Books and articles about Sachio Kinugasa

Kinugasa made headlines wherever people follow baseball on June 13, 1987 when he played in his 2,131st consecutive game to break the record held for 48 years by New York Yankees'^-(((great Lou Gehrig. A few weeks later, Kinugasa became the third Japanese player to crack 500 career home runs, following Sadaharu Oh and Katsuya Nomura. At long last he became a fan favorite, overcoming years of abuse endured because his father was a black American soldier. Kinugasa struck out often, in contrast to most Japanese players, and did not hit for a high average. Some typical Kinugasa seasons were 30 HR, 72 RBI, and .271 for Hiroshima's 1979 pennant winners, and 20 HR, 57 RBI, and .278 for the 1981 winners. (MC)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » October 18, 1970: Sachio Kinugasa takes his place in the starting lineup of the Hiroshima Carp, playing 3B. Over the next 17 years he will play in 2,215 consecutive games—the durability record of professional baseball, topping Lou Gehrig's 2,130. » October 22, 1987: Sachio Kinugasa, the Ironman of Japanese baseball, plays the final game of his 23-year career. Kinugasa never missed a game from October 19, 1970 through today's game, a streak of 2215 consecutive games played. He broke in with the Hiroshima Carp in 1965. » June 14, 1996: Cal Ripken of the Orioles plays in his 2,215th consecutive game, breaking the world record held by Japan's Sachio Kinugasa (Hiroshima Carp). Kinugasa's streak began in 1970 and lasted until he retired 17 years later. The Orioles defeat the Royals, 6–1.