Yoshio Hamada

Yoshio Hamada (浜田 義雄)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 6", Weight 132 lb.

• High School Ebara High School

• Born November 15, 1926 in Shinagawa, Tokyo Japan
• Died March 27, 2012 in Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Second Baseman Yoshio Hamada played in Nippon Pro Baseball for 11 years.

Hamada was signed by the Tokyu Flyers when they were founded in 1948, and he only played 29 games with a .164/.211/.209 batting line in his rookie year. He was named their starting second baseman in 1949, and he had a .285/.334/.366 batting line. Hamada crushed a career-high 8 homers while hitting .283/.348/.406 in 1950, then he recorded a .254/.312/.338 batting line in 1951. He stole 21 bases in 1951, and he ranked 8th in the Pacific League (between Kaoru Betto and Kazuo Horii). He was also selected into the 1951 NPB All-Star Game, and he was 0-for-1.

Hamada then slumped to .220/.302/.268 in 1952, and his batting line was .249/.338/.301 in 1953. The Tokyo native was still a solid baseman in 1954, hitting 263/.356/.315 with a career-high 28 steals. He then hit .237/.288/.293 in 1955, but he struggled in 1956 as his batting line falling to .219/.271/.274. Hamada played 80 games with a .222/.289/.249 batting line in 1957, then he announced his retirement in 1958. He then coached the Flyers from 1959 to 1969.

Overall, Hamada hit .245/.313/.310 with 892 hits, 142 steals and 20 homers in 11 seasons in the NPB.

Sources

• NPB site
• Wiki Japan
• 1951 NPB All Star Game