First in a three-part series

"He showed us all how much you can accomplish if you set your mind to it. And that's a beautiful thing.'' — Hiroshi Arakawa, Sadaharu Oh's batting sensei

Sadaharu Oh has retired. The legendary baseball figure, suffering from ill health in the wake of cancer surgery, appeared in his last game as manager of the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in October, putting an end to a remarkable 50-year career in baseball.