Hiroshi Kisanuki

1.1. Early Life and Background

Kisanuki was born in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. During his time at Sennan Junior High School, he was a member of the soft baseball club. His hometown honored his contributions by naming a local training route "Kisanuki Road," a 1.1 mile ^{(1.7 km)} path he frequently used for training during his middle and high school years, symbolizing hopes for his continued success and the emergence of future talents.

1.2. High School and University Career

While attending Kagoshima Prefectural Sendai High School, Kisanuki led his team to victory in the Kagoshima Prefectural High School Spring Baseball Tournament in 1998, defeating Kagoshima Jitsugyo High School, which featured future professional pitcher Toshiya Sugiuchi. However, in the summer's National High School Baseball Championship Kagoshima Tournament final, his team narrowly lost to Kagoshima Jitsugyo 1-3, missing out on a trip to the Koshien Tournament. This particular game highlighted a scheduling issue in the Kagoshima prefectural tournament, where there was no rest day between the quarterfinals and semifinals. Sugiuchi pitched two consecutive days in the semifinals and finals, while Kisanuki pitched three consecutive days from the quarterfinals, leading to fatigue in the final. This incident prompted a review and revision of the tournament schedule.

After high school, Kisanuki enrolled at Asia University. Although he did not record a win in league play during his second year, he pitched a 10-inning shutout victory against prominent draft prospect Michinao Yamamura (Kyushu Kyoritsu University) in the semifinals of the All-Japan University Baseball Championship. He also started the final, pitching three innings and giving up one run, contributing to his team's championship win. Throughout his career in the Tohto University Baseball League, he appeared in 31 games, achieving 12 wins and 8 losses with a 1.80 ERA and 225 strikeouts. In his fourth year, he pitched in every game of the University Championship, including a shutout victory against Nagisa Arakaki (Kyushu Kyoritsu University) in the semifinals and a win against Tsuyoshi Wada (Waseda University) in the final. He also made a relief appearance in the final of the Meiji Jingu Baseball Tournament, securing the championship despite right arm pain. He was recognized with the Triple Crown (Most Valuable Player, Best Pitcher, and Best Nine) for two consecutive seasons and was selected to the Japanese national team for the 1st World University Baseball Championship.

1.3. Professional Draft and Signing

In the 2002 Nippon Professional Baseball draft, Hiroshi Kisanuki was selected by the Yomiuri Giants as a free acquisition pick, marking his entry into professional baseball.

2.1. Yomiuri Giants (2003-2009)

Kisanuki's tenure with the Yomiuri Giants began with a standout rookie season, but was later characterized by challenging periods of injury and performance decline before his eventual trade.

2.2. Orix Buffaloes (2010-2012)

After his trade to Orix, Kisanuki experienced a resurgence, achieving personal bests and demonstrating resilience despite injuries and inconsistent run support.

2.3. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (2013-2015)

Kisanuki's final years in professional baseball were spent with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, where he achieved a unique career milestone before concluding his playing career.

3.1. Pitching Arsenal

Kisanuki's fastball was a key part of his arsenal, reaching a personal best velocity of 94 mph ^{(152 km/h)} in 2003. His primary finishing pitch was the forkball. In 2011, he learned to throw a two-seam fastball, which helped him adapt and improve his pitching.

3.2. Strengths and Weaknesses

While Kisanuki possessed significant potential, praised by pitching coaches like Takao Obana as having "Saito Kazumi-class potential," he sometimes struggled with control, as indicated by his high number of walks, wild pitches, and hit-by-pitches in certain seasons. Despite these challenges, he was known for his resilience and ability to make comebacks, as demonstrated by his successful 2007 and 2010 seasons after periods of struggle. He was also regarded as a diligent and humble player who approached games with a serious and meticulous mindset.

4.1. Personality and Relationships

Kisanuki is described as a meticulous and diligent individual. He was known for keeping a diary, writing with consistent spacing, a habit he developed during rehabilitation at the suggestion of Hiroki Kokubo, then a team leader with the Giants, who advised him to "keep a record of difficult times." He also carried self-signed baseball cards with serial numbers in small bags purchased from a 100-yen shop, which he distributed to fans when he couldn't sign autographs on the go, even purchasing additional cards himself. In 2012 alone, he distributed approximately 4,000 such cards.

He maintained a humble and positive attitude, earning the admiration of fans. He was noted for standing at attention when listening to advice from coaches or during interviews, reflecting his earnest character and intense dedication to practice. He attributed this change from a previously rough personality to his time at Asia University. He admitted to struggling against "persistent batters" like Akahoshi and Hiroyuki Ibata, only to realize they were seniors from his own university. His apology to Tomonori Kanemoto after hitting him with a pitch in 2008 demonstrated his sincerity and sportsmanship.

Kisanuki's relationships with teammates and coaches were also notable. His trade to Orix was seen as a "friendship trade" between managers Akihito Okada and Tatsunori Hara, highlighting the trust between them. He shared a close bond with Shogo Akada, who was traded with him to Nippon-Ham, as they were from the same hometown (Kagoshima) and same school year, having even faced each other in junior high baseball (Akada, then a pitcher, threw a one-hit shutout against Kisanuki). He also had a strong interest in history, often discussing historical figures related to given themes on the "Pro Baseball Hot Blood Information" segment of the TV program "Zoom In!! Saturday." He enjoyed walking around cities with maps and even called into a radio show from an outdoor terrace. He always carried a map of his travel destination for both hobby and practical use during road trips.

4.2. Railfan Hobby and Other Activities

Hiroshi Kisanuki is widely recognized as one of the most prominent railfans in professional baseball. He identifies as a "Noritetsu" (a type of railfan who enjoys riding trains) and sometimes used trains for travel to ballparks. He also enjoyed looking at railway maps. He particularly appreciated the luxurious feel and texture of the seats on Hankyu Railway trains.

Kisanuki was enthusiastic about promoting the Kyushu Shinkansen line, which fully opened in March 2011. He even served as a one-day station master at Sendai Station in his hometown when the line partially opened in 2004. During his time with the Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2013, he participated in an interview segment for Hokkaido Television Broadcasting's "FFFFF" program, which was filmed on a chartered Sapporo Streetcar. In the year-end special of the same program, he filmed a segment on the Esashi Line of JR Hokkaido, which was scheduled for廃止 (abandonment) the following year. He cited the Esashi Line filming as one of his memorable experiences during his active career.

Kisanuki also made guest appearances on "Kameyama Tsutomu no Kame-tomo Sports Man Day," a sports radio program broadcast by MBS in Orix's local area. The program's merchandise, a series of nori (seaweed) products, featured Kisanuki's likeness on its original labels. After his trade to Nippon-Ham and his achievement of winning against all 12 NPB teams in May 2013, the labels were updated to a Nippon-Ham version in June. In May 2014, when the merchandise was renewed, Kisanuki's recommendation for "Akashi Nori Furikake," a product he had personally enjoyed, was adopted as a new item.

5.1. Scouting and Coaching Roles

In 2016, Kisanuki rejoined the Yomiuri Giants as a scout. From 2019 to 2020, he served as the pitching coach for the Giants' farm team. In 2021, he returned to his scouting role, contributing to the team's player acquisition efforts. Notable players he scouted include Daisuke Naoe, Taisei Funabasama, and Shunya Morita.

6.1. Major Awards

• Rookie of the Year (2003)
• Monthly MVP: 1 time (June 2010)

6.2. Career Records and Milestones

Kisanuki achieved several notable records and milestones during his professional career:

• Pitching Records:**
  • First appearance and first start: March 30, 2003, vs. Chunichi Dragons (Tokyo Dome), 2 innings, 5 runs, loss.
  • First strikeout: March 30, 2003, vs. Kosuke Fukudome (Chunichi Dragons), swinging strikeout in the 1st inning.
  • First win and first start win: April 25, 2003, vs. Yokohama BayStars (Yokohama Stadium), 7 innings, 3 runs.
  • First complete game win: May 10, 2003, vs. Chunichi Dragons (Tokyo Dome), 9 innings, 2 runs.
  • First complete game shutout: July 29, 2003, vs. Chunichi Dragons (Tokyo Dome).
  • First save: July 4, 2004, vs. Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Hiroshima Municipal Stadium), 7th inning, 4th reliever, 3 innings, 2 runs.
  • 1000 innings pitched: May 8, 2013, vs. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (Sapporo Dome), achieved in the 5th inning by getting Casey McGehee to fly out to left field. He was the 332nd player in NPB history to reach this milestone.
• Batting Records:**
  • First hit: April 25, 2003, vs. Yokohama BayStars (Yokohama Stadium), 3rd inning, right field single off Chris Holt.
  • First RBI: July 8, 2004, vs. Yokohama BayStars (Tokyo Dome), 3rd inning, right field double off Teruaki Yoshikawa.
• Other Records:**
  • All-Star Game appearances: 3 times (2003, 2010, 2013).
  • Wins against all 12 NPB teams: May 20, 2013, vs. Yomiuri Giants (Sapporo Dome), 7 innings, 1 run. He was the 12th player in NPB history to achieve this.
  • Maddux: 2 times (2012, 2013).

7.1. Uniform Numbers

Hiroshi Kisanuki wore several uniform numbers throughout his professional career:

• 21 (2003-2006) with the Yomiuri Giants
• 41 (2007-2009) with the Yomiuri Giants (This number was previously worn by Masaki Saito, a legendary Giants pitcher, and was seen as a sign of manager Hara's expectation for Kisanuki to become "the Tom Seaver of the Giants" and a symbol of his hoped-for resurgence.)
• 12 (2010-2012) with the Orix Buffaloes
• 29 (2013-2015) with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
• 78 (2019-2020) as a coach for the Yomiuri Giants

7.2. Notable Episodes and Public Perception

Kisanuki was known for his meticulous nature, which extended to his personal life, such as his habit of carrying self-signed baseball cards with serial numbers to give to fans. His humility and diligence were consistently praised by coaches and fans alike. For instance, after hitting Tomonori Kanemoto with a pitch, Kisanuki immediately apologized, demonstrating his earnest character. His passion for trains was a well-known aspect of his personality, leading to unique media appearances and even influencing the design of fan merchandise. The "friendship trade" that sent him to Orix was a testament to the respect he commanded among managers and executives, who saw him as a future leader.

His annual pitching statistics are detailed below:

• Bold indicates league leader.
• GP: Games Pitched, GS: Games Started, CG: Complete Games, SHO: Shutouts, SV: Saves, W: Wins, L: Losses, HLD: Holds, Win%: Winning Percentage, BF: Batters Faced, IP: Innings Pitched, H: Hits, HR: Home Runs, BB: Bases on Balls, IBB: Intentional Bases on Balls, HBP: Hit Batters, SO: Strikeouts, WP: Wild Pitches, BK: Balks, R: Runs, ER: Earned Runs, ERA: Earned Run Average, WHIP: Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched.