Hiromitsu Kadota (門田 博光, Kadota Hiromitsu, February 26, 1948 – January 23, 2023)[1] was a Japanese professional baseball player for the Hawks franchise (known during his career as the Nankai Hawks and the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks) and the Orix Braves. Celebrated for his slugging ability, he ate a lot and became a strong hitter, though was later weakened by diabetes mellitus. With 567 home runs, Kadota is number three on the NPB career list.
After playing for the Orix Braves for two seasons, he returned to the Hawks in 1991; he retired after his last game against pitcher Hideo Nomo in 1992.
Kadota died on January 23, 2023, after a police officer found him lying on the ground after having not showed up to an outpatient treatment in a hospital in Aioi, Hyogo and was confirmed dead on the scene. [2][3]