As manager As coach Takao Kajimoto (梶本 隆夫, April 8, 1935—September 23, 2006) was a left-handed Japanese baseball pitcher for the Hankyu Braves from 1954 to 1973.

Kajimoto was signed by the Hankyu Braves in 1954 and surprised people in spring training with his fastball, which reached 150 km/h (93 mph).

Kajimoto led the Pacific League with 118 walks, but made the All-Star team.

On July 23, he became the first pitcher in Japanese professional baseball history to strike out nine consecutive batters.

That season, the Hankyu offense was so weak (they barely averaged 3 runs a game) that manager Yukio Nishimoto once batted Kajimoto third.

He began 1966 2-0 – and went downhill from there, losing a Nippon Pro Baseball record 15 consecutive decisions to finish the year at 2-15 with a 3.68 ERA.

Making it to the Japan Series for the first time, he was toasted, going 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA and losing games three and six when Hankyu split the other four.

Kajimoto worked as a coach for Hankyu in 1974 and 1978, when he is credited with helping Yutaro Imai develop by having him drink before pitching.

That year, the Pacific League experimented with playoffs and Hankyu lost to the second-half champion Kintetsu Buffaloes.

In 1998, Kajimoto became a coach with the Chunichi Dragons minor league system for two years.