Baseball: Nippon Ham wins rights to record-setting slugger Kiyomiya

Kotaro Kiyomiya, who this year set Japan's unofficial record for home runs by a high schooler, was taken by the Pacific League's Nippon Ham Fighters in the first round of Nippon Professional Baseball's amateur draft on Thursday.Kiyomiya, 18, hit a record 111 home runs in his high school career -- although that includes practices and non-league games. In 70 career official games, the left-handed hitting first baseman hit 29 homers. Although powerful and squarely built, the 1.84-meter, 101-kilogram Kiyomiya has surprisingly good speed for his size.He was the most popular player on draft day, …READ FULL ARTICLE