Yukio Muramatsu
| Date and Place of Birth: | March 6, 1920 Shitai-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan |
| Date and Place of Death: | July 25, 1944 Guam |
| Baseball Experience: | Japanese Professional League |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Rank: | Unknown |
| Military Unit: | Unknown |
| Area Served: | China/Pacific |
Yukio Muramatsu was an up and coming young pitcher in Japanese baseball before receiving his draft notice in February 1942. His hopes of stardom were left on the bloody battlefields of Guam.
Yukio Muramatsu was born on March 6, 1920 in Shitai-gun, Shizuoka
Prefecture, Japan. He attended Kakegawa Chugakkou high school and as the
baseball team's cleanup hitter and star pitcher he played in the 1938
Koshien Tournament.
Muramatsu signed with Nagoya in 1939 and played nine games at first base
while appearing in 10 on the mound. While batting just .143 in 36 plate
appearances, the 19-year-old posted a 5-3 won-loss record with a superb
1.03 ERA.
Muramatsu was a star of the 1940 season. His 21-13 record gave him the
fourth most wins in the league, while an ERA of just 1.52 was the
circuit's fifth best. In 1941, Muramatsu made 28 appearances for a 12-10
record and his ERA of 0.98 was third best in the league.
A highly promising career was cut short when the 21-year-old was drafted
for military service in February 1942. He served in China in 1943
(probably as a member of the 18th Infantry Regiment) before being sent
to the Pacific where he died in combat on July 25, 1944, during the
Battle of Guam. More that 18,000 Japanese troops were killed at Guam.
Date Added: February 13, 2013
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