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Japanese baseball emphasizes power rather than speed; only 10 or 12 players steal more than 20 bases in any given year. Fukumoto, however, stole 106 bases in 1972, a Japanese record. His 95 stolen bases the following year have been the only serious challenge to the mark. At age 33, in 1979, he again led Japanese baseball in stolen bases, with 60. A centerfielder and leadoff hitter, he typically batted about .290. (MC)