Here's a little video of Hiromitsu Kadota throwing out the first pitch at one of the Osaka Classic games between the Hawks and Buffaloes last year at Osaka Dome. Both teams wore 1980's uniforms - the Hawks wore Nankai Hawks uniforms while Orix wore Kintetsu Buffaloes uniforms (Kintetsu being the team Orix assimilated in 2004). Kadota is best known for playing for Nankai but he actually did spend two seasons with Orix so that he could remain in Osaka after the Hawks moved to Fukuoka.
What I like most about this clip is towards the end when Kadota's walking off the field and finally there's no music or announcements being played and he can hear the Oendan section cheering "Kadota...Kadota...Kadota", the way they did for him when he played at Osaka Stadium back in the 1970's and 80's. Kadota stops, turns, takes off his cap and waves to them. It's just a nice little touch.
Here's one of Kadota's 1981 Calbee cards (#26):
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1 comment:
That is an awesome card. Players today just don't know how to do the classic poses... "Waiting on deck"... "Fake pitching follow-through with the ball still in my hand"... "Waiting for a pitch even though I'm standing in foul territory"...
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