Although he was one of the most productive foreign imports to grace Japanese pro ball, it seems there is little chance Tuffy Rhodes will be inducted into Japan's Baseball Hall of Fame anytime soon.
In 2001, Rhodes became the second player after legendary slugger Sadaharu Oh to hit 55 home runs in a season. And though he didn't break Oh's record, Rhodes accomplished his milestone in the heat of a pennant race, while Oh's team was well out of it when he hit 55 in 1964.
Rhodes was Pacific League MVP that year and earned seven Best Nine awards during 13 seasons spent with the Kintetsu Buffaloes, Yomiuri Giants and Orix Buffaloes. In 2001, he scored a PL-record 137 runs, six shy of Hall of Famer Makoto Kozuru's NPB mark set in the 1950 expansion season.