Sadaharu Oh mourns longtime friend, former teammate Isao Harimoto

Sadaharu Oh, the legendary Japanese home run hitter and chairman of the board of Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Co., mourned the death of his longtime friend and former teammate Isao Harimoto, wishing him eternal rest.

"It happened so suddenly. I had a chance to see him from time to time, but I never sensed that his health was failing," Oh said, unable to hide his shock at the sudden news.

The Japan Professional Baseball Meikyukai, an association of the sport's elite hitters and pitchers, announced Thursday that Harimoto died Wednesday at age 86. He held the all-time Japanese professional baseball record of 3,085 hits. Reflecting on his former teammate's playing days in a local interview after hearing the news, Oh said, "He was the same age as me, and we played hard together. He posted excellent numbers from the start, even winning rookie of the year in his debut season."

"He is the only player to have surpassed 3,000 hits," Oh added, recalling Harimoto from the perspective of a longtime colleague. "I felt his stubbornness, so to speak — a fierce competitive drive that hated to lose."

Harimoto, who played for the Toei Flyers, won his seventh individual batting title in 1974 before being traded to the Yomiuri Giants after the 1975 season. There, he and Sadaharu Oh formed what became known as the "O-H" batting duo. In 1978, he recorded his 16th career season with a batting average above .300, the most in Japanese professional baseball history.

Over his playing career, Harimoto won seven batting titles, made the Best Nine 16 times and was named Most Valuable Player once. He appeared in 2,752 career games, batting .319 with 3,085 hits, 504 home runs, 319 stolen bases and a .534 slugging percentage. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990 and went on to become a hugely popular baseball commentator after retiring.

Oh also reflected on Harimoto's hitting technique during his playing days. "I was a pull hitter, but he could send the ball in every direction. Technically, I think what he did was harder than what I did," Oh said. "It was as if he took the ball off the face of the bat and simply sent it back where it came from. Above all, he won the batting title seven times. And his record of 3,000 hits still shines."

Off the field, Oh and Harimoto, who were the same age, shared a friendship that went beyond being teammates. Harimoto had said during his lifetime, "We have known each other since I was 18. It has been a very deep and long relationship." The two frequently shared meals and drinks in their younger years, and later in life continued to visit the same favorite bar in Ginza together, according to reports. The Sports Nippon newspaper reported that their families were close as well.

Oh also praised Harimoto's broadcasting career. "He was active on TV for a long time, and he was popular there too. He said things others could not easily say," Oh said. "Serving as the face of a TV program for so many years is a remarkable achievement — something I could never have done myself."

After retiring as a player, Harimoto worked as a commentator for Japanese broadcaster TBS from 1982 to 2006, more than 20 years. He was also a regular panelist on the network's news and sports program "Sunday Morning" from 1999 to 2021, also more than 20 years, becoming a popular and outspoken commentator known for his sharp tongue.

"I am sorry I could not say a final goodbye to him. I hope he has gone to heaven with his head held high," Oh said, offering his condolences for the late Harimoto.