Isao Harimoto, the first person in history to reach 3,000 hits, dies at age 86

It was announced on the afternoon of the 9th that Isao Harimoto, who was a strong hitter for professional baseball team Toei (currently Nippon-Ham) and was the first player in history to reach 3,000 hits, passed away. He was 86 years old.

[Featured Photos] “Showa Hit Making Machine” Isao Harimoto

Born in Hiroshima City. Transferred from Matsumoto Commercial High School in Hiroshima to Naniwa Commercial High School in Osaka, and joined Toei in 1959. He became a regular player in his first year and won Rookie of the Year. He used wide-angle shots, produced a large number of hits with a sure-fire technique known as the ``spray batting method,'' and was active as a strong hitter with long-hitting power.

In 1961, he won the batting title for the first time. He was the leading hitter in the Pacific League seven times, including four years in a row from 1967 to 1970. His batting average is 16%. He moved to the Giants in 1976 and to Lotte in 1980, becoming the first Japanese professional baseball player to reach 3,000 hits.

He retired as a professional player in 1981, playing 2,752 games, 3,085 hits, a batting average of .319, 504 home runs, 1,676 RBIs, and 319 stolen bases in 23 years as a professional player. Ichiro has surpassed Harimoto's record for total hits in Japan and the United States. Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.

After retiring, he became a baseball commentator and was popular for his harsh comments. He declared early on that he was a second-generation Korean living in Japan, and contributed to the development of Korean baseball by serving as a special assistant to the commissioner of Korean professional baseball.