Sadaharu Oh Baseball player

Sadaharu Oh Baseball player

Sadaharu Oh

Sadaharu Oh Baseball player
Oh Sadaharu oh.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Library/Major League Baseball/Getty Images
Considered to be the best power hitter ever in the Japanese league and arguably the best player to ever hit in the league during his era and of all-time. He amassed an unbelievable 868 home runs during his 22 year career and was also a nine time Central League MVP.

Sadaharu Oh Baseball player

 

Sadaharu Oh Baseball player

Oh was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.
Prep career
In high school, Oh made many appearances at Koshien Stadium and suffered several tough defeats. In 1957, Waseda Jitsugyo High School made it to the Spring Koshien Tournament with the second-year Oh as its ace pitcher. Right before the tournament started, Oh suffered serious blisters on two fingers of his pitching hand. The only way to heal the injury was with rest, but Oh refused to let his team down. Hiding his injury so as not to demoralize his team, Oh pitched the entire first game at Koshien and won. Oh's catcher noticed the bloodstained ball, but agreed to keep the injury secret from the rest of the team. The next day, Oh pitched another complete game and earned the victory, and again his catcher kept the injury a secret, but the blisters worsened. The pain and infection was unbearable, and now Oh faced the prospect of pitching two more games — on back-to-back days — for the championship. All the same, Oh pitched and won another complete game, enduring the pain. After the game, on the eve of the final, he had already lost all feeling in his fingertips, and was convinced he could not pitch in the final.
That night, Oh was paid a surprise visit by his father, who had noticed the injury while watching his son pitch on television. Oh's father had traveled 350 miles from Tokyo to bring him an herbal remedy. The miracle treatment worked, and Oh was able to just make it through his fourth complete game in four days, squeaking out a one-run victory. Oh had won the championship, proved his fighting spirit, and earned fame and the respect of the nation.

 Sadaharu Oh Baseball player

 

Sadaharu Oh Baseball player

Sadaharu Oh Baseball player

Sadaharu Oh Baseball player