Tomio Kinoshita

Tomio Kinoshita (木下 富雄)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.

• School Komazawa University
• High School Kasukabe High School

• Born May 7, 1951 in Kita Katsushika-gun, Saitama Japan

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Tomio Kinoshita played in Nippon Pro Baseball for 14 years.

Kinoshita was drafted by the Hiroshima Carp in the first round of the 1973 NPB draft, and he hit .164/.216/.230 in 89 games in 1974. He only got 12 at-bats in 1975, then he went 4-for-32 in 1976. Kinoshita recorded a .242/.278/.379 batting line in 106 games in 1977, then he batted .283/.333/.379 as Hiroshima's starting second baseman in 1978. He collected 25 steals with a .248/.318/.369 batting line in 1979, and he ranked 2nd in steals in the Central League (30 behind Yoshihiko Takahashi). He appeared in 4 of 7 games in the 1979 Nippon Series as a defensive replacement (he only got one at-bat plus one walk), and the Carp beat the Kintetsu Buffaloes in 7 games.

The Saitama native slumped to .219/.270/.318 with 10 steals in 1980, and he shined in the 1980 Nippon Series this time. Kinoshita only got one at-bat in the first four games, and he went 3-for-4 in Game 5. He collected 3 hits again the next contest to help the Carp beat the Buffaloes in 6 games, and he was named the outstanding player of the series (a step behind MVP Jim Lyttle). Kinoshita hit .237/.299/.316 with 6 homers in 1981, and he crushed a career-high 10 homers with a .268/.318/.424 batting line in 1982. He then recorded a .229/.293/.293 batting line in 1983, and he blasted 5 homers with a .269/.313/.403 batting line in 1984. He went 6-for-21 in the 1984 Nippon Series, and the Carp beat the Hankyu Braves in 7 games.

Kinoshita extended his solid performance as a utility man in 1985 as he batted .261/.353/.394 with 7 homers, then he struggled in 1986 and his batting line fell to .208/.255/.243. When Kozo Shoda shined in 1987, Kinoshita lost his spot and he only went 2-for-15. He announced his retirement after that season, and he was the fielding coach for the Carp from 1988 to 1993. He became their bench coach in 2000, and he managed their minor league team from 2001 to 2005.

Overall, Kinoshita hit .240/.299/.343 with 583 hits and 48 homers in 14 seasons in NPB. He stole 106 bases in 148 tries. He played every position except catcher and pitcher.

Sources

• Wiki Japan