Sadaharu Oh: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Japanese baseball player and manager (born 1940)}} |
{{Short description|Japanese baseball player and manager (born 1940)}} |
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{{Family name hatnote|Wang [[ |
{{Family name hatnote|Wang [[Wang (surname)#Japan|(王)]]|lang=Chinese}} |
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{{Infobox baseball biography |
{{Infobox baseball biography |
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| name = Sadaharu Oh |
| name = Sadaharu Oh |
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| image = 王貞治 cropped from 王貞治受邀於「2023年第30屆亞洲棒球錦標賽」擔任開球嘉賓.jpg |
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| image = 20110318世界少年棒球基金會理事長王貞治拜訪花博新聞照片.jpg |
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| image_size = 250 |
| image_size = 250 |
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| caption = |
| caption = Sadaharu Oh in 2023 |
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| number = 18 |
| number = 18 |
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| position = [[First baseman]] |
| position = [[First baseman]] / [[Manager (baseball)|Manager]] |
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1940|5|20}} |
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1940|5|20}} |
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| birth_place = [[Sumida, Tokyo]], Japan |
| birth_place = [[Sumida, Tokyo]], Japan |
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| stat5value = 84 |
| stat5value = 84 |
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| teams = |
| teams = |
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'''As |
'''As player''' |
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* [[Yomiuri Giants]] ({{npby|1959}}–{{npby|1980}}) |
* [[Yomiuri Giants]] ({{npby|1959}}–{{npby|1980}}) |
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'''As |
'''As manager''' |
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* [[Yomiuri Giants]] ({{npby|1984}}–{{npby|1988}}) |
* [[Yomiuri Giants]] ({{npby|1984}}–{{npby|1988}}) |
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* [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks|Fukuoka Daiei Hawks • Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]] ({{npby|1995}}–{{npby|2008}}) |
* [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks|Fukuoka Daiei Hawks • Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]] ({{npby|1995}}–{{npby|2008}}) |
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'''As |
'''As executive''' |
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* Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks ({{npby|2009}}-present) |
* Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks ({{npby|2009}}-present) |
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|awards = |
|awards = |
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'''As player''' |
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* 11× [[Japan Series]] Champion (as a player) ([[1961 Japan Series|1961]], [[1963 Japan Series|1963]], [[1965 Japan Series|1965]], [[1966 Japan Series|1966]], [[1967 Japan Series|1967]], [[1968 Japan Series|1968]], [[1969 Japan Series|1969]], [[1970 Japan Series|1970]], [[1971 Japan Series|1971]], [[1972 Japan Series|1972]], [[1973 Japan Series|1973]]) |
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* 9× [[Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Central League MVP]] ({{Baseball year|1964}}, {{Baseball year|1965}}, {{Baseball year|1967}}, {{Baseball year|1969}}, {{Baseball year|1970}}, {{Baseball year|1973}}, {{Baseball year|1974}}, {{Baseball year|1976}}, {{Baseball year|1977}}) |
* 9× [[Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Central League MVP]] ({{Baseball year|1964}}, {{Baseball year|1965}}, {{Baseball year|1967}}, {{Baseball year|1969}}, {{Baseball year|1970}}, {{Baseball year|1973}}, {{Baseball year|1974}}, {{Baseball year|1976}}, {{Baseball year|1977}}) |
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* 2× [[Nippon Professional Baseball|Japanese]] [[Triple crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]] (1973, 1974) |
* 2× [[Nippon Professional Baseball|Japanese]] [[Triple crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]] (1973, 1974) |
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* 3× [[Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize]] (1974, 1976, 1977) |
* 3× [[Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize]] (1974, 1976, 1977) |
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* [[Hit for the cycle]] on April 25, 1963 |
* [[Hit for the cycle]] on April 25, 1963 |
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* [[Yomiuri Giants#Retired numbers|Yomiuri Giants #1]] retired |
* [[Yomiuri Giants#Retired numbers|Yomiuri Giants #1]] retired |
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'''As manager''' |
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* 2× [[Japan Series]] champion ([[1999 Japan Series|1999]], [[2003 Japan Series|2003]]) |
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'''As executive''' |
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'''NPB/World records''' |
'''NPB/World records''' |
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* 868 Career [[Home run]]s (World record) |
* 868 Career [[Home run]]s (World record) |
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| hofmethod = |
| hofmethod = |
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}} |
}} |
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{{Chinese |
{{Infobox Chinese |
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| title = Wang Chen-chih<br/>Sadaharu Ō |
| title = Wang Chen-chih<br/>Sadaharu Ō |
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| pic = 20181117Ou-Sadaharu.jpg |
| pic = 20181117Ou-Sadaharu.jpg |
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| romaji = Ō Sadaharu |
| romaji = Ō Sadaharu |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Sadaharu Oh''' ([[Japanese language|Japanese]]: {{lang|ja|王貞治}}, ''Ō Sadaharu''; born May 20, 1940), also known as '''Wang Chen-chih''' ({{zh|t=王貞治|p=Wáng Zhēnzhì}}), is a Japanese-born former [[baseball]] player and manager |
'''Sadaharu Oh''' ([[Japanese language|Japanese]]: {{lang|ja|王貞治}}, ''Ō Sadaharu''; born May 20, 1940), also known as '''Wang Chen-chih''' ({{zh|t=王貞治|p=Wáng Zhēnzhì}}), is a Japanese-born Taiwanese former [[professional baseball]] player and manager who is currently the [[chairman]] of the [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]] of [[Nippon Professional Baseball]] (NPB). Oh's playing career spanned across four decades, during which he only played with the [[Yomiuri Giants]]. He holds the world career [[home run]] record at 868, over 100 more than [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] [[List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders|record holder]] [[Barry Bonds]].<ref>Spatz, Lyle. ''Historical Dictionary of Baseball'' (Scarecrow Press, 2012), p. 169.</ref> |
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Oh batted and threw left-handed and primarily played [[first base]]. Originally signed with the powerhouse |
Oh batted and threw left-handed and primarily played [[first base]]. Originally signed with the powerhouse Giants in 1959 as a [[pitcher]], Oh was soon converted to a full-time hitter. Under the tutelage of coach [[Hiroshi Arakawa]], Oh developed his distinctive "[[flamingo]]" leg kick. It took Oh three years to blossom, but he went on to dominate Nippon Professional Baseball. He was a 15-time home run champion and was named to the [[Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Series|Central League All-Star]] team 18 times. More than just a power hitter, Oh was a five-time [[batting title|batting champion]] and won the Japanese [[Central League]]'s batting [[triple crown (baseball)|triple crown]] twice. With Oh at first base, the Yomiuri Giants won 11 [[Japan Series]] championships, including 9 in a row from {{npby|1965}} to {{npby|1973}}. Oh was named the Central League's [[Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]] nine times. |
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In addition to the world career home run record, Oh set many other NPB batting records, including [[runs batted in]] (RBI) (2,170), [[slugging percentage]] (.634), [[bases on balls]] (2,390), and [[on-base plus slugging percentage]] (OPS) (1.080). He held Japan's single-season home run record with 55, until [[Wladimir Balentien]] broke the record in 2013. In 1977, Oh became the first recipient of the [[People's Honour Award]]. He was inducted into the [[Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 1994. |
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⚫ | After retiring as a player, Oh served as the Giants' manager from 1984 to 1988. He also managed the [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks|Fukuoka Daiei/Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]] from 1995 to 2008.<ref name="nussbaum">[[Louis-Frédéric|Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric]]. (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=p2QnPijAEmEC&pg=PA758&dq= "Ō Sadaharu"] in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 758.</ref> He was the manager of the [[Japan national baseball team|Japanese national team]] in the [[2006 World Baseball Classic|inaugural]] [[World Baseball Classic]], which defeated [[Cuba national baseball team|Cuba]] for the championship. He is currently the chairman of the Hawks. |
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== Early life == |
== Early life == |
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Oh was born in [[Sumida, Tokyo]], as the |
Oh was born in [[Sumida, Tokyo]], as the fifth of six children (four daughters and two sons) of a Japanese mother Tomi Oh {{lang|ja|王登美}} (née Tozumi {{lang|ja|當住}}) and a Chinese father {{ill|Shifuku Oh|zh|王仕福}} (王仕福 ''Wáng Shìfú'' from [[Qingtian County]], [[Zhejiang]].<ref>Wu, Debby. [http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2003/11/16/2003076035 "Baseball great has roots in ROC"], ''[[Taipei Times]]''. Sunday November 16, 2003. Page 2. Retrieved on August 3, 2009.</ref> His older twin sister died when they were 15 months old, and his younger sister died shortly after she was born, He was eventually raised as the youngest of four remaining children. Although born in Japan, Oh is a citizen of the [[Taiwan|Republic of China]] (ROC), as his father had left for Japan when the ROC still governed mainland China and chose to retain his ROC citizenship. |
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==Playing career== |
==Playing career== |
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In 1964, Oh hit 55 home runs, a single-season record he owned for 37 years until it was tied by [[Tuffy Rhodes]] in 2001. Oh surpassed 50 home runs in a season two other times, in 1973 and 1977. |
In 1964, Oh hit 55 home runs, a single-season record he owned for 37 years until it was tied by [[Tuffy Rhodes]] in 2001. Oh surpassed 50 home runs in a season two other times, in 1973 and 1977. |
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[[File:Sadaharu Oh 1979.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Oh in 1979]] |
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Oh became friends with [[Hank Aaron]], his contemporary in [[Major League Baseball]]. The two squared off in a [[home run derby]] before an exhibition game at [[Korakuen Stadium]] on 2 November 1974, after Aaron eclipsed [[Babe Ruth]]'s home run record. By that time, Oh was running away with the Japanese home run record, having become the first Japanese baseball player to hit 600 career home runs that year. Aaron won, |
Oh became friends with [[Hank Aaron]], his contemporary in [[Major League Baseball]]. The two squared off in a [[home run derby]] before an exhibition game at [[Korakuen Stadium]] on 2 November 1974, after Aaron eclipsed [[Babe Ruth]]'s home run record. By that time, Oh was running away with the Japanese home run record, having become the first Japanese baseball player to hit 600 career home runs that year. Aaron won, 10–9.<ref>[http://www.baseball-fever.com/archive/index.php/t-38720.html Sadaharu Oh [Archive] – Baseball Fever<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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His hitting exploits benefited from the fact that for most of his career he batted third in the Giants' lineup, with another very dangerous hitter, [[Shigeo Nagashima]], batting fourth; the two players forming the feared "O-N Cannon". In his autobiography, ''Sadaharu Oh: A Zen Way of Baseball'' ({{ISBN|978-0812911091}}), Oh said he and Nagashima were not close, rarely spending time together off the field. |
His hitting exploits benefited from the fact that for most of his career he batted third in the Giants' lineup, with another very dangerous hitter, [[Shigeo Nagashima]], batting fourth; the two players forming the feared "O-N Cannon". In his autobiography, ''Sadaharu Oh: A Zen Way of Baseball'' ({{ISBN|978-0812911091}}), Oh said he and Nagashima were not close, rarely spending time together off the field. |
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In 2006, Oh managed the [[Japan national baseball team]], winning the championship in the inaugural [[2006 World Baseball Classic]] over [[Cuba]]. |
In 2006, Oh managed the [[Japan national baseball team]], winning the championship in the inaugural [[2006 World Baseball Classic]] over [[Cuba]]. |
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On July 5, Oh announced that he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from the Hawks to combat a stomach tumor.<ref>''[[The Seattle Times]]'', [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2003107586_digs06.html "Briefs: Sadaharu Oh to have stomach surgery"], July 6, 2006.</ref> On July 17, 2006, Oh underwent [[laparoscopic surgery]] to remove his stomach and its surrounding [[lymph node]]s. The surgery was considered to be a success.<ref>Associated PRess, [http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/576699/japanese_baseball_great_sadaharu_oh_has_operation_for_stomach_cancer/index.html "Japanese Baseball Great Sadaharu Oh Has Operation for Stomach Cancer"], RedOrbit, July 18, 2006.</ref> Although the tumor was confirmed to be cancerous, it was caught in early stages. He returned to coaching the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, although he announced he would retire at the end of the 2008 season as manager |
On July 5, Oh announced that he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from the Hawks to combat a stomach tumor.<ref>''[[The Seattle Times]]'', [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2003107586_digs06.html "Briefs: Sadaharu Oh to have stomach surgery"], July 6, 2006.</ref> On July 17, 2006, Oh underwent [[laparoscopic surgery]] to remove his stomach and its surrounding [[lymph node]]s. The surgery was considered to be a success.<ref>Associated PRess, [http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/576699/japanese_baseball_great_sadaharu_oh_has_operation_for_stomach_cancer/index.html "Japanese Baseball Great Sadaharu Oh Has Operation for Stomach Cancer"], RedOrbit, July 18, 2006.</ref> Although the tumor was confirmed to be cancerous, it was caught in early stages. He returned to coaching the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, although he announced he would retire at the end of the 2008 season as manager, stepping into a front office role for the Hawks, which he has held ever since. |
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==Home run record controversy== |
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On three occasions, foreign-born players challenged Oh's single-season home run record of 55 and faced Oh-managed teams late in the season. On each occasion, Oh's pitchers refused to throw strikes to them on orders from Oh, in accordance with an imperial decree from [[Emperor Hirohito|Emperor Showa]]. This practice was continued under [[Emperor Akihito|Emperor Heisei]].<ref name="japantimes12">Whiting, Robert, "[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sb20081031j3.html Equaling Oh's HR record proved difficult]", ''[[Japan Times]]'', October 31, 2008, p. 12.</ref><ref name=Coskrey>Coskrey, Jason. [http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/09/06/baseball/bass-says-balentien-wont-get-easy-path-to-ohs-record/#.VRMtBpPF-l3 "Bass says Balentien won't get easy path to Oh's record,"] ''Japan Times'' (September 6, 2013).</ref> |
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In 1985, American [[Randy Bass]], playing for the [[Hanshin Tigers]], came into the last game of the season against the Oh-managed Giants with 54 home runs. Bass was intentionally walked four times on four straight pitches each time. Bass reached over the plate on the fifth occasion and batted the ball into the outfield for a single. After the game, Oh denied ordering his pitchers to walk Bass, but [[Keith Comstock]], an American pitcher for the Giants, later stated that an unnamed Giants coach had threatened a fine of $1,000 for every strike that any Giants pitcher threw to Bass. The magazine Takarajima investigated the incident and reported that the Giants front office had likely ordered the team not to allow Bass an opportunity to tie or break Oh's record. For the most part, the Japanese media remained silent on the incident, as did league commissioner Takeso Shimoda.<ref name="japantimes12"/> |
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In 2001, American [[Tuffy Rhodes|Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes]], playing for the [[Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes]], hit 55 home runs with several games left. The Buffaloes played the Oh-managed [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks|Fukuoka Daiei Hawks]] on a late weekend series in [[Fukuoka]]. Rhodes was intentionally walked during each at-bat. Hawks catcher [[Kenji Johjima]] could be seen grinning as he caught the intentional balls.{{Citation needed|date=June 2018}} Again, Oh denied any involvement and Hawks pitching coach Yoshiharu Wakana stated that the pitchers acted on his orders, saying, "I just didn't want a [[gaijin|foreign player]] to break Oh's record." Rhodes completed the season with 55 home runs. Hawks pitcher [[Keisaburo Tanoue]] went on record saying that he wanted to throw strikes to Rhodes and felt bad about the situation.<ref name="japantimes12"/><ref>Roah, Jeff, [http://tokyoq.com/weekly_updates/tutt/tutt011012.html "Tokyo under the tracks: It's Never Too Late to Insert an Asterisk"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113212440/http://tokyoq.com/weekly_updates/tutt/tutt011012.html |date=2009-01-13 }}, Tokyo Q, October 12, 2001.</ref> |
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In 2002, Venezuelan [[Alex Cabrera]] hit 55 home runs with five games left in the season and his team played Oh's Hawks. Oh told his pitchers to throw strikes to Cabrera{{Citation needed|date=June 2018}}, but most of them ignored his order and threw balls well away from the plate. After the game, Oh stated, "If you're going to break the record, you should do it by more than one. Do it by a lot."<ref name="japantimes12"/> In the wake of the most recent incident involving Cabrera, [[ESPN]] listed Oh's single-season home run record on its list of "The Phoniest Records in Sports". Cabrera called the whole thing “racist”.<ref name=Coskrey /><ref>Merron, Jeff. [https://web.archive.org/web/20040621155959/http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/story?page=phonyrecords-030225 "The Phoniest Records in Sports,"] ESPN (Feb. 25, 2004).</ref> |
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[[Wladimir Balentien]], a [[Curaçao]]an born player, broke Oh's home run record on September 15, 2013, by hitting his 56th and 57th home runs of the season in a game against the [[Hanshin Tigers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130915&content_id=60680808&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb|title=Balentien breaks Oh's Japanese home run record|last=Berry|first=Adam|work=MLB.com|date=September 15, 2013|access-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref> Balentien ended that season with 60 home runs. |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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Oh was married to {{nihongo|Kyoko Oh|王恭子|Ō Kyōko}}, and had three daughters with her. She died of [[stomach cancer]], the same disease he had in 2006, in December 2001 at age 57.<ref>Wallace, Bruce. [http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jul/04/sports/sp-oh4 "Column One: Home run king and gentleman: Japan's Sadaharu Oh reflects on his career, Barry Bonds and cancer. 'I feel lucky, |
Oh was married to {{nihongo|Kyoko Oh|王恭子|Ō Kyōko}}, and had three daughters with her. She died of [[stomach cancer]], the same disease he had in 2006, in December 2001 at age 57.<ref>Wallace, Bruce. [http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jul/04/sports/sp-oh4 "Column One: Home run king and gentleman: Japan's Sadaharu Oh reflects on his career, Barry Bonds and cancer. 'I feel lucky,' he says"], ''Los Angeles Times'' (July 4, 2007).</ref> Their second daughter, [[Rie Oh|Rie]] (born in 1970), is a sportscaster and presenter on the [[J-Wave]] radio network. |
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== In popular culture == |
== In popular culture == |
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*In 2002 and 2005, he was named by President [[Chen Shui-bian]] of Taiwan as [[Ambassador-at-Large]] of the Republic of China. |
*In 2002 and 2005, he was named by President [[Chen Shui-bian]] of Taiwan as [[Ambassador-at-Large]] of the Republic of China. |
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*President [[Ma Ying-Jeou]] honored Sadaharu Oh with the "Order of Brilliant Star" on February 5, 2009, in [[Taipei]]. Oh called receiving the award, "The highest honor of his life."<ref>http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090206/4/1e02k.html{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |
*President [[Ma Ying-Jeou]] honored Sadaharu Oh with the "Order of Brilliant Star" on February 5, 2009, in [[Taipei]]. Oh called receiving the award, "The highest honor of his life."<ref>http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090206/4/1e02k.html{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |
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*During the 2009 [[World Baseball Classic]], Oh attended many of the games played by Japan. |
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*During the [[2020 Summer Olympic Games]] in Tokyo (which took place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), he was a part of a group that carried the torch in the stadium.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wtop.com/asia/2021/07/the-latest-cyclist-is-4th-czech-athlete-to-test-positive/|title=The Latest: Osaka lights cauldron at Tokyo opening ceremony|agency=[[Associated Press]]|publisher=[[WTOP-FM|WTOP]]|date=2021-07-23|accessdate=2021-08-24}}</ref> |
*During the [[2020 Summer Olympic Games]] in Tokyo (which took place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), he was a part of a group that carried the torch in the stadium.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wtop.com/asia/2021/07/the-latest-cyclist-is-4th-czech-athlete-to-test-positive/|title=The Latest: Osaka lights cauldron at Tokyo opening ceremony|agency=[[Associated Press]]|publisher=[[WTOP-FM|WTOP]]|date=2021-07-23|accessdate=2021-08-24}}</ref> |
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==Statistics== |
==Statistics== |
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{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;" |
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;" |
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! |
!Year!![[Team]]!![[Squad number|Number]]!![[Games played|G]]!![[At bat|AB]]!![[Run (baseball)|R]]!![[Hit (baseball)|H]]!![[Double (baseball)|2B]]!![[Triple (baseball)|3B]]!![[Home run|HR]]!![[Total bases|TB]]!![[Run batted in|RBI]]!![[Stolen base|SB]]!![[Caught stealing|CS]]!![[Sacrifice bunt|SH]]!![[Sacrifice fly|SF]]!![[Base on balls|BB]]!![[Intentional base on balls|IBB]]!![[Hit by pitch|HBP]]!![[Strikeout|K]]!![[Double play|DP]]!![[Batting average (baseball)|AVG]]!![[On-base percentage|OBP]]!![[Slugging percentage|SLG]]!![[On-base plus slugging|OPS]] |
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|- |
|- |
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|1959||rowspan="22" style="text-align:center;"|[[Yomiuri Giants]]||rowspan="22" style="text-align:center;"|1||94||193||18||31||7||1||7||61||25||3||1||1||1||24||1||3||72||2||.161||.262||.316||.569 |
|1959||rowspan="22" style="text-align:center;"|[[Yomiuri Giants]]||rowspan="22" style="text-align:center;"|1||94||193||18||31||7||1||7||61||25||3||1||1||1||24||1||3||72||2||.161||.262||.316||.569 |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{Commons category|Sadaharu Oh}} |
{{Commons category|Sadaharu Oh}} |
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* {{japanesebaseball|id=419}} |
* {{japanesebaseball|id=419}} |
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{{Yomiuri Giants}} |
{{Yomiuri Giants}} |
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{{Yomiuri Giants managers}} |
{{Yomiuri Giants managers}} |
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{{Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
{{Authority control}} |
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[[Category:1940 births]] |
[[Category:1940 births]] |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category:People from Sumida]] |
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[[Category:Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks managers]] |
[[Category:Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks managers]] |
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[[Category:Nippon Professional Baseball first basemen]] |
[[Category:Nippon Professional Baseball first basemen]] |
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[[Category:People's Honour Award winners]] |
[[Category:People's Honour Award winners]] |
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[[Category:Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]] |
[[Category:Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Baseball people from Tokyo]] |
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[[Category:World Baseball Classic managers]] |
[[Category:World Baseball Classic managers]] |
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[[Category:Yomiuri Giants managers]] |
[[Category:Yomiuri Giants managers]] |
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[[Category:Yomiuri Giants players]] |
[[Category:Yomiuri Giants players]] |
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[[Category:Japanese people of Chinese descent]] |
[[Category:Japanese people of Chinese descent]] |
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[[Category:Nippon Professional Baseball players with retired numbers]] |
Revision as of 06:37, 15 July 2024
Sadaharu Oh | |
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Sadaharu Oh in 2023 | |
First baseman / Manager | |
Born: Sumida, Tokyo, Japan | May 20, 1940|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
NPB debut | |
April 11, 1959, for the Yomiuri Giants | |
Last appearance | |
October 12, 1980, for the Yomiuri Giants | |
NPB statistics | |
Batting average | .301 |
Hits | 2,786 |
Home runs | 868 |
Runs batted in | 2,170 |
Stolen bases | 84 |
Teams | |
As player
As manager As executive
| |
Career highlights and awards | |
As player
As manager
As executive NPB/World records
| |
Member of the Japanese | |
Induction | 1994 |
Wang Chen-chih Sadaharu Ō | |||||||||||||
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Hand print of Sadaharu Oh | |||||||||||||
Chinese name | |||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 王貞治 | ||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 王贞治 | ||||||||||||
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Japanese name | |||||||||||||
Kanji | 王 貞治 | ||||||||||||
Kana | おう さだはる | ||||||||||||
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Sadaharu Oh (Japanese: 王貞治, Ō Sadaharu; born May 20, 1940), also known as Wang Chen-chih (Chinese: 王貞治; pinyin: Wáng Zhēnzhì), is a Japanese-born Taiwanese former professional baseball player and manager who is currently the chairman of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Oh's playing career spanned across four decades, during which he only played with the Yomiuri Giants. He holds the world career home run record at 868, over 100 more than MLB record holder Barry Bonds.[1]
Oh batted and threw left-handed and primarily played first base. Originally signed with the powerhouse Giants in 1959 as a pitcher, Oh was soon converted to a full-time hitter. Under the tutelage of coach Hiroshi Arakawa, Oh developed his distinctive "flamingo" leg kick. It took Oh three years to blossom, but he went on to dominate Nippon Professional Baseball. He was a 15-time home run champion and was named to the Central League All-Star team 18 times. More than just a power hitter, Oh was a five-time batting champion and won the Japanese Central League's batting triple crown twice. With Oh at first base, the Yomiuri Giants won 11 Japan Series championships, including 9 in a row from 1965 to 1973. Oh was named the Central League's Most Valuable Player nine times.
In addition to the world career home run record, Oh set many other NPB batting records, including runs batted in (RBI) (2,170), slugging percentage (.634), bases on balls (2,390), and on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) (1.080). He held Japan's single-season home run record with 55, until Wladimir Balentien broke the record in 2013. In 1977, Oh became the first recipient of the People's Honour Award. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.
After retiring as a player, Oh served as the Giants' manager from 1984 to 1988. He also managed the Fukuoka Daiei/Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks from 1995 to 2008.[2] He was the manager of the Japanese national team in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, which defeated Cuba for the championship. He is currently the chairman of the Hawks.
Early life
Oh was born in Sumida, Tokyo, as the fifth of six children (four daughters and two sons) of a Japanese mother Tomi Oh 王登美 (née Tozumi 當住) and a Chinese father Shifuku Oh (王仕福 Wáng Shìfú from Qingtian County, Zhejiang.[3] His older twin sister died when they were 15 months old, and his younger sister died shortly after she was born, He was eventually raised as the youngest of four remaining children. Although born in Japan, Oh is a citizen of the Republic of China (ROC), as his father had left for Japan when the ROC still governed mainland China and chose to retain his ROC citizenship.
Playing career
Prep career
Oh managed to make his high school team, and, in 1957, Waseda Jitsugyo High School made it to the Spring Koshien Tournament with the second-year Oh as its ace pitcher. Before the tournament started, Oh suffered serious blisters on two fingers of his pitching hand. Oh pitched the entire first game at Koshien and his team won. The next day, Oh pitched another complete game and earned the victory, but the blisters worsened. Oh faced the prospect of pitching two more games on consecutive days for the championship with injuries. Oh pitched and won another complete game, enduring the pain.
Oh was able to just make it through his fourth complete game in four days, squeaking out a one-run victory. Oh won the championship, though was not allowed to play in the Kokutai due to being Chinese.[4]
Professional career
In 1959, he signed his first professional contract as a pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants. However, Oh was not a strong enough pitcher to succeed professionally, and soon switched to first base, working diligently with coach Hiroshi Arakawa to improve his hitting skills. This led to the development of Oh's distinctive "flamingo" leg kick. His batting average jumped from .161 in his rookie season to .270 in 1960, and his home runs more than doubled. His performance dipped slightly in both statistical categories in 1961, but Oh truly blossomed in 1962, when he hit 38 home runs.
In 1964, Oh hit 55 home runs, a single-season record he owned for 37 years until it was tied by Tuffy Rhodes in 2001. Oh surpassed 50 home runs in a season two other times, in 1973 and 1977.
Oh became friends with Hank Aaron, his contemporary in Major League Baseball. The two squared off in a home run derby before an exhibition game at Korakuen Stadium on 2 November 1974, after Aaron eclipsed Babe Ruth's home run record. By that time, Oh was running away with the Japanese home run record, having become the first Japanese baseball player to hit 600 career home runs that year. Aaron won, 10–9.[5]
His hitting exploits benefited from the fact that for most of his career he batted third in the Giants' lineup, with another very dangerous hitter, Shigeo Nagashima, batting fourth; the two players forming the feared "O-N Cannon". In his autobiography, Sadaharu Oh: A Zen Way of Baseball (ISBN 978-0812911091), Oh said he and Nagashima were not close, rarely spending time together off the field.
Sadaharu Oh retired in 1980 at age 40, having amassed 2,786 hits (third after Isao Harimoto (Jang Hoon) and Katsuya Nomura), 2,170 RBIs, a lifetime batting average of .301, and 868 home runs.
Managing career
Sadaharu Oh was the assistant manager of the Yomiuri Giants between 1981 and 1983. He became the manager of the Yomiuri Giants between 1984 and 1988. He led the Giants to one Central League pennant in 1987. He was asked to retire as Giants manager after the 1988 season.[6]
In 1995, he returned to baseball as the manager of the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (later the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks). Oh led the Hawks to three Pacific League pennants in 1999, 2000 and 2003, and two Japan Series titles in 1999 and 2003.
In 2006, Oh managed the Japan national baseball team, winning the championship in the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic over Cuba.
On July 5, Oh announced that he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from the Hawks to combat a stomach tumor.[7] On July 17, 2006, Oh underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove his stomach and its surrounding lymph nodes. The surgery was considered to be a success.[8] Although the tumor was confirmed to be cancerous, it was caught in early stages. He returned to coaching the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, although he announced he would retire at the end of the 2008 season as manager, stepping into a front office role for the Hawks, which he has held ever since.
Personal life
Oh was married to Kyoko Oh (王恭子, Ō Kyōko), and had three daughters with her. She died of stomach cancer, the same disease he had in 2006, in December 2001 at age 57.[9] Their second daughter, Rie (born in 1970), is a sportscaster and presenter on the J-Wave radio network.
In popular culture
- Oh is mentioned in the Beastie Boys song "Hey Ladies": "I got more hits than Sadaharu Oh."
- Oh is Mentioned in A Different World season 2 episode 20, "No means No".
- A character in the manga series Kinnikuman is named after Sadaharu Oh.
- Oh is mentioned in the manga series Hajime no Ippo.
- Oh is mentioned in the 1979 movie The Bad News Bears Go to Japan.
Miscellaneous
- In 1988, Oh and Hank Aaron created the World Children's Baseball Fair (WCBF), to increase the popularity of baseball by working with youngsters.[10]
- On December 4, 2007, Oh said in Chiyoda, Tokyo that it is just a matter of time before his career record of 868 home runs will be broken: "I think the 868 record will be broken. There's nobody near that mark in Japan, but I think Alex Rodriguez can do it", he added. "He has the ability to hit 1,000."[11] (Rodriguez retired seven years later, at the age of 41, with 696 home runs.)
- In 2002 and 2005, he was named by President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan as Ambassador-at-Large of the Republic of China.
- President Ma Ying-Jeou honored Sadaharu Oh with the "Order of Brilliant Star" on February 5, 2009, in Taipei. Oh called receiving the award, "The highest honor of his life."[12]
- During the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo (which took place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), he was a part of a group that carried the torch in the stadium.[13]
Statistics
Year | Team | Number | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | TB | RBI | SB | CS | SH | SF | BB | IBB | HBP | K | DP | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1959 | Yomiuri Giants | 1 | 94 | 193 | 18 | 31 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 61 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 3 | 72 | 2 | .161 | .262 | .316 | .569 |
1960 | 130 | 426 | 49 | 115 | 19 | 3 | 17 | 191 | 71 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 67 | 5 | 5 | 101 | 7 | .270 | .375 | .448 | .823 | ||
1961 | 127 | 396 | 50 | 100 | 25 | 6 | 13 | 176 | 53 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 64 | 3 | 3 | 72 | 7 | .253 | .358 | .444 | .802 | ||
1962 | 134 | 497 | 79 | 135 | 28 | 2 | 38 | 281 | 85 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 72 | 9 | 12 | 99 | 6 | .272 | .376 | .565 | .941 | ||
1963 | 140 | 478 | 111 | 146 | 30 | 5 | 40 | 306 | 106 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 123 | 12 | 6 | 64 | 7 | .305 | .452 | .640 | 1.092 | ||
1964 | 140 | 472 | 110 | 151 | 24 | 0 | 55 | 340 | 119 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 119 | 20 | 3 | 81 | 8 | .320 | .456 | .720 | 1.176 | ||
1965 | 135 | 428 | 104 | 138 | 19 | 1 | 42 | 285 | 104 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 138 | 29 | 6 | 58 | 7 | .322 | .490 | .666 | 1.156 | ||
1966 | 129 | 396 | 111 | 123 | 14 | 1 | 48 | 283 | 116 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 142 | 41 | 7 | 51 | 5 | .311 | .495 | .715 | 1.210 | ||
1967 | 133 | 426 | 94 | 139 | 22 | 3 | 47 | 308 | 108 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 130 | 30 | 7 | 65 | 7 | .326 | .488 | .723 | 1.211 | ||
1968 | 131 | 442 | 107 | 144 | 28 | 0 | 49 | 319 | 119 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 121 | 18 | 10 | 72 | 5 | .326 | .475 | .722 | 1.197 | ||
1969 | 130 | 452 | 112 | 156 | 24 | 0 | 44 | 312 | 103 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 111 | 12 | 5 | 61 | 7 | .345 | .472 | .690 | 1.162 | ||
1970 | 129 | 425 | 97 | 138 | 24 | 0 | 47 | 303 | 93 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 119 | 24 | 6 | 48 | 8 | .325 | .476 | .713 | 1.189 | ||
1971 | 130 | 434 | 92 | 120 | 18 | 2 | 39 | 259 | 101 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 121 | 17 | 5 | 65 | 8 | .276 | .435 | .597 | 1.032 | ||
1972 | 130 | 456 | 104 | 135 | 19 | 0 | 48 | 298 | 120 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 108 | 18 | 6 | 43 | 8 | .296 | .435 | .654 | 1.089 | ||
1973 | 130 | 428 | 111 | 152 | 18 | 0 | 51 | 323 | 114 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 124 | 38 | 4 | 41 | 7 | .355 | .500 | .755 | 1.255 | ||
1974 | 130 | 385 | 105 | 128 | 18 | 0 | 49 | 293 | 107 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 158 | 45 | 8 | 44 | 4 | .332 | .532 | .761 | 1.293 | ||
1975 | 128 | 393 | 77 | 112 | 14 | 0 | 33 | 225 | 96 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 123 | 27 | 1 | 62 | 9 | .285 | .451 | .573 | 1.024 | ||
1976 | 122 | 400 | 99 | 130 | 11 | 1 | 49 | 290 | 123 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 125 | 27 | 2 | 45 | 8 | .325 | .479 | .725 | 1.204 | ||
1977 | 130 | 432 | 114 | 140 | 15 | 0 | 50 | 305 | 124 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 126 | 16 | 6 | 37 | 14 | .324 | .477 | .706 | 1.183 | ||
1978 | 130 | 440 | 91 | 132 | 20 | 0 | 39 | 269 | 118 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 114 | 17 | 1 | 43 | 7 | .300 | .436 | .611 | 1.048 | ||
1979 | 120 | 407 | 73 | 116 | 15 | 0 | 33 | 230 | 81 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 89 | 10 | 5 | 48 | 9 | .285 | .415 | .565 | .980 | ||
1980 | 129 | 476 | 59 | 105 | 10 | 0 | 30 | 205 | 84 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 72 | 8 | 3 | 47 | 9 | .236 | .342 | .462 | .803 | ||
Total | 2831 | 9250 | 1967 | 2786 | 422 | 25 | 868 | 5862 | 2170 | 84 | 59 | 12 | 100 | 2390 | 427 | 114 | 1319 | 159 | .301 | .446 | .634 | 1.080 |
References
- ^ Spatz, Lyle. Historical Dictionary of Baseball (Scarecrow Press, 2012), p. 169.
- ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Ō Sadaharu" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 758.
- ^ Wu, Debby. "Baseball great has roots in ROC", Taipei Times. Sunday November 16, 2003. Page 2. Retrieved on August 3, 2009.
- ^ Magill, Frank Northen; Aves, Alison (November 1999). Dictionary of World Biography: The 20th century, O-Z. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-57958-048-3.
- ^ Sadaharu Oh [Archive] – Baseball Fever
- ^ Whiting, Robert. You Gotta Have Wa (Vintage Departures, 1989), p. 3.
- ^ The Seattle Times, "Briefs: Sadaharu Oh to have stomach surgery", July 6, 2006.
- ^ Associated PRess, "Japanese Baseball Great Sadaharu Oh Has Operation for Stomach Cancer", RedOrbit, July 18, 2006.
- ^ Wallace, Bruce. "Column One: Home run king and gentleman: Japan's Sadaharu Oh reflects on his career, Barry Bonds and cancer. 'I feel lucky,' he says", Los Angeles Times (July 4, 2007).
- ^ "World Children'S Baseball Fair". Wcbf.org. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
- ^ "Japanese baseball player expects A-Rod to surpass his home-run record". Agence France-Presse. December 4, 2007. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009.
- ^ http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090206/4/1e02k.html[permanent dead link]
- ^ "The Latest: Osaka lights cauldron at Tokyo opening ceremony". WTOP. Associated Press. 2021-07-23. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
External links
- Nippon Professional Baseball career statistics from JapaneseBaseball.com
- Oh for Cooperstown? Part I by Jim Albright
- Oh for Cooperstown? Part II by Jim Albright
- 1940 births
- Living people
- People from Sumida
- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks managers
- Nippon Professional Baseball first basemen
- Nippon Professional Baseball MVP Award winners
- People's Honour Award winners
- Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
- Baseball people from Tokyo
- World Baseball Classic managers
- Yomiuri Giants managers
- Yomiuri Giants players
- Japanese people of Chinese descent
- Nippon Professional Baseball players with retired numbers