Sachio Kinugasa
Sachio Kinugasa | ||
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Stolen Bases | 266 | |
Teams | ||
Career highlights and awards | ||
Records
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Member of the Japanese | ||
Baseball Hall of Fame | ||
Induction | 1996 |
Sachio Kinugasa (衣笠 祥雄; January 18, 1947 – April 23, 2018) was a Japanese professional baseball third baseman for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Nippon Professional Baseball league from 1965 to 1987. He was nicknamed Tetsujin, meaning "Iron Man". He played in a record-breaking 2,215 consecutive games, having surpassed Lou Gehrig's record by 1987.
Kinugasa is mostly remembered for his consecutive-game streak, but he ranks seventh in Nippon Professional Baseball in career home runs (504), 5th in career hits (2543) and 10th in career RBIs (1448), showing that he was one of the most consistent hitters in Japanese baseball. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.
Biography
Kinugasa's mother was Japanese and she raised him by herself. Kinugasa's father was an African American serviceman who was stationed in Japan after World War II.[1][2] He reported that he never met his father.[3]
Playing career
Kinugasa entered Heian High School in Kyoto,
Nicknamed Tetsujin (Iron Man), after the robot
Retirement
Following his retirement from baseball, Kinugasa became a sports commentator. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.[6]
Kinugasa died of
Awards and accolades
Kinugasa was given the People's Honour Award for his performance in the professional leagues. He is the second baseball player, following Sadaharu Oh and followed by Shigeo Nagashima and Hideki Matsui, to have received the award.[6]
On 18 January 2023, Google celebrated the 76th birthday of Kinugasa with a Google Doodle.[9][10]
Pop culture
The character of Mitsuo from the
See also
References
- ^ Albright, Jim. "Japan's Top Players," BaseballGuru.com. Accessed March 28, 2015.
- Whiting, Robert. You Gotta Have Wa (Vintage Departures, 1989), p. 65.
- ^ a b c d e "Baseball: 'Iron Man' Kinugasa dies at 71". English.kyodonews.net. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ a b c "'Iron Man' Sachio Kinugasa dies at 71". Japan Times. April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ a b Landers, Chris (April 24, 2018). "Sachio Kinugasa, Japan's iron man, has passed away at the age of 71". MLB.com. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Hiroshima Carp's 'Iron Man' Kinugasa dies at 71". NHK World. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ Haberman, Clyde (May 13, 1987). "Japan Cheers For Star With Staying Power". The New York Times. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ "Japanese third baseman Sachio Kinugasa Saturday broke Lou Gehrig's...," United Press International (UPI), Saturday, June 13, 1987. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ Desk, OV Digital (January 18, 2023). "18 January: Google Doodle celebrates Sachio Kinugasa Birthday". Observer Voice. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
- ^ "Sachio Kinugasa's 76th Birthday". www.google.com. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
External links
- THE GOLDEN PLAYERS CLUB (Japanese)
- NPB History (Japanese)