When Japanese slugger Sadaharu Oh hit his 756th home run back in 1977, the reaction in the U.S. was predictably mild.
An impressive feat, of course — but hardly comparable to Hank Aaron's 755.
"It was regarded as a curiosity," baseball historian John Thorn said Thursday. "At that time, the perception was that the quality of play in the Japanese majors was at best the equivalent of Triple-A."
Nearly four decades later, another Japanese star has surpassed a lofty mark set by one of baseball's most famous players — with the help of stats accumulated overseas.