is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher and the former manager of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball. Known for his longevity as a player, he holds the NPB records for longest career with 29 seasons played, most consecutive seasons with at least one win with 23 and is the oldest pitcher to strike out 10 batters in a game, doing so at the age of 41 years and 11 months. In his career, he recorded 224 wins, a 3.45 ERA and 2,859 strike outs. However, despite all his accolades, he is famously known for having never won the Eiji Sawamura Award, given to Japan's top pitcher.
Kudo has been a part of 16 Japan Series championships, 11 as a player and 5 as a manager. As a player, he was a member of the Seibu Lions Golden Age, winning 8 championships in 11 years, and won one championship with Fukuoka Daiei Hawks and two with Yomiuri Giants. As a manager, he led the Hawks to five Japan Series championships in six years, winning in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Kudo has won the Matsutaro Shoriki Award, given annually to the person who is deemed to have contributed the most to baseball in Japan, 4 times, once as a player in 1987 and 3 times as a manager in 2015, 2018 and 2019. He was also known as the last active player on the Lions from the "Invincible Seibu" era.
Kudo was born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. For the English spelling of his last name, "Kudo" and "Kudoh" are used regularly and interchangeably. Technically, both are correct as there is no straight letter-for-letter translation because it is a series of Japanese characters. His preference for the spelling on the back of his uniform was "Kudoh" as a player and "Kudo" as a manager.
Playing career 1981-1994: Seibu Lions 1981-84: Early years with Seibu Kudo was a 6th-round pick in the 1980 draft, and signed a contract with the Lions when his father was given a job by team owner Yoshiaki Tsutsumi. He made his NPB debut with the parent club in 1981. He was used as a reliever in his first three seasons. The Lions were a strong club at the beginning of the Golden Age, and won the 1982 and 1983 Japan Series championships. Kudo made one appearance in each series. In game 6 of the 1982 Japan Series against the Chunichi Dragons, he pitched one inning and did not allow a run. The Lions defeated the Dragons in 5 games, 4–2. In game 2 of the 1983 Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants, he pitched one inning, recorded one strikeout and gave up one run. The Lions defeated the Giants in 7 games, 4–3.
1985-1987: Rise to fame Kudo's breakout season was in 1985, when he earned a starting role and went 8–3, striking out 104 in 137 innings pitched. He won the Pacific League ERA title in his first year as a starter in NPB with a 2.76 ERA. At the 1985 Japan Series the Lions lost to the Hanshin Tigers in 6 games, 4–2. In game 1, Kudo came in relief with two runners on, pitched inning and gave up a 3-run home run to Randy Bass and took the loss. He started game 3, pitched 3 innings and gave up 3 runs. In game 6, he came in relief, tossed innings and gave up 1 run.
Kudo made his first All-Star team the next season in 1986. His wins total was 10, and his ERA was 3.22. In the 1986 Japan Series, the Lions defeated the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in 8 games. 4-3-1. In four appearances, Kudo went 1-1 and earned 2 saves with a 1.20 ERA in 15 innings to earn the Japan Series MVP. In game 2, he gave up 2 runs, and struck out 7 batters in 7 innings. The offense generated one run and he took the loss. In game 5, Kudo came in relief to begin the top of the 10th inning of a 1–1 tie game. He threw 3 innings, struck out 5, did not allow a run and earned the win when the Lions walked-off in the bottom of the 12th. In game 6, Kudo came in relief to start the seventh inning of a 2-run game. He threw 3 innings, struck out 5, did not allow a run and earned the save. In game 8, Kudo came in relief to begin the eighth inning with a 3–2 lead. He pitched the final 2 innings, did not allow a run and got the save.
In 1987, Kudo notched his first of three seasons with 15 or more wins (15-4, 2.41, 175 strikeouts). He tossed a career-high innings, one of two times he crossed the 200-inning plateau. He won the ERA title and was an All-Star selection, but lost the Eiji Sawamura Award to Masumi Kuwata of the Yomiuri Giants (15-6, 2.17, 207 IP, 151 strikeouts).
In a matchup between the Giants and the Lions in the 1987 Japan Series, the Lions would come out on top in 6 games, 4–2. Kudo was named the Japan Series MVP for the second consecutive year after he gave up one run in innings for a 0.48 ERA. In game 2, he earned the win with a complete-game shutout. In game 5, he got the save, coming in with one out in the ninth with a 3–1 lead. In game 6, Kudo threw his second complete game of the series, giving up 1 run, his only run of the series, and striking out 7 batters. After the season, Kudo was awarded the Matsutaro Shoriki Award, given annually to the person who is deemed to have contributed the most to baseball in Japan.
1988–1990: Inconsistency and injury For the next two years, Kudo posted mediocre records (10-10, 3.79 in 1988, 4–8, 4.96 in 1989). The 1989 season was the first time in his career that he had a losing record, and would not post another losing season until 1996. He rebounded in 1990 with a 9–2 record, but missed significant time due to injury. It was the first time since 1984 that Kudo failed to reach 100 innings. The Lions were still in the midst of their Golden Age and won the Japan Series in 1988 and 1990.
Kudo made one appearance in the 1988 Japan Series against the Chunichi Dragons. In game 3, he threw a complete game, gave up three runs, struck out four batters and earned the win. The Lions defeated the Dragons in 5 games, 4–1. Kudo made one appearance in the 1990 Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants. In game 2, he pitched innings, gave up 3 runs and struck out 3 batters. The Lions swept the Giants in 4 games, 4–0.
1991-1994: Cementing greatness, missing Sawamura Kudo posted a career-high in wins with 16, and got his ERA under 3.00 for the first time since 1987 (2.82). In innings, Kudo struck out 151 batters. Despite his efforts, he ended up losing out to Shinji Sasaoka (17-9, 2.44, 240 IP, 213 strikeouts) of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp for the Sawamura Award.
The two aces would meet each other in the 1991 Japan Series, as the Lions defeated the Carp in 7 games, 4–3. In game 1, Kudo and Sasaoka went against each other, with Kudo coming out on top. He pitched a complete game, struck out seven batters and gave up three runs, only one earned, while Sasaoka went innings and gave up 5 runs. In game 5, Kudo pitched 7 innings, struck out 4 batters and gave up 3 runs, but the Lions offense was shutout and he took the loss. In game 7, Kudo came in relief to start the top of the 5th and threw the final 5 innings of the series, striking out 4 batters and not allowing a run to earn the win. In the series, Kudo went 2–1 in 21 innings pitched with a 1.71 ERA and 15 strikeouts.
For the next three years, Kudo continued to pitch at a high level for Seibu. In 1992, he went 11–5 with a 3.52 ERA. He struck out 133 batters in innings pitched. Kudo was hurt for the 1992 Japan Series against the Yakult Swallows, but made one appearance. In game 6, he pitched innings, struck out 2 batters and gave up 2 runs. The Lions defeated Swallows in 7 games, 4–3, and won their 8th championship in 11 years.
Kudo was named the Pacific League MVP in 1993, going 15–3 with a 2.06 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 170 innings pitched. He lost out on the Sawamura Award, this time to Chunichi Dragons lefty Shinji Imanaka (17-7, 2.20, 249 IP, 247 strikeouts), despite having a lower ERA and fewer losses. In the 1993 Japan Series in a rematch against the Yakult Swallows, he made 3 appearances and gave up 4 runs in innings pitched. The Swallows defeated the Lions in 7 games, 4–3.
In 1994, Kudo went 11–7 with a 3.44 ERA and 124 strikeouts in innings pitched. The Sawamura Award went to Masahiro Yamamoto of the Chunichi Dragons who went 19–8 with a 3.49 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 214 innings pitched. Kudo received credit for his fielding and won his first Gold Glove. In the 1994 Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants, Kudo made 2 appearances, pitched innings, giving up 2 runs for a 1.46 ERA and struck out 10 batters. In game 2, he pitched 7 innings, gave up one run, none earned, and struck out 7 batters. Despite his performance, the Lions offense was shutout and he took the loss. In game 6, he pitched innings, gave up 2 runs and struck out 3 batters. The Giants defeated the Lions in 6 games, 4–2.
Kudo's contract was up at the end of the 1994 season and he decided to depart after 13 years with the Lions.
1995–1999: Fukuoka Daiei Hawks 1995-1998: Rebuilding the Hawks The Fukuoka Daiei Hawks had a history of being in the cellar of the Pacific League. In order to turn things around, the front office, led by team president Ryuzo Setoyama, adopted a strategy of signing veteran free agents from winning teams and using them to mentor younger players. Kudoh, who won 8 championships in 11 seasons with the Lions and was one of the top pitchers in NPB, fit the mold perfectly. He joined the Hawks, along with his fellow Lions teammates Koji Akiyama and Hiromichi Ishige, to bring a winning culture to the organization.
Even though the Hawks had been one of the worst teams in Japan for the better part of a decade, an incentive was that the legendary Yomiuri Giants slugger Sadaharu Oh was going to be the manager. Kudoh initiated a gradual turnaround by the long-hapless Daiei Hawks. He lowered his ERA in each season (3.64, 3.51, 3.35, 3.07, 2.38) and the Hawks became more competitive in each successive year by increasing their win total (54, 54, 63, 67).
In 1995, Kudoh was pegged as the team ace and he responded, going 12–5 with a 3.64 ERA. He also won his second gold glove. Kudo was victimized by awful run support in 1996. Despite lowering his ERA to 3.51, pitching innings (the second-highest total in his career) and leading the Pacific League with 178 strikeouts, Kudoh lost the highest number of games in his career, going 8-15. Kudoh bounced back in 1997, going 11–6 with a 3.35 ERA in innings, and was named an All-Star. In 1998, he went 7–4 with a 3.07 ERA.
1999: Pacific League MVP, Japan Series Title and gold glove The 1999 season for the Hawks culminated in a Japan Series title and ended the organization's long drought since 1964. The Hawks won the Pacific League with a 78-54-3 record, an 11-game win improvement from the previous season. Kudoh went 11–7 in 196.1 innings pitched and led the Pacific League in ERA (2.38) and strikeouts (196). He won his third gold glove and was named Pacific League MVP, but the coveted Sawamura Award went to Yomiuri Giants pitcher Koji Uehara (20-4, 2.09, 197.2 IP, 179 strikeouts), despite Kudo recording more strikeouts. As the team's ace, Kudo started the first game of the 1999 Japan Series against the Chunichi Dragons. He struck out 13 batters in a complete-game shutout and earned the win. He was not needed the rest of the way as the Dragons took game two, but the Hawks responded with the three consecutive wins to claim the title. Kudo's contract was up after the season and despite an inspired attempt to keep him, the Hawks could not retain him. Instead, he signed with the Yomiuri Giants, and was reunited with another former Seibu teammate, Kazuhiro Kiyohara.
2000–2006: Yomiuri Giants 2000-2002: 10th and 11th Championship