Additional Players for Meikan

Last question first, as it's the easiest to answer.

No, Genji Kaku and Taigen Kaku are two different players. Genji pitched for the Chunichi Dragons from 1981 to 1996 with a career record of 106-106 and a 3.22 ERA. Taigen pitched for the Seibu Lions from 1985 to 1997 with a career record of 117-68 with a 3.16 ERA.

Hope that helps clear that up.

On the first list of players to add, 大野 豊 is already in the Player Meikan, listed as Yutaka Ohno. I use the players names as written on the back of their uniforms, not the conventions that the general English press uses. (That issue is discussed elsewhere.)

As for your list of unknowns:

村田 兆治 - Choji Murata - Tokyo/Lotte Orions 1968-1990
古屋 英夫 - Hideo Furuya - Nippon Ham Fighters 1978-1990, Hanshin Tigers 1991-1992
香川 伸行 - Nobuyuki Kagawa - Nankai/Daiei Hawks 1980-1989
アニマル - Brad "Animal" Lesley - Hankyu Braves 1986-1987
宇野 勝 - Masaru Uno - Chunichi Dragons 1977-1992, Chiba Lotte Marines 1993-1994
広沢 克己 - Katsumi Hirosawa (1985-1995: 広沢 克己, 1996-1998: 広沢 克, 1999- : 広澤 克己) - Yakult Swallows 1985-1994, Yomiuri Giants 1995-1999, Hanshin Tigers 2000-2003
長富 浩志 - Hiroshi Nagadomi (1986-1996: Hiroshi Nagatomi) - Hiroshima Toyo Carp 1986-1994, Nippon Ham Fighters 1995-1997, Fukuoka Daiei Hawks 1998-2001
川端 順 - Jun Kawabata - Hiroshima Toyo Carp 1984-1992
高野 光 - Hikaru Takano (1992- : 髙野 光) - Yakult Swallows 1984-1992, Fukuoka Daiei Hawks 1994
石本 貴昭 - Yoshiaki Ishimoto - Kintetsu Buffaloes 1981-1990, Chunichi Dragons 1991
松本 匡史 - Tadashi Matsumoto - Yomiuri Giants 1977-1987
杉本 正 - Tadashi Sugimoto - Seibu Lions 1981-1984, Chunichi Dragons 1985-1989, Fukuoka Daiei Hawks 1990-1992
ゲーリー - Garry Jestadt (1975: "Jester") - Nippon Ham Fighters 1975, Taiyo Whales 1976
ゲーリー - Gary Rajsich - Chunichi Dragons 1986-1988
東尾 修 - Osamu Higashio - Nishitetsu/Taiheio/Crown/Seibu Lions 1969-1988

Primary Source: The Official Baseball Encyclopedia 2004

Hope this helps.

Ah, thanks for the help on the list of names. In most cases, I was able to do a simple find within the player list page, but for some reason Yutaka Ohno didn't register.

Thank you again for the clarification of Genji and Taigen Kaku. I'd found a site with several Genji Kaku baseball cards, but listed with Taigen Kaku's name.

For names like Katsumi Hirosawa 広澤 (広沢) 克実 (克己), what is the significance of the ()? I see now why I wasn't able to catch him with a simple find.

With Hirosawa, the names in parentheses are his former names. He changed the Kanji of his family name from 広沢 to 広澤 his final year as a Giant (in hope of changing his luck). The same with shortening his given name during his Giant years.

Superstition is a big part of baseball (on both sides of the Pacific). And many Japanese ball player visit with numerologists or other "fortune telling" people. Many ball players will change the Kanji for their name (but most often not the pronunciation of it) based on such advise, as stroke count for individual characters and total stroke count could play a significant role in the player's fortune over the next season. (Or so they say. Nothing seemed to help Hirosawa.)

Is this why Osamu Hamanaka has so many different names?

Hi,

Checklists for Calbee sets already exist in English up until the last 2 years. Please see Gary Engel's Japanese Baseball Card checklist at Prestige Collectibles.