Keiichi Hirano

Keiichi Hirano (平野 恵一, born April 7, 1979) is a Japanese former professional baseball infielder and current manager for the CTBC Brothers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffaloes and Hanshin Tigers from 2002 to 2015.

Playing career Hirano played 14 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffaloes (2002-2007, 2013-2015) and the Hanshin Tigers (2008-2012). In his career, Hirano batted .279/.337/.341 with 18 home runs and 263 RBI in 1,260 total games. He was also a 4-time NPB All-Star (2005, 2010-2012), 2-time Mitsui Golden Glove Award winner (2010-2011), 2-time Best Nine Award winner (2010-2011) and 1-time Comeback Player of the Year (2008).

Coaching career Hanshin Tigers Hirano served as a coach for his former club, the Hanshin Tigers, from 2016 to 2021.

CTBC Brothers On January 10, 2022, Hirano was hired by the CTBC Brothers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) to serve as the team's hitting coach and infield coordinator. On May 10, 2023, Hirano shifted to the position of farm director for position players.

On December 29, 2023, Hirano was named manager of the Brothers after Peng Cheng-min stepped down due to health concerns.