A Catcher from Kanagawa: Hayato Dōue's Record and How It Ended
Some athletes reach you as a name before anything else. Hayato Dōue is one of them. Born on March 12, 1982, in Kanagawa Ward, Kanagawa Prefecture, he is a former professional baseball catcher, 181 centimeters tall. He made his way to the pros through college, industrial-league, and independent-league ball, and his career was cut short by crimes he committed.
Kanagawa Ward as a Starting Point
Kanagawa Ward sits in northeastern Yokohama, right beside the Keihin industrial belt. Delivery trucks rumble through it, and small empty lots dot the back alleys of its residential streets. It is a place thick with the smell of ordinary life.
Dōue played infield at Busō High School, switched to catcher at Yokohama College of Commerce, where he made the league's Best Nine, and played in the 2003 Japan–USA collegiate series. He then joined the industrial-league club Nissan Motor but left in his second year.
From the Independent League to the Pros
In 2006 he joined the Kagawa Olive Guyners of the Shikoku Island League, and that season he hit .327 with 11 home runs to take the batting and home-run titles and the league MVP. A move to the Boston Red Sox was even discussed.
In 2008 the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks drafted him as a developmental player, and in 2010 he made his first-team debut and recorded his first hit.
The 2012 Case
In August 2012 Dōue was arrested on suspicion of indecent assault, and SoftBank terminated his contract. In January 2013 he was sentenced to two years in prison, and his appeal was rejected.
He took the batting and home-run titles and the MVP in the independent league and reached the top team in the pros. That path ended with crimes he committed himself. The name Hayato Dōue carries both the baseball record and how it ended.