Overview
- He died of heart failure at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 2 at a hospital in Hiroshima Prefecture, according to multiple reports.
- A Hiroshima native who joined Nankai in 1955 from Otake High School, he later managed the club and coached Daiei, the franchise that became today’s SoftBank Hawks.
- He led the Pacific League in stolen bases for five straight seasons from 1961 to 1965 and won the batting title in 1964 at .366.
- He set a streak of 31 consecutive successful steals in 1964, and his 596 career steals rank second all-time in Japanese pro baseball.
- Nicknamed “Choro” for his speed and daring, he played both infield and outfield and even pitched once in 1970, and a private family funeral has already been held.