14 Facts About Sachio Kinugasa

Sachio Kinugasa was a Japanese professional baseball third baseman for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Nippon Professional Baseball league from 1965 to 1987.

Sachio Kinugasa played in a record-breaking 2,215 consecutive games, having surpassed Lou Gehrig's record by 1987.

Sachio Kinugasa was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.

Sachio Kinugasa's father was an African American serviceman who was stationed in Japan after World War II.

Sachio Kinugasa entered Heian High School in Kyoto, and advanced to the Japanese National High School Baseball Championship twice in his senior year as a catcher.

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Sachio Kinugasa was signed by the Hiroshima Carp in 1965, and spent several years in the minors before an arm injury led him to being converted into a first baseman in 1968.

Sachio Kinugasa led the league in stolen bases in 1976, and won the Central League's Most Valuable Player award in 1984 as his team won the Japanese championship series.

Sachio Kinugasa last missed a game on October 18,1970, and set the Japanese consecutive games played record with his 1,247th consecutive game on August 2,1980.

Sachio Kinugasa tied Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played on June 11,1987.

Sachio Kinugasa retired after the 1987 season, ending his career with 2,215 consecutive games played, 2,543 hits, and 504 home runs.

Sachio Kinugasa was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.

Sachio Kinugasa was given the People's Honour Award for his performance in the professional leagues.

Sachio Kinugasa is the second baseball player, following Sadaharu Oh and followed by Shigeo Nagashima and Hideki Matsui, to have received the award.

Character of Mitsuo from the Yakuza series is based on Sachio Kinugasa, as he too is a half African-American baseball player who never met his father.