Masaichi Kaneda
| Masaichi Kaneda 金田 正一 | |
|---|---|
Kaneda in 1956 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: Kim Kyung-Hong 1 August 1933 Heiwa, Nakashima, Aichi, Empire of Japan | |
| Died: 6 October 2019 (aged 86) Tokyo, Japan | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| NPB debut | |
| 23 August, 1950, for the Kokutetsu Swallows | |
| Last appearance | |
| 18 October, 1969, for the Yomiuri Giants | |
| NPB statistics | |
| Win–loss | 400–298 |
| Earned run average | 2.34 |
| Shutouts | 82 |
| Innings pitched | 5,526.2 |
| Strikeouts | 4,490 |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .198 |
| Hits | 406 |
| Home runs | 38 |
| Run batted in | 177 |
| Teams | |
As player
As manager
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player
As manager
| |
| Member of the Japanese | |
| Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1988 |
Masaichi Kaneda (金田 正一, Kaneda Masaichi; 1 August 1933 – 6 October 2019) was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher of Zainichi Korean origin, one of the best-known pitchers in Japanese baseball history, and is the only Japanese pitcher to have won 400 games. He was inducted in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.
Nicknamed "The Emperor" because he was the most dominant pitcher in Japan during his prime, Kaneda holds numerous Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) career records. He won 400 games despite being on an extremely weak team, the Kokutetsu Swallows, for most of his career. About 90% of his 400 career wins came with the Swallows. He left for the Yomiuri Giants in 1965. In five seasons with the team, he won the Japan Series each time before retiring in 1969. Kaneda batted and threw left-handed. After his playing career ended, he became a manager for the Lotte Orions, where he managed in two different stints that saw him win the Japan Series in 1974.