'Curly' Hirota, Japan baseball star, dead at 81
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
Jyun "Curly" Hirota, a former two-sport athlete and baseball coach at the University of Hawai'i and winner of four Japan World Series with the Tokyo Giants in the 1950s, died Sept. 10. He was 81.
Photo courtesy Ruth K. Hirota
Hirota, along with Japan Hall of Famer Wally Yonamine, helped pave the way for Hawai'i's Japanese Americans to play professional baseball in Japan in the 1950s.
Jyun Hirota joined the Tokyo Giants in 1952 and, as the starting catcher, saw the team win the Japan World Series in 1952, 1953, 1954 and 1955. Hirota also was a standout football player. He went on to become baseball coach at the University of Hawai'i and the events manager for Aloha Stadium.
In 1952, the Tokyo Giants acquired Hirota upon a recommendation by Yonamine, who played his first year as a Giant in 1951. Yonamine said Hirota, who was nicknamed "Curly" for his curly hair, impressed the Giants with his toughness as catcher.
"They really respected him," said Yonamine, who met Hirota when both played with the Asahi baseball team in the mid-1940s. "I remember, one time, the ball hit him in the finger and split his finger. They thought he had to rest because his finger was split. But he said, 'No, no.' He just taped it up and he played. Curly had a lot of guts."
Yonamine said Hirota's success allowed more Japanese Americans from Hawai'i, such as Andy Miyamoto and Richard Kashiwaeda, to play with the Giants.
"When I first brought players to Japan, I wanted to bring players that the team would respect so that we can bring other Niseis to Japan," said Yonamine, who is in Japan assisting with his wife's pearl business. "Curly was the first guy I brought to Japan. He did so well as a catcher — the people liked him and respected him — that's the reason why Andy Miyamoto and other guys had a chance."
After graduating from McKinley High School, Hirota enrolled at UH in 1940. He played baseball and earned league all-star honors under coach Tommy Kaulukukui.
When World War II started, Hirota joined the Varsity Victory Volunteers, a group of Japanese-American students who volunteered their services in support of the U.S. military in noncombative roles. Hirota played football for the Volunteers and baseball on the side.
During the war years, Hirota played baseball for the local Athletics team (formerly called the Asahis) against military service teams. Because of the war, Japanese American baseball teams were prohibited from having Japanese names, and all football and baseball games had to be played during the day. Hirota played against Joe and Dominic DiMaggio, Joe Page, Joe Gordon, Walter Masterson, Charles Silvera and Walter Judnich in the eight-team league.
After the war, Hirota continued his studies at UH as a scholarship athlete playing football and baseball from 1946 to 1949. In his final season, Hirota was selected co-captain of the UH football team.
"He was a great football player and maybe an even better baseball player," said Dr. Richard Mamiya, a former UH football player (1946-50) who played with Hirota. "He was a running back. Curly was a little guy, but he was tough, tough, tough. By action, he was a leader."
HIROTA
During the summer of 1948, under the sponsorship of Mackay Yanagisawa, the Hawai'i All-Star Baseball team and Hirota toured the Mainland playing against the Harlem Globetrotters. (Although famous for basketball, the Globetrotters also played baseball.) The Globetrotters and the Hawai'i team played 68 games in two months in such venues as Yankee Stadium, Polo Grounds, Crosley Field, Shibe Park and others.
After graduating in 1949 with a business degree in economics, Hirota received an offer in 1950 to play Japan professional baseball for the Tokyu Flyers. Hirota declined the offer for family reasons.
In 1952, he accepted an offer to play with the Tokyo Giants and narrowly missed out as Rookie of the Year. As the starting catcher, he saw the Giants win the Central League Championship and the Japan World Series in 1952, 1953, 1954 and 1955. Some of his teammates were Yonamine, Kashiwaeda, Bill Nishita, Douglas Matsuoka and Miyamoto. Hirota ended his career with the Giants in 1956 with a career batting average of .260 and four Japan World Series.
On his return to Hawai'i, Hirota worked 13 years with Bishop Trust Co. while coaching the Asahis. In 1965, 1966 and 1967, under athletic director Young Suk Ko, Hirota coached the UH baseball team.
In 1970, Hirota became the farm team manager of the Japanese professional baseball team Kintetsu Buffaloes and led the farm team to its first championship in 23 years.
Hirota returned to Hawai'i in 1973 and worked as the assistant events manager and then events manager for Aloha Stadium. He also served as the U.S. scout and representative for the Kintetsu baseball organization. Hirota retired from Aloha Stadium in 1994.
Hirota was born in 'Ewa Beach.
He died at the Beverly Manor nursing home in Kalihi. He is survived by his wife, Ruth; sons, Dean Nakano, and Wayne, Glenn and Tobin; sister, Helen Kikawa; and six grandchildren.
Visitation is scheduled from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Diamond Head Mortuary; a service will be at 4 p.m. No flowers. Casual attire.
Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2458.
