Haruo Kato

Haruo Kato (加藤 春雄)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 165 lb.

• School Meiji University
• High School Gifu Commercial & Business High School

• Born March 25, 1917 in Gifu Prefecture Japan
• Died February 17, 1961

BR register page

Biographical Information

Haruo Kato played in Nippon Pro Baseball for 4 years.

Kato signed with the Kintetsu Pearls in 1950, and he crushed 8 homers with a .260/.314/.392 batting line in his first season. He and his brother Masakazu Kato became the first pair of brothers in NPB history to hit a homer in the same game on July 27 against the Tokyu Flyers. Kato's batting line was .216/.278/.307 in 1951, and he hit .232/.257/.316 in 80 games in 1952. He went 3-for-19 in 1953, and he announced his retirement. Kato then became the bench coach for Kintetsu from 1954 to 1957, and he succeeded Takeo Akuta as their manager on June 22, 1957. Kato led the Buffaloes having a 30-46 record that season, but their winning percentage then fell to .238 in 1958. It is the lowest single season winning percentage in Kintetsu's history, and Kato left the team after that season.

Overall, Kato hit .238/.287/.346 with 175 hits and 12 homers in 4 seasons in NPB.

Sources

• Wiki Japan