Many of you are probably aware of the fact that the Hanshin Tigers have a long history of scandal and notoriety. During the weeks before the upcoming season, we will look at ten of the most interesting ones. We continue here with a walk-off home run hit against a Hanshin rookie in front of the Emperor – one the pitcher swore was a foul ball.
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For the first time in history, the emperor and empress of Japan would attend a professional baseball game. June 25, 1959. Osaka Tigers vs. Yomiuri Giants at Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo. Both teams were jittery and wanted to put on a show that would leave a lasting impression on the emperor. They had no idea just how well they would succeed in doing so.
Tigers starting pitcher Masaaki Koyama opened the scoring in the third inning with an RBI single, but the Giants took the lead in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back home runs. The Tigers stormed back a half inning later, as Yoshio Yoshida led off with a single, stole second, came home on an RBI single. The team capped the comeback with a two-run home run off Katsumi Fujimoto’s bat.
Unfortunately, that was as good as it got for the Tigers. Sadaharu Oh tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run shot of his own, and Koyama was clearly more mentally and physically exhausted than usual. In came rookie Minoru Murayama in relief. He kept the game tied until the bottom of the
The time was 9:10, and the royal guests were slated to leave the stadium in five minutes. Murayama brought the count to 2-2. His plan was to throw a fastball high and inside, and if necessary, a forkball to finish Nagashima off. He never got to his fork. Nagashima got good wood on the heater, and sent it soaring into the stands just inside the left field pole. He admired his work of art while the line judge gave the home run signal. Murayama dejectedly clutched his knees with his hands, staring down at the ground.
The Giants players celebrated wildly and jubilantly, oblivious to the regal guests watching on from special seats behind home plate.
“It was a foul ball,” became the words Murayama carried to his grave. When he died in 1998, Nagashima came to pay his respects, kicking some verbal dirt on the departed ace: “Mr. Murayama, it was a legitimate home run.”