Kent Hadley Biography
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- Born Dec. 17, 1934
He led the Southern Association with 34 home runs in 1958. At the time the 23-year-old prospect was playing for the Little Rock Travelers.\n', '
A year later he was the starting first baseman for the Kansas City A\'s. That December he was part of the trade that sent Roger Maris from Kansas City to the New York Yankees. He spent the 1960 season mostly on the Yankee bench, appearing in just 55 games and collecting just 70 plate appearances. The following year Hadley played for the minor league San Diego Padres (no relation to the later major league team of that name). In 1962 he went to play ball in Japan.\n', '
Hadley became the first foreigner to homer in his first at-bat in Japan. For the Nankai Hawks, Kent went deep off of Junichi Nakajima on May 1, 1962 in Heiwadai Stadium. Overall, Kent had an unimpressive season at the plate, hitting just .266/.296/.414. The Hawks brought him back in 1963 and he improved drastically, cranking out 30 long balls and batting .295/.341/.517 with 84 RBI. He made the Pacific League All-Star team and had his best season in Japan.\n', '
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