Sadaharu Oh

I’ve been drawing up a storm lately and loving it. And here’s a new piece I’ve kicked up inspired by my love of baseball and taking things internationally…

Sadaharu Oh.

I remember being really impressed as a kid when I found out there was someone who hit more home runs than Hank Aaron. A lot more. That piqued my interest in Japanese baseball which would only be validated a few years later when Ichiro came to the big leagues.

Not only was Sadaharu legend, but he took a distinctly East Asian approach to the game. His mental game was all about zen. He applied aikido to his swing- the art of redirecting momentum to deal with the pitches thrown to him. He ended up forming a lifelong friendship with Hank Aaron after the two of them met the demand to face each other in a home run derby.

There’s more to baseball than the MLB. One of the most fun sporting events I’ve ever been to was a Korean (KBO) baseball game… with cheerleaders, fast paced play, and parodies of pop songs for every player.

I think a gold tier bucket listy thing for me would be seeing a live game in every country that has a robust baseball league- Mexico, Japan, Korea, and the Dominican, followed by Cuba, Venezuela, Taiwan, and maybe even Australia and the Netherlands.