Kent Hadley
Encyclopedia
Kent William Hadley was a professional baseball
player. A free-swinging first baseman
, he played three years in Major League Baseball
(1958-60) and six seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (1962-67).
with 34 home runs in 1958. At the time the 23-year old prospect was playing for the Little Rock Travelers
.
A year later he was the starting first baseman for the Kansas City A's. That December he was part of the trade that sent Roger Maris
from Kansas City to the New York Yankees
. After spending the 1960 season on the Yankee bench, Hadley played for the San Diego Padres
in 1961 then went to Japan.
, Kent went deep off of Junichi Nakajima on May 1, 1962 in Heiwadai Stadium
. Overall, Kent had an unimpressive season at the plate, hitting just .266/.296/.414. The Hawks brought him back in 1963 and he improved drastically, cranking out 30 long balls and batting .295/.341/.517 with 84 RBI. He made the Pacific League
All-Star team and had his best season in Japan.
In 1964, Hadley hit .263/.328/.470 with 29 home runs and a league-high 99 strikeouts. He hit a dramatic game-ending game-winning home run in game 4 of the Japan Series
that year, taking Minoru Murayama
deep. The blow helped the Hawks to a 4-3 Series win over the Hanshin Tigers
- it would be the last Japan Series title for Nankai.
As Nankai's 1B in 1965, Kent batted .239/.274/.492, again cracking 29 home runs and driving in 86 runners. His power began to fade the next season but he picked up his average as his line read .279/.340/.443 with 18 HR. In his final season for the Hawks, Hadley hit just .213/.266/.341 with 14 homers.
, Casey Stengel
and Kazuto Tsuruoka, a famous trio of managers in different settings.
Hadley was born and died in Pocatello, Idaho
.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player. A free-swinging first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
, he played three years in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(1958-60) and six seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (1962-67).
United States
He led the Southern AssociationSouthern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
with 34 home runs in 1958. At the time the 23-year old prospect was playing for the Little Rock Travelers
Little Rock Travelers
The Little Rock Travelers were an American minor league baseball team located in Little Rock, Arkansas and members of the Southern Association, which as a Class A, A1 or AA circuit was typically two rungs below Major League Baseball...
.
A year later he was the starting first baseman for the Kansas City A's. That December he was part of the trade that sent Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
from Kansas City to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. After spending the 1960 season on the Yankee bench, Hadley played for the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres (PCL)
The San Diego Padres were a minor league baseball team which played in the Pacific Coast League from 1936 through 1968. The team that would eventually become the Padres was well traveled prior to moving to San Diego. It began its existence in 1903 as the Sacramento Solons, a charter member of the PCL...
in 1961 then went to Japan.
Japan
Hadley became the first foreigner to homer in his first at-bat in Japan. For the Nankai HawksFukuoka SoftBank Hawks
The are a Japanese baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The team was bought on January 28, 2005 by the SoftBank Corporation.The team was formerly known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. In 1988, Daiei bought the team from Osaka's Nankai Electric Railway Co., and its headquarters were...
, Kent went deep off of Junichi Nakajima on May 1, 1962 in Heiwadai Stadium
Heiwadai Stadium
was a stadium in Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan. It was primarily used for baseball and was home of the Nishitetsu Lions until they moved to Tokorozawa and the Seibu Dome in 1979. The stadium was opened in 1928 and had a capacity of 32,000 people....
. Overall, Kent had an unimpressive season at the plate, hitting just .266/.296/.414. The Hawks brought him back in 1963 and he improved drastically, cranking out 30 long balls and batting .295/.341/.517 with 84 RBI. He made the Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
All-Star team and had his best season in Japan.
In 1964, Hadley hit .263/.328/.470 with 29 home runs and a league-high 99 strikeouts. He hit a dramatic game-ending game-winning home run in game 4 of the Japan Series
Japan Series
, or is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a seven-game series between the winning clubs of the league's two circuits, the Central League and the Pacific League....
that year, taking Minoru Murayama
Minoru Murayama
was a professional baseball player for the Osaka Tigers in Nippon Professional Baseball. His number 11 is retired with the Tigers. A pitcher with Hanshin from 1959 to 1972, he recorded a career 2.09 ERA and 192 career complete games to go with 222 wins. Hall of Famer.-Early life:He was born on...
deep. The blow helped the Hawks to a 4-3 Series win over the Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
- it would be the last Japan Series title for Nankai.
As Nankai's 1B in 1965, Kent batted .239/.274/.492, again cracking 29 home runs and driving in 86 runners. His power began to fade the next season but he picked up his average as his line read .279/.340/.443 with 18 HR. In his final season for the Hawks, Hadley hit just .213/.266/.341 with 14 homers.
Personal life
Hadley said one of the proudest parts of his career was playing for Rod DedeauxRod Dedeaux
Raoul Martial "Rod" Dedeaux was an American college baseball coach who compiled what is arguably the greatest record of any coach in the sport's amateur history....
, Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
and Kazuto Tsuruoka, a famous trio of managers in different settings.
Hadley was born and died in Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock...
.