Fresno State Athletics
Reflections of an Old School Star
2/9/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 9, 2001
FRESNO, Calif. - What do a Fresno State baseball and football player, Clovis High School teacher, Gateway Continuation School principal, Japanese professional baseball player and scout, and Clovis Unified School District Administrator all have in common? All these titles have at one time belonged to a man who is member of two Fresno Halls of Fame, Fibber Hirayama.
During his reign as a Bulldog from 1949-52, Hirayama played both football and baseball. On the football field, Hirayama wooed fans as a speedy halfback under Coach Duke Jacobs. However, Hirayama's 5 foot 4 inch and 140 pound frame limited his career in football, the sport he loved the most.
"I really enjoyed football, more then baseball, I don't know what it was," said Hirayama. "I think I really enjoyed baseball because of my coach [Pete Beiden] and because of the outstanding players I played with. It was such an enjoyable experience."
Hirayama saw no limits on the baseball diamond, leading the conference in runs scored, doubles and stolen bases. Hirayama stole five bases in a game against Cal Poly on May 18, 1951. He had a total of 71 career stolen bases which was a school record before 1989 when it was broken by future major leaguer Tom Goodwin.
"I learned a certain work ethic, and even today I still rely on those same ethics. I was very fortunate to have been involved with coach Beiden and those players. During my senior year of baseball I was in a heck of a slump. I couldn't hit a ball for anything. I just felt like I wasn't doing my part, so I went in to see coach and told him to take me out. And he scolded me. He told me that getting hits aren't the only things that matter. I was looking for sympathy and I got an awakening. I remembered that and from then on I translated it all areas of my life."
After graduation, Hirayama played for one season with the Stockton Ports, a California League Class "C" team. After that, he went into the service for two years. In 1955 Hirayama left for Japan to play for the Hiroshima Carps where he was a player for five years. "They play a little bit different in Japan," said Hirayama. "The strategy is different. They play for the run. They work awfully hard, in fact I thought they were going to kill me sometimes."
One of the highlights of playing in Japan for Hirayama, was starring in two all-star games. "I remember it being a big event. The whole place was decorated. It was very colorful and festive," said Hirayama.
After five successful years spent strictly as a player, he spent another three as a player/coach and then two more as a hitting and outfield coach.
Although Hirayama enjoyed his ten years in Japan, he and his wife wanted to bring their family back to Fresno, where Hirayama attended school even before college, in order for their children to receive schooling.
While still at Fresno State Hirayama met his future wife, Jean, who was from Hawaii attending school. They wed in February of 1955 and were married for 36 years before she passed away in 1991. Their three sons, are Colin, Kevin and Brian and they are now 44, 41 and 37 respectively. After moving back to the States in 1965, Hirayama taught math at Clovis High School while also coaching baseball. Two years later, he became the vice principal at a Clovis Unified continuation high school, Gateway. A short time later, Hirayama became the principal at Gateway, where he served for five years. In 1973 he took a job at the district office as the Administrator for Personnel, where he stayed until he retired in 1991.
After retirement, Hirayama continues to correspond with his former team in Japan. In fact, he has been working as a liaison between the Carps and the U.S. since he left from there, traveling all over the nation to find and provide American baseball players suitable for the Hiroshima Carps.
In 1991 the Carps built a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. The academy develops Dominican baseball players to play in Japan. Hirayama travels to the Dominican Republic baseball academy every year for several weeks at a time to look at the players.
Hirayama was inducted in to the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989, and in 1991 he became one of nine members inducted in the inaugural class of the Fresno State Baseball Hall of Fame. "I thought it was such an honor to be inducted in to those Halls of Fame," said Hirayama. A humble man, Hirayama says, "I've never been famous, I'll never be famous." But in the eyes of his fans, Fibber Hirayama will be famous forever.
