Tatsuro Hirooka (広岡達朗, ''Hirooka Tatsurō'' born February 9, 1932) is a retired Japanese

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

player and manager. Hirooka played his entire career, from 1954 to 1966, for the

Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...

. He was awarded the

Central League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consi ...

rookie of the year award in 1954. From 1961 to 1966, Hirooka was a player-coach for the Giants. As a manager for the

Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Yo ...

(1976–1979) and then the

Seibu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Railway, w ...

(1982–1985), Hirooka was known for his tough-love style. Whiting, Robert. ''You Gotta Have Wa'' (Vintage Departures, 1989), pp. 74–75. He thrice led his teams to the

Japan Series The Japan Series ( , officially the Japan Championship Series, ), also the Nippon Series, :File:2014_JS_logo.png is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a best-of-seven series ...

championship — in 1978, 1982, and 1983. He won the Matsutaro Shoriki Award — presented to a person (a manager or player) who greatly contributes to the development of professional baseball — in 1978 and 1982.

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1932 births Possibly living people People from Kure, Hiroshima Japanese baseball players Yomiuri Giants players Managers of baseball teams in Japan Tokyo Yakult Swallows managers Seibu Lions managers Nippon Professional Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inductees {{japan-baseball-shortstop-stub