Mikio Kudō
Mikio Kudō was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher. He played five seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, all for the Nippon Ham Fighters. He was selected out of :ja:秋田県立本荘高等学校|Akita Prefectural Honjō High School as the second overall pick in the :ja:1978年度新人選手選択会議 |1978 NPB draft, and made his professional debut that season, becoming the fastest player to ever make his Japanese professional debut. He went 20-4, :ja:最多勝利|leading the league in wins in 1982. He died of liver failure in Akita, Akita on May 13, 2016, at the age of 55.
Personal life
He ran a sports goods store named "Kudo Sports" in Tegatayama Nakamachi, Akita City, and after his death, his widow Michiyo has taken charge of this shop. Official gym clothes of :ceb:Hiroomote Elementary School|Hiroomote Elementary School, :ja:秋田市立桜中学校|Sakura Junior High and :ja:秋田市立城東中学校|Joto Junior High are avilable here.
