Background
Tetsuharu Kawakami was born in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto.
Tetsuharu Kawakami was born in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto.
Tetsuharu Kawakami graduated from Kumamoto Technical School.
Tetsuharu Kawakami played for Tokyo Kyojin/Yomiuri Giants between 1938 and 1958 (though he missed the years 1943–1945 when he served in the Japanese military). He signed with the Giants as a pitcher/first baseman, and actually pitched in 39 games between 1938 and 1941, compiling 11 wins against 9 losses, with an excellent 2.61 ERA. He converted full-time to first base in 1942.
In 1951, he struck out only 6 times, which is the Japanese single-season tie record. In 1954, Kawakami hit the first cycle in Yomiuri Giants' franchise history.
Tetsuharu Kawakami was a professional player for 18 years, winning the batting title five times, two home run crowns, three RBI titles, and had six titles for the most hits in a season. He was the MVP of the 1953 Japan Series. Tetsuharu Kawakami was the first player in Japanese pro baseball to achieve 2,000 hits and was named the league's MVP three times.
As manager of the Giants from 1961–1974, he was known for his ruthless, tough-love style, but he led the Yomiuri Giants to nine consecutive championships.
Tetsuharu Kawakami he played for Kumamoto Tech (Kumamoto) in the 1937 Summer Koshien. Kumamoto advanced to the championship game, but lost. After the game, Kawakami grabbed a handful of dirt from the playing field of Koshien Stadium and put it in his uniform pocket as a memento. This became known as the original scooping of "the dirt of Koshien" .Since then, as a memento of their fleeting time on the hallowed grounds of Kōshien, players from the losing teams take home a pouch of the precious soil.
Tetsuharu Kawakami was ranked as the highest winning player (1941) and the home-run king (1948). He chalked up a cumulative record of 2,000 hits (up to 1956). He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1965.
Physical Characteristics:
Height: 1.74 m
Weight: 75 kg
