Korean-Japanese baseball legend Isao Harimoto, the all-time hits leader in Japan's top professional league and a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, has died at the age of 86.
The Japanese Professional Baseball Meikyukai, an association of elite former players also known as the Golden Players Club, announced Thursday that Harimoto died Wednesday afternoon.
The organization expressed its "deep respect and gratitude" for Harimoto's achievements and contributions to baseball and offered condolences following his death. No cause was immediately announced.
Known as the "Hit Machine," Harimoto accumulated 3,085 hits during a 23-season career from 1959 to 1981. He remains the only player to record 3,000 hits entirely in Nippon Professional Baseball.
He finished his career with a .319 batting average, 504 home runs, 1,676 runs batted in and 319 stolen bases across 2,752 games.
Harimoto is the only Nippon Professional Baseball player to combine at least 500 home runs with 300 stolen bases. Only Barry Bonds, Willie Mays and Alex Rodriguez have achieved the same power-and-speed combination in Major League Baseball.
He began his professional career with the Toei Flyers in 1959, earning Pacific League Rookie of the Year honors during his debut season.
Harimoto won seven batting titles, including four consecutively from 1967 to 1970, and was named the Pacific League's Most Valuable Player in 1962, when he helped the Flyers capture their first Japan Series championship.
He later played for the Yomiuri Giants and Lotte Orions before retiring in 1981.
Harimoto was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.
