Kazuhito Tadano

Kazuhito Tadano
多田野　数人
Ishikawa Million Stars
Starting pitcher
Born: (1980-04-25) April 25, 1980
Tokyo, Japan
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Professional debut
MLB: April 27, 2004, for the Cleveland Indians
NPB: May 2, 2008, for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
MLB statistics
(through 2005 season)
Win–loss record 1–1
Earned run average 4.47
Strikeouts 40
NPB statistics
(through 2011 season)
Win-Loss 12-13
Earned run average 4.86
Strikeouts 132
Teams
Last update: December 19, 2013

Kazuhito Tadano (多田野 数人 Tadano Kazuhito, born April 25, 1980 in Tokyo, Japan) is a right-handed pitcher and coach for the Ishikawa Million Stars in Japan's Baseball Challenge League. He had previously pitched in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians.

Biography

Tadano in 2006

Tadano was the ace pitcher for Yachiyo Shoin High School, and led the school to the summer Koshien tournament for the first time. He was a highly regarded pitcher coming out of Rikkyo University and was expected to be a high draft pick in the Nippon Professional Baseball draft in 2002. However, no Japanese team drafted him due to a gay porn video scandal; he ultimately left Japan.[1]

The Cleveland Indians signed Tadano as a free agent in 2003, and he rose through the Cleveland farm system, making his debut in 2004. He made 14 appearances and four starts with a 4.65 ERA in 50⅓ innings. In January 2004, it was widely reported in America that Tadano was featured in a gay porn video"A Midsummer Night's Lewd Dream" three years previous, with Tadano appearing at a press conference organized by the team.[2] Tadano said "I was young, playing baseball, and going to college and my teammates and I needed money" and "It's a fault only once and I will never make the same fault. I'm not gay."[1]

He was sidelined due to an injury early in the 2005 season, but recovered and was shuttled between Cleveland and the Buffalo Bisons for the rest of the year.

On April 4, 2006, Tadano was traded to the Oakland Athletics for outfielder Ramon Alvarado.

In 2007, Tadano was sent down to Oakland's Double-A team, Midland, after being invited to spring training. He was eventually promoted back up to Triple-A and started off well, looking sharp with a plus splitter. Curiously, he ran into trouble in June. His ERA ballooned as he gave up 29 runs over 5 games. He was moved to the bullpen in July after Oakland demoted Colby Lewis and Shane Komine.

In 2008, he was the first-pick by the Nippon Ham Fighters in the university/company player draft in 2007, he would become the last player in the Matsuzaka Generation to start his NPB career. He missed the start of the 2008 season with an injury.

In 2012, he played in his first Nippon Series against the Yomiuri Giants. However, he was thrown out of the game because he was judged to have thrown a bean ball at Ken Kato, the Giants' catcher. He is the first pitcher to be thrown out of the game for a dangerous pitch in Nippon Series, though his pitch did not hit Kato.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Minor leaguer: It was a 'one-time incident'". ESPN. 2004-01-28. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  2. ↑ Baseball Player's Gay Porn Past, CBSnews.com, January 28, 2004. Accessed July 9, 2007.
  3. ↑ "Giants crush Fighters, take 3-2 lead in Japan Series". Japan Times. Retrieved 2013-03-29.
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