Hidenori Kuramoto

2.1. Childhood and Education

Hidenori Kuramoto was born on May 9, 1976, in Hashima City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. His two older brothers also played baseball at Gifu Prefectural Gifu Commercial High School, where Hidenori himself later attended. He was known among professional scouts as "the third son of the Kuramoto brothers." His elder brother, Masayoshi Kuramoto, went on to play for the Ikko Baseball Club in social baseball as a long-time ace pitcher. His second elder brother, Takamitsu Kuramoto, continued playing baseball at Hosei University Baseball Club before transitioning to a career as a model. Hidenori himself began playing baseball under his father's influence, but he reportedly disliked the strict coaching and wished to quit. He had planned to retire from baseball after high school, assuming his strong team would reach the Koshien tournament, providing a clear exit. However, Gifu Commercial lost in the third round of the prefectural preliminaries, leaving him without a reason to quit, and he continued his baseball career. He graduated from Meijo University's Faculty of Commerce, Department of Economics in 1998.

2.2. Amateur Baseball Career

During his time at Gifu Prefectural Gifu Commercial High School, Kuramoto transitioned from a reserve pitcher to a regular center fielder. Following high school, he enrolled at Meijo University Baseball Club, where he excelled as the team's number three hitter and center fielder, also occasionally serving as a pitcher. In 1998, he was recognized for his outstanding outfield play, earning the Best Nine Outfielder award in both the spring and autumn seasons of the Aichi University Baseball League. Over his university career, he participated in 93 games, accumulating 88 hits in 310 at-bats, for a batting average of .284, along with 2 home runs and 36 runs batted in (RBIs). Despite receiving an unofficial offer to join Toyota Motor Corporation, Kuramoto was selected by the Chunichi Dragons in the fourth round of the 1998 NPB draft, officially beginning his professional career.

3.1. Debut and Early Seasons

After joining the Chunichi Dragons in 1999, Kuramoto did not make any first-team appearances in his initial two seasons (1999 and 2000). From the outset of his career, he was highly regarded for his exceptional speed and strong throwing arm. During the tenure of manager Hisashi Yamada (2002-2003), there were discussions about a potential dual role for Kuramoto as both a pitcher and an outfielder. He made his first appearance on the first-team roster in 2001 and steadily increased his opportunities for play from 2002 onwards.

3.2. Peak Performance and Golden Glove Award

In 2004, Kuramoto officially changed his registered player name from his given name, Hidenori Kuramoto, to simply Hidenori. Under the new manager, Hiromitsu Ochiai, who promoted a unique "Ore-ryu baseball" philosophy emphasizing players with a single, exceptional skill, Kuramoto became a quintessential example. He excelled from the start of the season as a first-team pinch-runner and defensive replacement. On June 27, during a game against the Hanshin Tigers, Kuramoto made a pivotal play: what appeared to be a sacrifice fly by Ikuro Katsuragi was met with Kuramoto's precise throw from the outfield, cutting down the runner at third base, Shinjiro Hiyama, and contributing significantly to the team's victory. This defensive highlight earned him a rare on-stage interview after the game and brought him widespread recognition. He later revealed that he had not been in full physical condition at the time, with a shoulder concern, which paradoxically led him to throw with extra caution, resulting in a perfectly executed throw.

As the season progressed, Kuramoto's playing time increased, often in a platoon with Kazuki Inoue. His role became even more prominent when key outfielder Kosuke Fukudome was absent, first for the 2004 Athens Olympics in August, and then due to a fractured bone from a hit-by-pitch in September. During this period, Kuramoto solidified his position as the regular right fielder, culminating in him winning the prestigious Golden Glove Award that year. Reflecting on this achievement, Hidenori stated, "The Golden Glove Award is like Mito Komon's seal to me, a treasure." He proudly recalled playing alongside Alex Ochoa in center field and Fukudome in left field, forming a formidable and highly praised defensive outfield trio. He mentioned that watching Ochoa, a Major League Baseball player with a strong arm, throw was "a pleasure to behold."

3.3. Later Years and Retirement

In 2005, Kuramoto's performance was impacted by a shoulder injury sustained while base running, leading to a significant batting slump with an average below .100. His role as a pinch-runner also became inconsistent due to Michihisa Sawai's de-registration later in the season. However, on August 5, in a game against the Yokohama BayStars, with his team trailing by one run in the final inning, Kuramoto, as the runner on third with one out and the bases loaded, daringly broke for home on a shallow fly ball hit by Kazuyoshi Tatsunami. He executed a precise head-first slide, eluding catcher Ryoji Aikawa's tag, to tie the game, which then set up a game-winning grand slam by Fukudome. Kuramoto later explained his strategic thinking for the play: "I ran slightly inside the line to obscure the catcher's view and create fear, aiming to make the catcher block towards third base. Then, I made a slightly wider turn and slid head-first to avoid the tag, increasing the probability of being safe." Manager Ochiai praised his professionalism, stating, "Hidenori is a pro."

In 2006, Kuramoto participated in 124 games. On May 10, in an extended 11th-inning game against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, he scored easily from second base on a wild pitch by Hideki Okajima, demonstrating his keen base-running instincts. In 2007, despite the arrival of Byung-Kyu Lee initially limiting his starts to pinch-hitting, pinch-running, and defensive replacement roles, his strong hitting performance later in the season, combined with Lee's struggles and Fukudome's injury, led to an increase in his starting opportunities. However, on September 26, he suffered a hamstring injury in a game against the Yomiuri Giants, ending his season prematurely. Manager Ochiai acknowledged the severity of the loss, stating that Kuramoto's absence was "the most painful." That offseason, his uniform number was changed from 57 to 24. Ochiai explained that the number 57 was associated with injuries for Kuramoto (and other players like Toshikatsu Hikono), and the change was intended to give him a fresh start.

In 2008, Kuramoto continued primarily in pinch-running and defensive roles, though he saw more starting opportunities during the interleague play due to injuries to regulars Masahiko Morino and Lee. However, after their return, his playing time decreased, and he even spent some time in the minor league, finishing the season with 77 games played. In 2009, with the rise of younger outfielders like Yoshifumi Fujii and rookie Kei Nomoto, Kuramoto started the season in the minor league. He was called up to the first team on April 21 and made his first start as the sixth batter and right fielder in a game against the Hanshin Tigers.

In 2010, despite a batting average of .220, Kuramoto's contract was renewed with a 3.00 M JPY raise, as the team recognized his unrecorded contributions in base running and defense. However, he was reportedly surprised and questioned the reason for the raise, stating, "What's the reason for the raise?" He then vowed to stand on the hero's interview stage the following season. In 2011, his playing time further decreased due to the emergence of young outfielders, limiting him mostly to defensive replacement and pinch-running roles, resulting in few at-bats and a batting average of .100. Yet, on August 6, during a game against the Yokohama BayStars at Nagoya Dome, he successfully executed a game-winning squeeze play, which allowed him to stand on the hero's stage, fulfilling his vow from the previous offseason.

In 2012, with continued limited playing opportunities, Kuramoto announced his retirement from professional baseball at the end of the season. His final regular-season game was on October 5 at Nagoya Dome against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, where he made three outs in his appearances. Following the game, during the retirement ceremony, he demonstrated his powerful arm by throwing the ball approximately 361 ft ^{(110 m)} from home plate, hitting the right field pole. In an encore requested by the crowd, he threw a second ball directly into the right field stands. His final professional appearance came in the sixth game of the Climax Series Final Stage in the ninth inning, where he entered as a pinch-runner and scored the team's last run of the 2012 season.

4.1. Coaching Career

In 2013, Hidenori Kuramoto officially began his coaching career with the Chunichi Dragons, taking on the role of outfield defense and base-running coach for the minor league (farm) team. He continued to use "Hidenori" as his registered name even as a coach. In 2016, he was promoted to the first-team as the outfield defense and base-running coach, also serving as the third base coach during offensive plays. During this period, he also gained international experience by coaching the NPB Western All-Stars as an outfield defense and base-running coach in the Asia Winter Baseball League in Taiwan, participating in both the 2016 and 2017 editions. In 2017, he returned to his previous role as the minor league outfield defense and base-running coach. By 2020, he was again assigned to the first-team as the outfield defense and base-running coach. In the autumn camp of 2021, his role was re-assigned to development coach for position players. It was announced on October 13, 2022, that Kuramoto would be departing from the Chunichi Dragons organization at the end of that season.

4.2. Other Activities

Beyond his coaching responsibilities, Hidenori Kuramoto has pursued other professional ventures. On December 21, 2013, he launched his own fashion brand named "eichi," engaging in fashion design exclusively during the baseball off-season. Following his departure from the Chunichi Dragons in 2022, Kuramoto transitioned into a career as a baseball commentator starting in 2023. He made his debut as a commentator for J SPORTS (for broadcasts produced by CBC Television) during a Chunichi Dragons versus Hanshin Tigers game on May 17, 2023. He also occasionally appears as a guest baseball commentator on CBC Television and CBC Radio. On July 25, 2024, Kuramoto participated in the Chunichi Dragons OB game, "DRAGONS CLASSIC LEGEND GAME 2024," where his strong performance on both offense and defense earned him the inaugural Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the event.

7.1. Awards and Honors

• Golden Glove Award: 1 time (2004)
• JA Zennoh Go-Go Award: 4 times (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008)

7.2. Professional Career Statistics

• Bolded years indicate Golden Glove Award wins.

; First Records

• First appearance: September 13, 2001, against Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Nagoya Dome), as a pinch-runner for Kazuki Inoue in the 7th inning.
• First start: September 20, 2001, against Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Hiroshima Municipal Stadium), starting as the 7th batter and center fielder.
• First hit: September 24, 2001, against Hanshin Tigers (Hanshin Koshien Stadium), a single to center field off Greg Hansell in the 2nd inning.
• First RBI: September 29, 2001, against Hanshin Tigers (Nagoya Dome), a double to right field off Masashi Date in the 7th inning.
• First home run: October 5, 2001, against Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Hiroshima Municipal Stadium), a 2-run home run to left-center field off Hiroki Kuroda in the 9th inning.
• First stolen base: June 27, 2002, against Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Nagoya Dome), stealing second base in the 8th inning (pitcher: Shigeo Tamaki, catcher: Shuji Nishiyama).

7.3. Uniform Numbers and Registered Names

• 57 (1999-2007, as player)
• 24 (2008-2012, as player)
• 97 (2013, as coach)
• 89 (2014-2022, as coach)

; Registered Names

• 蔵本 英智_{Kuramoto Hidenori}^Japanese (1999-2003)
• 英智_Hidenori^Japanese (2004-present)

7.4. Representative Career

Hidenori Kuramoto has represented Japan not as a player but as a coach in international competitions.

• 2016 Asia Winter Baseball League: Outfield Defense and Base-running Coach for NPB Western All-Stars.
• 2017 Asia Winter Baseball League: Outfield Defense and Base-running Coach for NPB Western All-Stars.