Munetaka Murakami, who hit 55 home runs this season as No. 4 of Yakult, a professional baseball player, is expected to break the record for the most season for a Japanese player. It has been carried over since then.
Murakami hit the 55th home run on the 13th of this month and is lined up with the record for the most season for Japanese players, which was hit by the giant Sadaharu Oh in 1964.
Murakami could not hit a home run in the two consecutive games against Chunichi in Nagoya until the 17th, and on the night of the 18th, he participated in the Hanshin match held at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture as the 4th and 3rd starting lineup. did.
Murakami caught Hanshin's starting pitcher, Shintaro Fujinami's 155-kilogram straight in the first at-bat of the second inning, and flew a severe batted ball, but fell short of the stand and became a light fly.
The second at bat in the 4th inning was a left fly, and the 3rd at bat in the 6th inning scored 1 point and still had a chance to get 1 out and 2nd base, and was avoided.
And in the 4th at-bat of the 8th inning, he faced Hanshin's third pitcher, Keller, and struck out in the air.
Murakami had no hits in three at bats and one four-ball due to avoidance, and on the 18th, he did not break the record for the most home runs in the season for Japanese players.
Even so, the 42,000 fans who packed the Koshien stadium roared every time Murakami made a powerful swing or hit a sharp ball. I heard.
Yakult won the match 1-0.
The team was scheduled to play against Hanshin at Koshien Stadium on the 19th, but it was decided to cancel due to the approaching typhoon, and the record update was postponed after the Giants match held at Tokyo Dome on the 20th.
Director Takatsu ``I think he is not worried''
Yakult's Shingo Takatsu, manager of Yakult, said about Munetaka Murakami, who didn't hit a home run, ``I don't think he's worried about it. .
Regarding the decision to reduce the magic number by one to 7 on the 18th, he calmly looked ahead to the next match, saying, "I don't think anything of it at all. I'll just fight hard from now on."