My Take
Makoto Kozuru is one of those players who exists mostly in the sepia-toned corners of Japanese baseball history, and honestly that makes him more interesting to me, not less. Born in Iizuka, Fukuoka in 1922, he was swinging a bat in the immediate postwar years — a time when getting a crowd to forget its troubles for nine innings was practically a public service. At 176 cm he had real size for that era, and I can picture a big, no-nonsense swing that the people in the stands just lived for. No highlight reels, no social media clips, no stats databases to argue over — just the crack of the bat and the roar of a crowd that needed something to cheer. That his name still surfaces at all, a generation later, tells you the impression was real. He passed in 2003, so a whole postwar chapter of Japanese baseball went with him. I find myself quietly tipping my cap.
Overview
Makoto Kozuru (December 17, 1922 – June 2, 2003) was a Japanese professional baseball player born in Iizuka, Fukuoka Prefecture. He stood 176 cm tall and attended Nihon University before pursuing a career in baseball. He is remembered as a batter who energized postwar Japanese professional baseball during its formative era.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Makoto Kozuru
- Name (Japanese)
- 小鶴誠
- Reading
- こづる まこと
- Born
- December 17, 1922 – June 2, 2003
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Dog (戌)
- Origin
- Iizuka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 176 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Active years
- Unknown
- Occupation
- Baseball player
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Nihon University
- Debut
- Unknown
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B0%8F%E9%B6%B4%E8%AA%A0
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.