Norikazu Mizutani

Norikazu Mizutani (水谷 則一)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 4", Weight 150 lb.

• School Keio University
• High School Aichi Commercial High School

• Born September 1, 1910 in Nagoya, Aichi Japan
• Died August 29, 1984

BR register page

Biographical Information

Norikazu Mizutani played in Nippon Pro Baseball for 6 years.

Mizutani signed with the Dai Tokyo club in 1936, and he was the starting right fielder in the first Japan Professional Baseball League game. He was the first left-handed natter in NPB history. Mizutani went 15-for-59 in the spring season, and he had a .260/.377/.354 batting line in the fall season. He collected 19 steals with a .264/.391/.313 batting line in 1937 spring season, and he was 3rd in steals in the Japan Professional Baseball League (10 behind Masanobu Yamaguchi). Mizutani's batting line was .261/.425/.352 with 11 steals in the fall season, and he ranked 9th in steals (tied with Tamio Nakamura).

The Nagoya native slumped to .209/.331/.278 in the 1938 spring season, and he hit .246/.382/.268 in the fall season. He collected 7 triples with a .270/.388/.362 batting line in 1939, and he was 9th in triples (tied with Shoji Kato) and 8th in hits (between Jimmy Horio and Matsuichi Kunihisa). Mizutani was 5-for-30 in 1940, and he left the team. He played for the Utaka Red Sox of the Kyomin Baseball League in 1947, and he was the bench coach for the Shochiku Robins from 1950 to 1951. He also coached the Taiyo-Shochiku Robins in 1954.

Overall, Mizutani hit .254/.384/.326 with 297 hits and 5 homers in 9 seasons in NPB.

Sources

• Wiki Japan