innings in the 1959 Japan Series, which the Giants lost to the Nankai Hawks. He gave up 12 runs in 18 innings in 1960 and a .380 average and 6.61 ERA in 1961.

Overall, Yoshinori was 26-15 with a 3.29 ERA in 131 games for the Giants. A good batter for a pitcher, he hit .252/.264/.323.

Sources: Japan Baseball Daily, Wally Yonamine: The Man Who Changed Japanese Baseball by Robert Fitts