Kazuhiro Kuroda
From BR Bullpen
Kazuhiro Kuroda
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 9", Weight 160 lb.
- High School Sasebo Shogyo High School
- Born September 13, 1924 in Sasebo, Nagasaki Japan
- Died August 17, 2007
The husband of one Olympian athlete and the father of another (pitcher Hiroki Kuroda), Kazuhiro Kuroda was a center fielder for eight years in Nippon Pro Baseball. He debuted with the 1949 Nankai Hawks, hitting .324/.360/.408 in 51 games, mostly as a bench player. In '50, Kuroda hit .257/.282/.405 in his first year as a regular, then he batted .259/.279/.382 the next season. In 1952, Kazuhiro had a .241/.263/.324 year and he finished his Nankai run at .246/.287/.322 in '53. Kuroda was taken in the expansion draft by the new Takahashi Unions and hit .246/.290/.334 their first year. In 1955, he slipped to .237/.269/.307, then he finished his career by going just 7 for 62 for the '56 Daiei Stars. Overall, his batting line read .246/.279/.340. After retiring, he opened a sports store and was active in Little League. He died of lung cancer at age 82.
