Hisayoshi Chono
From BR Bullpen
Hisayoshi Chono (長野 久義)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 10", Weight 183 lb.
- School Nihon University
- Born December 6, 1984 in Kiyama, Saga Japan
Hisayoshi Chono is an amateur Japanese outfielder.
After college, Chono began playing for Honda in the industrial leagues. Chono was 3 for 15 with a double and a triple as Japan's left fielder in the 2006 Intercontinental Cup. He hit a 3-run sayonara homer off Seung-hwan Oh in a win over South Korea in the 2006 Asian Games. The Nippon Ham Fighters took him in the 4th round of the 2006 amateur draft but he refused to sign, saying he wanted to play only for the Yomiuri Giants.
In the 2007 Baseball World Cup, Chono batted .457/.486/.657 with 8 runs in 9 games as Japan's main center fielder but was left off the tourney All-Star team as Frederich Cepeda, Trent Oeltjen and Colby Rasmus got the nod.
The Chiba Lotte Marines took Chono in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft after he said he would consider signing with a team other than Yomiuri. Chiba Lotte reportedly offered him a 100 million yen and performance bonuses totaling 50 million yen with a salary of 15 million yen. He turned down the deal, deciding to play another year in the industrial leagues to keep open his chances of being picked by Yomiuri.
