Kazuhito Tadano

Infobox MLB player
name = Kazuhito Tadano
nihongo2|多田野　数人

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width = 200
caption =
team = Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
number = 16
position = Starting pitcher
birthdate = birth date and age|1980|4|25
birthplace = Tokyo, Japan
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = April 27
debutyear = 2004
debutteam = Cleveland Indians
statyear = 2007
stat1label = Win-Loss
stat1value = 1-1
stat2label = Earned run average
stat2value = 4.47
stat3label = Strikeouts
stat3value = 40
teams =
*Cleveland Indians (by|2004–by|2005)
*Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters (by|2008-present) (NPB)nihongo|Kazuhito Tadano|多田野 数人|Tadano Kazuhito|extra=born April 25, 1980 in Tokyo, Japan is a right-handed pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan's Pacific League. He had previously pitched in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians. He was the 21st player in Major League Baseball who has Japanese nationality. He is one of the baseball players who were born in the 1980 academic year (from April 2, 1980 to the following April 1, 1981). So he is called one of the members of the nihongo|Matsuzaka generation|松坂世代|Matsuzaka sedai in Japan. [ [http://www.toonippo.co.jp/news_hyakka/hyakka2003/20030615.html 松坂世代] , Toonippo.com, June 15 2003. ]

Biography

Tadano as the ace pitcher led Yachiyoshoin High School to the National High School Baseball Championship (Summer Koshien) for the first time. He had been a highly regarded pitcher coming out of Rikkyo University. He was expected to be a high draft pick in the Nippon Professional Baseball draft in by|2002, but no Japanese team drafted him due to the gay porn video scandal, which forced him to leave Japan.cite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1720362|title=Minor leaguer: It was a 'one-time incident'|publisher=ESPN|date=2004-01-28|accessdate=2008-02-22]

The Cleveland Indians signed Tadano as a free agent in by|2003, and he quickly rose through the Cleveland farm system, making his debut in mlby|2004. He made 14 appearances and four starts with a 4.65 ERA in 50⅓ innings. In January 2004, it was widely reported in the U.S. that Tadano was featured in a gay porn video three years previous, with Tadano appearing at a press conference organized by the team. [ [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/28/entertainment/main596540.shtml Baseball Player's Gay Porn Past] , CBSnews.com, January 28 2004. Accessed July 9 2007.] Tadano said "I was young, playing baseball, and going to college and my teammates and I needed money" and "I'm not gay." [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1720362 "Indians minor leaguer: Gay porn role a 'mistake'"] , ESPN.com, January 28 2004. Accessed July 9 2007.]

He was sidelined due to an injury early in the mlby|2005 season, but recovered and was shuttled between Cleveland and the Buffalo Bisons for the rest of the year.

On April 4, by|2006, Tadano was traded to the Oakland Athletics for outfielder Ramon Alvarado.

In by|2007, Tadano was sent down to Oakland's Double-A team, Midland, after being invited to spring training. He was eventually promoted back up to Triple-A and started off well, looking extremely sharp with a plus splitter. Curiously, he ran into trouble in June. His ERA ballooned as he gave up 29 runs over 5 games. He was moved to the bullpen in July after Oakland demoted Colby Lewis and Shane Komine.

In by|2008, he was the first-pick by the Nippon Ham Fighters in the university/company player draft in 2007, he would become the last player in the Matsuzaka generation to start his NPB life. He missed the start of the 2008 season with an injury.

References

External links