Japan's new home-run hero breaks barriers

However, Hawks battery coach Yoshiharu Wakana gave a revealing insight after the game, telling reporters: “It would be distasteful to see a foreign player break Oh’s record.”

Completely ignorant to the fact that Oh himself is a foreigner.

V. interesting article. Would be interesting to have a similarly in depth article on the 'secretly introducing a new ball' story

I don't think it mattered what kind of ball was being used, it could have been a ping pong ball, tennis ball or soccer ball, Balentine has hit 57 home runs, good for him...

That Oh guy sounds like an old grump. The fact that this record and article seems to revovlve around this whole "foreighner" issue is proof of the embedded and accepted xenophobia and racism in Japan. Play the game and get on with it. So childish. Ichiro is treated just fine isn`t he? In fact, he is well liked and admired by sports fans. Get with the program Japan.

maybe this whole "おもてなし" thing is for real afterall.

Way to go, Wladimir-san, go get 60 !

How many total homeruns are hit this year compared to previous years?

haha now finaly many Japanese will know where the island of Curacao and Aruba is :D i know is too small island and not known everywhere the world but nice someone from Curacao be known there. i wish i was him to live in Japan :( Xiron from Aruba ps. i miss to go Japan :( i hope to go soon for the 4 times the beautiful country of Japan

Article with the lot.

If it doesn't matter about the ball then why didn't he hit more than 31 home runs in each of his first two seasons?