Oh's 55 - The 49-Year Wall
Sadaharu Oh's 55 home runs in 1964 stood as NPB's most sacred record for 49 years. Randy Bass reached 54 in 1985 but was allegedly denied pitches to hit by Yomiuri pitchers protecting Oh's record. Tuffy Rhodes and Alex Cabrera both reached exactly 55 in 2001 but went no further, fueling suspicion that the baseball establishment resisted foreign players breaking Oh's mark.
Balentien's 2013 Assault
Wladimir Balentien from Curacao hit 33 first-half home runs for the Yakult Swallows, tracking ahead of Oh's pace. As he approached 55, walks increased suspiciously, drawing media criticism and an unprecedented commissioner's statement urging pitchers to compete fairly.
Breaking Through to 60
On September 15 at Jingu Stadium, Balentien hit number 56 against Hanshin, shattering the 49-year-old record. He finished with 60 home runs, .330 average, and 131 RBI, winning the home run and RBI titles. The 60 approached Roger Maris's MLB record of 61 and forced a reckoning with attitudes toward foreign players breaking Japanese records.
Legacy and Debate
The record's legitimacy is debated: Oh's 55 came in a 130-game season versus 143 games, and 2013's 'juiced ball' controversy clouds comparisons. Yet Balentien's achievement stands as NPB's official record, symbolizing both foreign players' contributions and Japanese baseball's complex relationship with its most cherished records.