[REVISION HISTORY]
Death of Japanese baseball legend Isao Harimoto
Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.
What changed
2026-09-12 08:36 UTC → 2026-09-13 00:18 UTC ·
added
removed
Isao Harimoto, a legendary Japanese professional baseball player and Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor, died in Tokyo at the age of 86. The Nippon Professional Baseball Meikyukai reported his death occurred on the morning of September 9, 2026. Known as the ‘Hit Machine,’ Harimoto holds the NPB record for the most career hits with 3,085. During his 23-season career from 1959 to 1981, he played for the Toei Flyers, Yomiuri Giants, and Lotte Orions, accumulating 504 home runs and 319 stolen bases. Harimoto was a prominent commentator following his retirement retirement, notably on TBS’s ‘Sunday Morning,’ where he was recognized for his blunt and passionate critiques, often using catchphrases such as ‘Katsu!’ (scold) and ‘Appare!’ (bravo). He was a vocal advocate for peace and nuclear disarmament. His influence on the sport was noted by figures such as Hideki Matsui, who credited Harimoto with providing technical batting advice early in his career. Harimoto also commented on the achievements of provided technical guidance to MLB star Shohei Ohtani, describing Ohtani’s historic performance as ‘appare’ (splendid). specifically suggesting a shift from a single-leg batting stance to a sliding foot technique to better handle MLB pitching.
Versions
- 2026-09-13 00:18 UTC Death of Japanese baseball legend Isao Harimoto
- 2026-09-12 08:36 UTC Death of Japanese baseball legend Isao Harimoto
Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.