Takehiko Bessho

Takehiko Bessho (別所 毅彦), born Akira Bessho on October 1, 1922, and died June 24, 1999, was a Japanese baseball pitcher and later manager whose playing career ran from 1942 to 1960. He first gained recognition as a pitcher in Japanese professional baseball before moving into managing in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Bessho spent his first five seasons in the Japanese Baseball League, the predecessor of NPB, with the Nankai franchise across 1942–43 and 1946–48, then played his final twelve seasons with the Yomiuri Giants from 1949 to 1960. He established himself quickly as a top pitcher, winning two Sawamura Awards — the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award — and six Best Nine Awards. In 1947 he set the JBL record for most complete games in a single season with 47. He also earned the NPB Most Valuable Player Award in 1952 and 1956.

Bessho retired after the 1960 season with 310 wins, a 2.18 earned run average, and 1,932 strikeouts. Until 2019, he remained the only Hawk ever to throw a no-hitter. After leaving the game as both a player and a manager, he became a sports broadcaster.