Munetaka Murakami ties Oh’s finest with fifty fifth residence run

Munetaka Murakami, the Yakult Swallows’ 22-year-old cleanup hitter, hit his fifty fifth residence run on Tuesday, matching one of the best season complete of Japan’s profession residence chief, Corridor of Famer Sadaharu Oh.

Murakami hit two residence runs at Tokyo’s Jingu Stadium within the Swallows’ 9-7 Central League loss to the Yomiuri Giants, and is now in a four-way tie for second place behind the 60 Wladimir Balentien hit for the Swallows in 2013. Oh hit 55 with the Yomiuri Giants in 1964 and went on to hit 868 in his profession.

Oh’s Japan report stood unmatched till two Pacific League hitters equaled it, the Kintetsu Buffaloes’ Tuffy Rhodes in 2001 and the Seibu Lions’ Alex Cabrera in 2002.

The report Oh lengthy held was tinged with controversy the primary thrice an import participant got here shut, beginning in 1985.

In 1985, the Hanshin Tigers’ Randy Bass reached 54, when most pitchers for the Giants, then managed by Oh, infamously declined to problem Bass as a way to shield their skipper’s report.

That skullduggery resumed in 2001 when Rhodes batted towards Oh’s defending PL champion Daiei Hawks on the finish of the season. Though Oh stated he instructed his group to try to get Rhodes out, they averted throwing the Buffaloes slugger strikes.

It was a lot the identical when Cabrera was stopped at 55, though in each instances, not one of the different PL groups have been desirous to serve up No. 56.

“No pitcher needs to be the one to give up the report residence run, so it is awfully arduous, particularly when there are only a few video games left,” Oh stated in 2002.

By 2013, Oh was the Hawks’ chairman, and whereas not one of the different CL groups have been making an attempt to throw him fats pitches, Balentien was being pitched to as Oh cheered him on and congratulated him afterward.

(Kyodo)