Background
Kimura was born in Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan.
木村 拓也
Kimura was born in Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan.
He played for the Giants through the 2009 season before retiring as a player, returning to the Giants for 2010 in a coaching capacity. He joined the Nippon-Ham Fighters from outside the amateur draft in 1990 after graduating from high school, and went on to become the leading utility player in Japanese baseball. His solid hitting, speed, and strong arm made him a valuable offensive and defensive player.
He played games at every single position except pitcher, catching four games in the 1999 season.
He played first base for one game in 1998. He was registered as an outfielder, but played more games in the infield in recent years.
In 2004, he was recruited for the Athens Olympics for his skills as a utility player. He had the same name as Takuya Kimura of the popular Japanese popular group, SMAP. He once made an appearance on the television show SMAP×SMAP, hosted by his namesake.
He was diagnosed with subarachnoid hemorrhage and died in Hiroshima, Japan, on April 7, 2010.
He died just eight days before his 38th birthday.