Keiichi Hirano

Keiichi Hirano
Keiichi Hirano
	Hirano with the Orix Buffaloes
CTBC Brothers
	Second baseman / Outfielder / Manager
	Born: April 7, 1979 (age 45); Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Japan
	Batted: Left Threw: Right
NPB debut
	July 19, 2002, for the Orix BlueWave
Last NPB appearance
	May 20, 2015, for the Orix Buffaloes
NPB statistics
Batting average	.279
Home runs	18
RBI	263
Teams
	As player Orix BlueWave/Orix Buffaloes (2002–2007); Hanshin Tigers (2008–2012); Orix Buffaloes (2013–2015); As coach Hanshin Tigers (2016–2021); CTBC Brothers (2022–present);
Career highlights and awards
	4× NPB All-Star (2005, 2010–2012); 2× Best Nine Award (2010–2011); 2× Mitsui Golden Glove Award (2010–2011); Comeback Player of the Year (2008);

Keiichi Hirano (平野恵一, born April 7, 1979) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffaloes and Hanshin Tigers from 2002 to 2015. He is currently the manager for the CTBC Brothers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).

Playing career[edit]

Hirano played 14 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffaloes (2002-2007, 2013-2015) and the Hanshin Tigers (2008-2012). In his career, Hirano batted .279/.337/.341 with 18 home runs and 263 RBI in 1,260 total games.^[1] He was also a 4-time NPB All-Star (2005, 2010-2012), 2-time Mitsui Golden Glove Award winner (2010-2011), 2-time Best Nine Award winner (2010-2011) and 1-time Comeback Player of the Year (2008).

Coaching career[edit]

Hanshin Tigers[edit]

Hirano served as a coach for his former club, the Hanshin Tigers, from 2016 to 2021.

CTBC Brothers[edit]

On January 10, 2022, Hirano was hired by the CTBC Brothers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) to serve as the team's hitting coach and infield coordinator.^[2] On May 10, 2023, Hirano shifted to the position of farm director for position players.^[3]

On December 29, 2023, Hirano was named manager of the Brothers after Peng Cheng-min stepped down due to health concerns.^[4]

References[edit]

^ "Keiichi Hirano Japanese Leagues Statistics & History".
^ @GOCPBL (January 3, 2022). "According to ETtoday, the CTBC Brothers are close to signing 平野恵一 (Keiichi Hirano) as a coach. #CPBLThe former NP…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^ "Brothers Announce Midseason Management Shakeup With 8 Coaches". cpblstats.com. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
^ "Peng Cheng-min steps down as Brothers manager". taipeitimes.com. Retrieved December 31, 2023.

External links[edit]

Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
[1]

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[1] "Keiichi Hirano Japanese Leagues Statistics & History".

[2] @GOCPBL (January 3, 2022). "According to ETtoday, the CTBC Brothers are close to signing 平野恵一 (Keiichi Hirano) as a coach. #CPBLThe former NP…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

[3] "Brothers Announce Midseason Management Shakeup With 8 Coaches". cpblstats.com. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-15.

[4] "Peng Cheng-min steps down as Brothers manager". taipeitimes.com. Retrieved December 31, 2023.

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