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Yoshinori Hirose, Former Nankai Speedster and Manager, Dies at 89

His elite speed defined the Hawks’ golden era, with five straight stolen-base crowns plus a 1964 batting title.

Overview

  • He died of heart failure on Nov. 2 at 4:30 p.m. in a Hiroshima Prefecture hospital, and a private family funeral has been held.
  • The former Nankai Hawks standout, whose franchise is now the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, later managed the club after his playing career.
  • Nicknamed “Choro,” he led the Pacific League in stolen bases for five consecutive seasons beginning in 1961.
  • He set a streak of 31 consecutive successful steals and recorded an approximate 82.29% career success rate on steal attempts.
  • Joining Nankai from Hiroshima’s Otake High School in 1955, he played both infield and outfield and even pitched in one game in 1970.