Harimoto, Japan’s legendary baseball icon, dies at 86. A trailblazing hitter from the 1960s–80s, he redefined the sport in Japan and set enduring records.
Isao Harimoto, famed for accumulating a Japanese-record 3,085 hits over 23 seasons and nicknamed the “Hit Machine,” has died at age 86. His career spanned From the Toei Flyers to the Lotte Marines, and he later became a commentator and anti-war advocate. The cause of death has not been disclosed.