A Japanese home run record that has lasted some 37 years has finally been tied and could fall sometime in the next week.
Former Cubs outfielder Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes, now with the Kintetsu Buffaloes, took a 1-1 90 mph cutter from the Seibu Lions 20 year old righthanded ace, Daisuke "The Monster" Matsuzaka, and drilled it nineteen rows up into the rightfield seats near the foul pole at Osaka Dome in the bottom of the sixth Monday in front of 48,000 to tie former Yomiuri Giants great Sadaharu Oh's single season record of 55 dingers, which was set in 1964.
Rhodes, who was the first National League player ever to go yard thrice on opening day, will now have five more games to go for number 56. And unlike the infamous incident where Hanshin Tigers first baseman Randy Bass was walked every time up in a season ending series by a Giants ballclub managed by Oh in order, many say, to avoid seeing Bass tie or even shatter that mark in 1985, Pacific League hurlers are pitching to Rhodes.
But it took Rhodes 33 at bats to go from #54 to #55, so his becoming the all time single season homer king in Japanese history is by no means a fait accompli.
Moreover, this may be Rhodes' last shot at it, as he is reportedly getting some interest from the Detroit Tigers and could very well end up back in the States for 2002.
But Rhodes' accomplishment was overshadowed by his teammate, slugging third baseman Norihiro Nakamura, who won the game with a "gyakuten two run sayonara (come from behind, two run walk off)" home run, his 45th, to rightcenter in the bottom of the ninth to put Kintetsu within one game of its first PL pennant since 1989. Last season, the Buffaloes finished in the PL cellar.
In the Japanese sports dailies that just hit the streets as this is being written, Nakamura got the headlines while Rhodes feat was mentioned in smaller print. There also has been nowhere near the hoopla over Rhodes' quest to surpass Oh as there has been in the U.S. with the Barry Bonds challenge of Mark McGwire's standard, something that has been attributed to the Japanese attitude toward foreign players and the unpopularity of the Pacific League in relation to the far more celebrated Central League -- take your pick.
Having said that, though, the crowd at Osaka Dome gave Rhodes a stirring ovation, and he was so moved that he went off into a back corner of the dugout and, covering his face with a towel, tried to choke back tears, according to Nikkan Sports. "As soon as I hit it I knew it was gone," commented Rhodes.
However, he also revealed that he was putting pressure on himself to get to 55, causing him to overswing, which explains the 33 at-bat drought.
The record-tying ball was flagged down by one of the ballpark's security guards, who promptly turned it over to Kintetsu officials, who in turn gave it to Rhodes.
Told that Rhodes had tied Oh's record, the Cubs' Sammy Sosa was quoted by Sankei Sports as
sending along his congratulations and adding, "that my friend Tuffy Rhodes has achieved a home run record in Japan makes me very happy. I'm proud to have played with him."
Ironically, Rhodes, now 33 and a native of Cincinnati, only went over the fence 13 times in just short of 600 career at bats while in MLB, but a strict weight and workout routine and just plain hard work in the batting cage has made him a more complete and stronger hitter than he was before crossing the Pacific. Rhodes has also tried to fit in with his teammates by studying Japanese and says that he has gotten pretty good at speaking the earthy Osaka dialect. A cycling
enthusiast, Rhodes often rides his bike to the ballpark.
In any event, the Rhodes/Nakamura tandem earlier this season became the heaviest hitting twosome in the annals of Japanese baseball, as their now combined 100 homers is six better than the previous record holding Bass/Masayuki Kakefu duo in 1985.
So whatever he decides on for next season, Rhodes has already left his mark on the world of Japanese pro baseball. And that is nothing to cry about.
» Gary Garland contributes occasional articles for the Japanese Baseball website at www.japanesebaseball.com
Also by Gary Garland
» Tuffy Rhodes Hits 54th Homer: Kintetsu Plans to Reward Fan That Catches #56
» More submissions
Copyright © 2001 by Gary Garland. Posted September 25, 2001.
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