Japanese Baseball Great Isao Harimoto Dies At 86

According to Nikkei Asia, Japanese baseball great Isao Harimoto died at a hospital in Tokyo on Wednesday, an informed source said. He was 86. Harimoto, a Japanese Baseball Hall of Famer, held the Nippon Professional Baseball career hits record with 3,085 in 2,752 games despite severe burns from an accident at age 4 that left him with limited mobility in the fingers of his right hand. Born in Hiroshima to Korean parents, he survived the atomic bombing of the city by the United States on Aug. 6, 1945, at age 5. After graduating from high school in Osaka, he entered professional baseball in 1959 and was named Rookie of the Year. He won the MVP award in 1962, was a seven-time batting champion, and played for the Toei/Nippon Ham franchise, the Yomiuri Giants and the Lotte Orions, earning the nickname "Hit Machine." After ending his career in 1981, Harimoto became a television commentator.