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 Japanese television personality, YouTuber, and former professional baseball player. He played in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league for 23 seasons. He retired from playing baseball after the 2008 season.

Kazuhiro Kiyohara was born in Kishiwada, Osaka, in 1967. His family loved baseball. He started his career by joining his high school baseball team in the 1980s. This team won two Japanese High School Baseball Championships. He became a very respected high school player. The Seibu Lions picked him in the 1985 draft.

During his time with the Lions, the team won six Japan Series titles. He also tied the rookie home run record for Japanese professional baseball. Later, he joined the Yomiuri Giants. He helped them win the Japan Series in 2000 and 2002. He then played for the Orix Buffaloes before retiring in 2008. People often called him "The Uncrowned King." This was because he never won a major batting title, even though he was one of NPB's best hitters.

Today, Kazuhiro Kiyohara is a popular YouTuber. He posts videos about baseball and how to lose weight.

Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

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. The rest of his family cheered for the Yomiuri Giants. Because of his family, Kiyohara grew up as a Yomiuri Giants fan.

In 1974, he started at Yagi Minami Elementary School. He began playing baseball with the Kishiwada Little League. By third grade, he was already 155 cm (5 ft 1 in) tall. He could throw a ball 70 km/h (43 mph) during his league entrance test. In 1977, Kiyohara, then in fourth grade, joined a team of 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 famous in Japan as a powerful 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. These national high school tournaments happen every year. They are held at the famous Koshien Stadium.

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

Professional Career Highlights

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

Success with the Seibu Lions

Kiyohara's first season with the Seibu Lions was amazing. He had a .304 batting average, 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. In his eleven seasons with the club, he hit 332 home runs and had 915 RBIs. During his time with the Lions, the team won six Japan Series titles.

Joining the Yomiuri Giants

After the 1996 season, Kiyohara became a free agent. He signed with the Yomiuri Giants, making his childhood dream come true. With the Giants, Kiyohara had many great seasons. He played alongside other star players, like future major leaguer Hideki Matsui. Kiyohara played for the Giants until the 2005 season. In that year, he reached his 500th home run and 2,000th hit. He was a key player in their 2000 and 2002 Japan Series championship teams.

In 1997, Kiyohara placed 5th in the TV show Pro Sportsman No. 1. This show aired on TBS.

Final Seasons with Orix Buffaloes

Kiyohara moved from the Giants to the Orix Buffaloes for the last three seasons of his career. He retired at the end of the 2008 season. He played in only 89 games for the Buffaloes. This was due to various physical problems.

Despite his many achievements, Kiyohara faced criticism in his later career. This was because of many injuries. These injuries made him miss large parts of almost every season. From 1999 to 2008, he played in 100 or more games only twice.

Kiyohara is often called "The Uncrowned King." This is because he never won a major batting title. Still, he was one of NPB's greatest hitters. He achieved over 2,000 hits, 500 home runs, and 1,500 RBIs. Only five other legendary players have done this. These players are Sadaharu Oh, Katsuya Nomura, Hiromitsu Kadota, Isao Harimoto, and Hiromitsu Ochiai.

YouTube Channel

Kiyohara started a YouTube channel called Kiyochan Sports in December 2020. On his channel, he talks about baseball and losing weight. By March 2021, his channel had more than 320,000 subscribers.

Career Statistics

Career Records

• .272 Batting average
• 2,118 Hits (22nd all-time)
• 525 Home runs (5th all-time)
• 1,530 RBIs (6th all-time)
• 1,280 Runs (9th all-time)
• 1,346 Walks (3rd all-time)
• 1,955 Strikeouts (1st all-time)
• 196 Hit by pitch (1st all-time)

Fun Facts and Records

• He holds the national record for 20 walk-off hits.
• He also has 12 walk-off home runs and 2 walk-off grand slam home runs.
• Koshien Baseball tournament records:
  • 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 consecutive games (3 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 (1983–1985)

See also

• List of top Nippon Professional Baseball home run hitters