Japan baseball legend Sadaharu Oh was presented during a Baseball5 demo event during Nippon Professional Baseball’s Mynavi All-Star Game THE FESTIVAL 2025 in Yokohama, Japan. The 85-year-old greeted the participants at the Baseball5 event and even tried out the discipline himself. The Baseball5 demo was part of the All-Star Game festivities of Nippon Professional Baseball this week, which was held at the facility of the Yokohoma DeNA BayStars.
Sadaharu Oh is one of the most legendary figures in baseball history, best known for holding the world record for career home runs. During his 22-year career with the Yomiuri Giants in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), he hit 868 home runs, more than any other professional player in history. Renowned for his signature one-legged batting stance, Oh was a model of discipline, power, and consistency.
After retiring as a player, he went on to have a successful managing career, including leading the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and managing the Japan national team to victory in the inaugural World Baseball Classic (2006).
More recently, Oh, who was a special guest at the WBSC Congress 2019 in Osaka, Japan, was one of the bearers of the Olympic flame in the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as well as an attendee for the ceremonial opening pitches for softball and baseball in Fukushima. He called Japan’s men’s baseball Tokyo 2020 gold medal “the greatest”.
He also officiated a ceremonial first pitch during the opening ceremony of the Taipei City Dome in 2023 and took in the MLB Tokyo Series held earlier this year between the LA Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.