Koichi Murata

Koichi Murata (村田 康一)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 8", Weight 170 lb.

• High School Kokura Nishi High School

• Born November 27, 1936 in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Koichi Murata signed with the Kintetsu Pearls in 1955, but he only got 16 at-bats combined in his first three seasons. He was 13-for-76 in 1959, and he played 46 games with a .181/.233/.277 batting line in 1960. Murata succeeded Mitsuo Takeshita and became Kintetsu's starting catcher in 1961, and he hit .199/.248/.294 in 110 games. However, his spot was taken by Takeo Yoshizawa in 1962, and he went 3-for-28 that season. Murata only got 3 at-bats in 1963, and he announced his retirement in 1964. He later became an umpire for the Pacific League from 1967 to 1996, and he worked 2,654 games in his career. He also worked 5 All-Star Games (1975, 1979, 1984, 1987, 1996) and 5 Nippon Series (1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988).

Overall, Murata hit .178/.230/.259 with 78 hits and 7 homers in 8 seasons in NPB.

Sources

• Wiki Japan