Katsuhiro Maeda

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Katsuhiro Maeda

|position=Pitcher

|birth_date={{birth date and age|1971|6|23}}

|birth_place=Kobe, Japan

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|debutleague = NPB

|debutdate=June 17

|debutyear=1993

|debutteam=Seibu Lions

|finalleague=NPB

|finaldate=July 18

|finalyear=1995

|finalteam=Seibu Lions

|debut2league = CPBL

|debut2date=March 9

|debut2year=2002

|debut2team=Sinon Bulls

|final2league=CPBL

|final2date=July 7

|final2year=2002

|final2team=Sinon Bulls

|statleague = NPB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=0–2

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=4.89

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=42

|stat2league =CPBL

|stat21label=Win–loss record

|stat21value=3–4

|stat22label=Earned run average

|stat22value=4.25

|stat23label=Strikeouts

|stat23value=58

|teams=

Seibu Lions ({{npby|1993}}–{{npby|1995}})
Sinon Bulls ({{by|2002}})

}}

Katsuhiro Maeda (born June 23, 1971) is a former Japanese professional baseball pitcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Seibu Lions and in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for the Sinon Bulls.

Career

Maeda pitched for the Seibu Lions for three years. The Lions sold Maeda to the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball for $350,000 in 1996.{{cite web|author=Associated Press Published: May 18, 1996 12:00 am |url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/490166/YANKEES-BANKING-ON-NEW-IMPORT-FROM-JAPAN.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190213123817/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/490166/YANKEES-BANKING-ON-NEW-IMPORT-FROM-JAPAN.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 13, 2019 |title=Yankees Banking On New Import From Japan |publisher=Deseret News |date=May 18, 1996 |accessdate=February 13, 2019}} In 2004, Maeda signed with Shanghai Eagles of the China Baseball League, becoming the first Japanese player to play in China.{{cite web|author=Baseball / MLB |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2004/03/18/baseball/mlb/ex-lion-maeda-heads-for-china/#.XGOky-HYo3E |title=Ex-Lion Maeda heads for China |publisher=The Japan Times |date= |accessdate=February 13, 2019}}