OH, no

A bit of sad news: Japanese Baseball Legend Sadaharu Oh has decided to resign, at least for the time being, from his job as the manager of the Softbank Seahawks. Apparently Oh was suffering from stomach cancer and so had to get his entire stomach removed. This would have killed a lesser man, but Sadaharu is no pansy, and he kept on managing up till now. The lack of stomach issue has worn him out and so Sadaharu has decided to take some personal time to get better.

As a baseball fan I have great respect for Oh and his achievements, including his incredible 868 career home runs. While I agree that, had he played in America, he wouldn't have had such high home run totals, I do believe he would have been a success and likely still have been a Hall of Fame Candidate.

It was a great thrill for me and my friends to see Oh in person a few years ago when we attended the inagural World Baseball Classic semifinals and finals in San Diego. It gives you some idea of just how revered he is in Japan that he would be chosen to manage their international team in a sport they really care about. I think it would be proper to compare it to the selection of Coach K as head of our men's Olympic basketball team, though perhaps Oh is even more beloved in Japan than Coach K is in America.

One incident which sticks out especially was in a round 2 game between the United States and Japan. There was a controversial call which went against Japan, and as a result the Japanese players were upset and almost refused to take the field. All it took was a cool look and a swift rebuke from Oh to get them back in the game.

So here's hoping for a full recovery and many more years of health and happiness. There's speculation that, if he feels up to it, Oh could be tapped again as the Japanese Manager in the next WBC, so feel better Sadaharu and we hope to see you again in the Spring.