Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dies at 89

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) - Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima died at the age of 89, local media reported on Tuesday.

Widely known as Mr. Pro Baseball, Nagashima died due to pneumonia, according to the daily Japan Today.

Nagashima, a People's Honor Award recipient, rose to stardom for his on-field exploits during the country's era of rapid economic growth in the 1960s and 1970s.

He was a key player of his team, Yomiuri Giants, that won nine consecutive Central League and Japan Series titles from 1965 to 1973.

The legendary player later managed the club.

Together with teammate Sadaharu Oh, or "O-N" as the pair were nicknamed, Nagashima became a household name before he retired in 1974.

Born in Sakura, Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo, in 1936, Nagashima played in 2,186 games during his storied career, with a .305 batting average, 2,471 hits, 1,522 RBIs and 444 home runs.

He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988 and had his No. 3 retired by the Giants.

Nagashima was hospitalized in 2018 for half a year to treat a gallstone and then frequently used a wheelchair.