Akihito Kondo is a former pitcher for the highest level of baseball in Japan and is locally often called what?
Akihito Kondo Akihito Kondo (近藤 昭仁 , Kondo Akihito , born April 1, 1938) is a former Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. He played for the Taiyō Whales from 1960 to 1973. Kondo was named the Japan Series Most Valuable Player in 1960. He later managed the Yokohama BayStars from 1993 to 1995 and the Chiba Lotte Marines in 1997 and 1998.
Masafumi Hirai Masafumi Hirai (平井 正史, born April 21, 1975 in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher. Hirai has played for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball since 2003 . He played with the Orix BlueWave from 1994 to 2002 .