Number 3 on the countdown is long time Hawk (both Nankai and Daiei) Hiromitsu Kadota with 567 career home runs. Kadota debuted in 1970 with the Nankai Hawks at age 22 following high school and a few years in the industrial leagues. I've shown this one before, but here's his 1973/74 Calbee card (#78) again:
1977 Yamakatsu:
1978 Yamakatsu:
He changed his uniform number from 27 to 44 in 1980 to honor his mother, who had just passed away at age 44. 1981 Calbee #26:
Later in the '80's he again changed his number, this time to 60. I don't know why. 1987 Calbee #104:
Following the 1988 season (a season in which he lead the Pacific League in home runs at the age of 40), the Hawks were sold to Daiei and moved from Osaka to Fukuoka. Kadota did not want to move and was traded to the Orix Braves so that he could remain in the Osaka area. 1990 Lotte #40:
After two years with Orix, he apparently decided he'd give Fukuoka a try after all and he was traded back to the (now Fukuoka Daiei) Hawks. He played the last two years of his career there, retiring after the 1992 season at age 44. 1991 BBM #312:
The card at the top of the post is 2002 BBM 2nd Version #826.
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