President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon on baseball legend Sadaharu Oh (王貞治), honoring his lifelong contributions to the sport in Taiwan and Japan.
During the ceremony at the Presidential Office, Lai praised the 85-year-old icon as a “global baseball hero,” whose legendary “flamingo” leg kick helped him set a world record of 868 home runs.
“Mr Oh is the shared pride of both Japan and Taiwan,” Lai said, adding that his spirit of isshou kenmei, or total dedication to one’s calling, moved fans around the world.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office
For decades — whether as a player, manager or executive — Oh fought tirelessly for the development of baseball in both nations, Lai said.
The president highlighted Oh’s long-standing support for Taiwanese baseball, dating back to the 1960s, when he began training local players.
Oh also witnessed the opening game of Taiwan’s professional league in 1990 and threw the historic ceremonial first pitch at the Taipei Dome in 2023, Lai said.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office
The baseball legend also received the Order of Culture from the Japanese emperor in November last year, he said, adding that the honors from Taiwan and Japan were a reflection of Oh’s extraordinary legacy.
Calling himself a lifelong fan, Lai said it was an honor to decorate his idol.
He also expressed excitement for the upcoming World Baseball Classic (WBC), specifically Taiwan’s highly anticipated matchup against a Japanese squad led by Major League Baseball pitching ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Yamamoto helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the World Series last year, Lai said, adding that Japan fielding such a top-tier pitcher against Taiwan is a sign of deep “respect” for the Taiwanese team.
Oh said he was “moved beyond words” to receive such a high distinction.
Baseball had shaped his entire life, allowing him to make precious friends and achieve accomplishments beyond the sport itself, he said.
Oh praised Taiwan’s WBC roster, calling it the strongest team in the nation’s history.
Oh said he had long hoped that Taiwan and Japan could advance together to the championship round in the US, a goal he believed they could reach this year.
Japan has won three of the competition’s five editions, including in 2023, the most recent tournament. Taiwan has only made it out of the first round once, in 2013.
Born in Japan in 1940 to a Japanese mother and a Chinese father, Oh lived in Japan all his life, but holds Republic of China (ROC) citizenship.
Oh’s father, who was an ROC citizen, registered all his children as ROC nationals.
Oh has maintained his ROC citizenship, turning down multiple opportunities to become a naturalized Japanese citizen, in accordance with his father’s wishes.
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