Japanese baseball great Isao Harimoto dies aged 86
Atomic-bomb survivor and first Japanese player to reach 3,000 professional hits leaves a record that still stands.
Japanese baseball legend Isao Harimoto has died aged 86, according to reports cited by Al Jazeera. No cause or exact date of death was provided.
Harimoto was the first Japanese player to reach 3,000 professional hits. He finished with 3,085 Nippon Professional Baseball hits, a record that remains unbroken.
Born to Korean parents in Japan, Harimoto survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima as a five-year-old. An accident at the age of four had left his right hand severely burned and with limited mobility, prompting him to learn to play left-handed.
He played for several Japanese teams, including the Yomiuri Giants, and was known as the “Hit Machine”. Harimoto retired in 1981 after 23 professional seasons before later working as a television commentator.
He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.
