Hiroyoshi Tsukamoto

Hiroyoshi Tsukamoto (塚本 博睦)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 4", Weight 132 lb.

• School Rikkyo University
• High School Goko High School

• Born October 14, 1918 in Kure, Hiroshima Japan
• Died August 20, 2009

BR register page

Biographical Information

Hiroyoshi Tsukamoto played in Nippon Pro Baseball for 12 years.

Tsukamoto signed with the Osaka Tigers in 1937, and he went 3-for-10 in his first season. He was 4-for-9 in 1938 spring season, and he had a 1-for-6 record in the fall season. Tsukamoto then enlisted into the military and missed the next three seasons. He returned in 1942 with a .214/.323/.278 batting line with 20 steals, and he tied Tsuruo Otsuka and Kazuo Yoshida for 9th in steals in the JPBL. Tsukamoto struggled again in 1943 as he had a .190/.288/.239 batting line in 81 games, and he hit .258/.364/.300 in 1944. He lost his spot in 1946 when Shosei Go joined the team, and he only played 28 games with a .316/.388/.329 batting line.

The Kure native fill the hole when Jun Togashi injured in 1947, and he had a solid .300/.362/.378 batting line with 9 triples. He was 4th in batting (between Tetsuharu Kawakami and Shigeru Chiba) and 3rd in triples (tied with Shosei Go, Takenori Yamakawa, Eikichi Nagamochi and Hirofumi Komae). He then became a free agent due to the 10-year rule, and he Hankyu Braves. Tsukamoto collected 39 steals with a .259/.320/.347 batting line in 1948, and he ranked 2nd in steals (27 behind Toshio Kawanishi). He then jumped to the Tokyu Flyers in 1949, and he hit .276/.339/.412 with 24 steals. He tied Hiroshi Hagiwara and Kozo Kawai for 9th in steals tat season.

When the JPBL split into two leagues in 1950, Tsukamoto went to the Nishi-Nippon Pirates and he hit 259/.334/.345 with 36 steals. He ranked 4th in steals in the Central League, between Toshimichi Kunieda and Kikuji Hirayama. The Pirates then merged with the Nishitetsu Lions, and Tsukamoto slumped to .167/.222/.214 in 1951. The Lions then released him, and he signed with the Hiroshima Carp. Tsukamoto hit .211/.286/.256 in 87 games in 1952, and he announced his retirement. He later managed the minor league team for the Tigers from 1960 to 1961.

Overall, Tsukamoto hit .252/.328/.331 with 712 hits, 170 steals and 17 homers in 12 seasons in NPB.

Sources

• Wiki Japan