The single-season home-run record in Japanese baseball has been somewhat of a touchy subject for quite some time. Many associate the record of 55 with legendary Yomiuri Giants slugger Sadaharu Oh.
The dirty little not-so-secret being that the two other players to have hit 55 in a single season may have had more if not for concerted efforts to keep the record out of foreign hands.
Eight years since the last assault on the home-run mark, another Japanese icon is in danger of seeing his record bested by a foreign player. And there's certain to be more than a few interested parties watching to see how it all plays out before the Central League's regular season ends on Oct. 9.