Kazuhiro Kiyohara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kazuhiro Kiyohara
Infielder
Born: (1967-08-18) August 18, 1967 (age 57)
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
April 5, 1986, for the Seibu Lions
Last appearance
October 1, 2008, for the Orix Buffaloes
NPB statistics (through 2008)
Batting average	.272
Hits	2,122
Home runs	525
RBI	1,530
Teams
As Player Seibu Lions (1985–1996) Yomiuri Giants (1997–2005) Orix Buffaloes (2006–2008)
Career highlights and awards
18× NPB All-Star (1986–1998, 2000–2002, 2005, 2006) 3× Best Nine Award (1988, 1990, 1992) 5× Golden Glove Award (1988, 1990, 1992–1994)

Kazuhiro Kiyohara (清原 和博, Kiyohara Kazuhiro, born August 18, 1967) is a famous Japanese television personality, YouTuber, and former professional baseball player. He played in Japan's top baseball league, Nippon Professional Baseball, for 23 seasons. He stopped playing baseball after the 2008 season.

Kazuhiro was born in Kishiwada, Osaka, in 1967. His family loved baseball. He started his baseball journey by joining his high school team in the 1980s. This team went on to win two Japanese High School Baseball Championships. He became a very respected high school player. In 1985, the Seibu Lions picked him to play for them.

While playing for the Lions, his team won six Japan Series titles. He also set a record for home runs as a rookie. Later, in 1996, he joined the Yomiuri Giants. He helped them win the Japan Series in 2000 and 2002. Before retiring in 2008, he also played for the Orix Buffaloes. People often call him "The Uncrowned King." This is because he never won a major batting title, even though many thought he was one of the best hitters in the league.

After his baseball career, Kiyohara became a YouTuber. He shares videos about baseball and healthy living.

Early Life and Baseball Dreams

Kazuhiro Kiyohara was born on August 18, 1967, in Kishiwada, Osaka. His family owned an electronics store.

His father was a fan of the Hanshin Tigers baseball team. However, the rest of his family loved the Yomiuri Giants. Because of his family, Kiyohara grew up as a big fan of the Yomiuri Giants.

In 1974, he started elementary school. He also began playing baseball with the Kishiwada Little League. By third grade, he was already 155 cm (5 ft 1 in) tall. During his league entrance test, he could throw a ball 70 km/h (43 mph).

In 1977, when he was in fourth grade, Kiyohara joined a team of older sixth graders. He was the only regular player his age. He also showed great skill as a pitcher.

High School Baseball Star

Kazuhiro Kiyohara became very famous in Japan as a home run hitter. He played for the Osaka PL Gakuen high school baseball team in the mid-1980s. His team won two Japanese High School Baseball Championships. They also finished second twice and fourth once. Japan has national high school baseball tournaments every spring and summer. These games are held at the famous Koshien Stadium.

Kiyohara was part of a powerful duo on his high school team. His teammate was pitcher Masumi Kuwata. They were known as the "K-K Combi," which meant the Kiyohara and Kuwata combination. They were highly respected high school players. Their achievements became a memorable part of Japanese schoolboy baseball history.

Joining the Seibu Lions

The Seibu Lions picked Kiyohara as their first choice in the 1985 draft. This was a big surprise for him. The Yomiuri Giants, Japan's most popular team, had promised to pick him. However, the Giants chose Masumi Kuwata instead of Kiyohara. This created a lot of excitement in the Japanese news at the time.

In his first season with the Seibu Lions, Kiyohara hit .304. He also had 31 home runs and 78 RBIs. He tied the rookie home run record for Japanese professional baseball. All these numbers were the best for a rookie coming straight from high school. He became a top hitter for the Lions during his eleven seasons with the team. He hit 332 home runs and had 915 RBIs. While he played for the Lions, the team won six Japan Series titles.

Playing for the Yomiuri Giants

After the 1996 season, Kiyohara could choose to play for any team. He signed with the Yomiuri Giants, making his childhood dream come true. With the Giants, Kiyohara had many great seasons. He played alongside many star players, including Hideki Matsui, who later played in Major League Baseball.

Kiyohara played for the Giants until the 2005 season. In that year, he hit his 500th home run and got his 2,000th hit. He was a key player in the Giants' Japan Series championship teams in 2000 and 2002. In 1997, Kiyohara also ranked 5th in a TV show called Pro Sportsman No.1. This show aired on TBS.

Later Career and Retirement

As he got older, Kiyohara moved from the Giants to the Orix Buffaloes. He played his last three seasons there. He stopped playing baseball at the end of the 2008 season. He only played in 89 games for the Buffaloes. This was because he had many injuries and health problems.

Even with his many achievements, Kiyohara faced criticism in his last ten seasons. He missed many games almost every season due to injuries. From 1999 to 2008, he played in 100 or more games only twice. This was in 2001 and 2003.

"The Uncrowned King"

Kazuhiro Kiyohara is often called "The Uncrowned King." This is because he never won a major batting title. However, he was still considered one of the greatest hitters in Japanese professional baseball. He achieved over 2,000 hits, 500 home runs, and 1,500 RBIs. Only five other legendary players have reached these milestones: Sadaharu Oh, Katsuya Nomura, Hiromitsu Kadota, Isao Harimoto, and Hiromitsu Ochiai.

Amazing Baseball Records

Kazuhiro Kiyohara holds many impressive baseball records:

• He has a career batting average of .272.
• He made 2,118 hits, which is the 22nd highest in history.
• He hit 525 home runs, placing him 5th all-time.
• He had 1,530 RBIs, the 6th highest ever.
• He scored 1,280 runs, ranking 9th.
• He had 1,346 walks (balls on bases), which is the 3rd highest.
• He had 1,955 strikeouts, the most in history.
• He was hit by a pitch 196 times, also the most in history.

He also holds national records for:

• 20 walk-off hits (hits that win the game in the final inning)
• 12 walk-off home runs
• 2 walk-off grand slam home runs

Koshien Tournament Records

Kiyohara also set many records in the famous Koshien Baseball tournaments:

• National High School Baseball Championship (Summer Koshien):
  • 5 home runs in a single tournament (1985)
  • 3 home runs in a single game (1984)
  • Home runs in 3 consecutive games (1985)
• National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament (Spring Koshien):
  • 3 home runs in a single tournament (1984)
  • 2 home runs in a single game (1984)
• Total home runs in Koshien Baseball tournaments:
  • 13 home runs (from 1983–1985)

Career Statistics

See also

• List of top Nippon Professional Baseball home run hitters