Kaoru Betto

Kaoru Betto (別当 薫; August 23, 1920 – April 16, 1999) was a Japanese professional baseball player and manager in Nippon Professional Baseball. He made his professional debut as a 28-year-old outfielder for the Ōsaka Tigers in 1948, playing two seasons with the team. Betto achieved his most noted success with the Mainichi Orions, for whom he played from 1950 to 1957. In his first season with the Orions, he won the inaugural Pacific League MVP Award and helped lead the team to victory in the first Japan Series; during that Series he batted .500 with twelve hits and three RBIs, earning the first Japan Series MVP Award. He was named to the Best Nine six consecutive times from 1948 to 1953.

After his playing days ended, Betto managed four different teams, compiling a managerial record of 1,237–1,156. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.

A T-shirt featuring a cartoon image of Betto was worn by Jeff Bridges' characters in at least three films, including The Fisher King, Cold Feet, and The Big Lebowski.