When Randy Bass hit his 54th home run of the year, he thought he would have a decent shot at the Japan single-season record.

With two games remaining in the 1985 season — both against the Yomiuri Giants — Bass needed two home runs to surpass the record of 55 set by Giants legend Sadaharu Oh. The bearded Hanshin Tigers slugger liked his chances, especially with the season finale set for Yomiuri's cozy Korakuen Stadium.

What puzzled Bass were his teammates' reactions.