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Standing as the face of Japanese baseball, Sadaharu Oh remains the world’s home run leader. He was born on May 20, 1940, in Tokyo, Japan, to a Chinese father and Japanese mother.

As a high school player, he was an ace on the mound and signed with the Yomiuri Giants in 1959 as a pitcher. He struggled as a pitcher with the Giants and moved to first base. He struggled early on but a “flamingo” leg kick to improve his offensive numbers. He also practiced Zen Buddhism and martial arts to improve his batting. Although he only batted .161 with seven home runs in his rookie season, he hit .272 with 38 home runs in his fourth season. From his fourth season on, he hit at least 30 home runs every year. He finished his 22-year career with a .301 average, 868 home runs and 2,170 RBI.

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In his playing career, he set several records in Japan. The most notable record was his single-season home run record at 55, which he set in 1964. That record stood until 2013 when Wladimir Balentien slugged 60 for the Yakult Swallows.

Oh joined the exclusive Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. Following his playing career, Oh managed the Giants between 1981-83 and 1984-88. He then coached for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks and the Japanese national team. He retired as a manager in 2008.

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