Kanemoto's uniform to be displayed at Hall of Fame!

Kanemoto's uniform goes to Hall


Tomoaki Kanemoto, the 42-year-old outfielder of my favorite team, The Hanshin Tigers, definitely is one of the greatest baseball players in Japan. He recently completed his world record of playing in consecutive games without missing an inning at 1,492!

I was shocked to hear the announcement of the ball park on TV when his name was not called for the starting line up on July the 21st. He'd been suffering from shoulder injury which was caused by the practice at the spring camp. I wanted him to be there forever although I did know the time must have come one day when he had to stop. It suddenly came. All of the fans at the stadium and before TV were astonished and grieved with the news. He'd been there in every inning at the left field since July 21, 1999 so it had been so natural and definite for us to see him there. Difficult to accept.

Then a few days passed, I started to feel that it was not that he stopped the record but he completed the record in a courageous manner, telling the manager "Please put me out of the starting line up, to win the game!" None of the staff could have told him to stop, only he could do it by himself.

Today I was delighted to know this news! His uniform will be displayed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY!!!! What great news!!

I want to visit there some day in my life and see his uniform there with the former Orioles star, Cal Ripken!!