Major League Baseball starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda currently plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is originally from Osaka, Japan.
Prior to his MLB career, Kuroda played nearly ten years of professional baseball in Japan, for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, starting in 1996. He also played for Team Japan in the 2004 Summer Olympics, helping them win the Bronze Medal.
After several unsuccessful attempts to get into the MLB, Kuroda was banned from the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, and signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 12, 2007.
Following his MLB debut on April 4, 2008, Kuroda continues with the Dodgers as a full member of the roster for the 2008 season.
Hiroki Kuroda Vital Stats
- Mahalo's Guide to the Los Angeles Dodgers
- Baseball-Reference.com: Career Stats
- Height: 6-1
- Weight: 210
- Rookie Year: 2008
Hiroki Kuroda News and Information
- Google News: Hiroki Kuroda
- ESPN.com: Hiroki Kuroda News
- Yahoo! Sports: Land of the rising prospects (December 12, 2007)
- The Japanese pitcher is being courted by three major league teams - The Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals. Trey Hillman, the new Royals skipper and former Japanese baseball manager, is planning on flying out to Japan in order to court Hiroki.
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Born February 10, 1975
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Former starting pitcher for [http
//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Toyo_Carp Hiroshima Toyo Carp]
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Bronze medal with the Japanese Baseball team in the [http
//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Summer_Olympics 2004 Summer Olympics]
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Fact:
Declared free agency to be eligible to sign with Major League Baseball team for the 2008 season
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Fact:
3-year offers received from Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks
