Former Yomiuri Giants right-hander Hajime Kato, nicknamed "Poker Face" for his blank expression on the mound, died on Dec. 11 in a Shizuoka hospital due to rectal cancer, the Central League club said Tuesday. He was 66.
Kato, who began his career with the Nishitesu Lions, posted 17 wins to earn the Rookie of the Year award in 1972 when he joined the rotation as a result of several star players being banned from baseball for fixing games in the "Black Mist Scandal."
In 1976, his first of 15 years with the Giants, he threw a no-hitter against the Hiroshima Carp.
A six-time all-star pitcher, Kato had a 141-113 record with a 3.50 ERA in 490 games. After retiring in 1990, he had coaching stints with teams including the Giants, Seibu Lions, and South Korea's SK Wyverns.
