Korean Plays in 1,000th Straight Game

Baseball slugger of Korean descent, Tomoaki Kanemoto (38, Kim Ji-hyun), the cleanup hitter of the Japanese pro baseball team Hanshin Tigers, set a record of playing in 1,000 consecutive games.

Kanemoto, who was in the starting lineup in a home game against Yokohama at the Kyocera Dome Osaka Thursday, hit safely in the third inning with two outs and a runner on second base, bringing in the first run, and stood his ground.

The son of a Korean father and mother, his journey started as a player with Hiroshima on July 21, 1999.

On July 29, 2004, he was hit in the left hand by a pitch and suffered a fracture in the cartilage, yet he has played every inning.

This year, on April 9, he beat the Major League’s Cal Ripken Jr.’s world record of playing the most consecutive innings (903 games).

In an interview with Japanese media after the game on August 15, he said, “I will stay strong and play the 40 games left this season.”

Recent results from a close examination at Kyoto University Medical College revealed that Kanemoto is able to play 10 more years in the league, focusing concern on when his record will end.

iam@donga.com