Oh pays tribute to Matsui for 500th home run

[July 22, 2011]  TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh paid tribute to Hideki Matsui after the Oakland Athletics' outfielder hit his 500th homer.

"Five hundred is a figure that carries a lot of worth in the major leagues," Oh said Thursday. "To keep hitting home runs during a tough schedule while maintaining your conditioning is not easy."

Matsui has 168 home runs in the majors and 332 for the Yomiuri Giants.

Oh hit a record 868 home runs over 22 seasons with the Giants, helping his team win nine straight Japan Series championships between 1965-73. Oh shares the Japanese single-season home run record of 55 with Tuffy Rhodes and Alex Cabrera.

[Associated Press]

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