Oh Sadaharu
(b. 1940), Japanese baseball player. Oh hit 868 home runs during a 22-year career with the Yomiuri Giants from 1959 to 1980. Born in Tokyo, Oh joined the Giants in 1959 out of Waseda Jitsugyo High School. Originally a pitcher, he was switched to first base because of his hitting prowess and was noted for his famous "flamingo" hitting style. He won fifteen home run crowns, two triple crowns, and was a nine-time MVP and gold-glove winner as well as an eighteen-time all-star. He led the Giants to nine straight Japan Series championships in the 1960s and 1970s, and passed Henry (Hank) Aaron as world record holder for home runs on 3 September 1977. By the time he retired in 1980, he had passed Aaron's mark by a remarkable 113 home runs. Nevertheless, as the son of a Chinese father and Japanese mother, Oh suffered discrimination throughout his life and career because of his mixed ancestry. Since his retirement, Oh has stayed in the game as a manager, first with the Giants and later with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. He was elected into the Japanese baseball hall of fame in 1994, his first year of eligibility.
Further Reading
Oh Sadaharu and David Faulkner. (1984) Sadaharu Oh: A Zen Way of Baseball. Tokyo: Kodansha International.
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