Tohoku Rakuten vs. Fukuoka Softbank, Game 18 (26th, Haruka Yume Stadium)

Fukuoka Softbank Akira Nakamura He became the 139th player in history to reach 1,500 career hit.

On this day, with just two hit left until the milestone, starting line-up started as the fourth batter and first baseman. Takayuki Kishi Nakamura, who hit his 1,499th career hit pitcher, came up to bat for the fourth time with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. Masahiro Ehara He caught the fastball thrown by pitcher and sent it flying into the right-field stands where a large crowd of The Hawks fans had come from Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, to wait. It was his third solo home run, a memorable hit.

Nakamura joined Fukuoka Softbank as a third-round draft pick in 2007. In his fourth year as a professional, he recorded his first hit in a game against Orix on May 10, 2011. In 2014, he won the most hit title with 176 hit. This season, he has been playing more as starting line-up, and prior to this game, he had 71 hit in 89 games, with a batting average of .239.

◇ Comment from Nakamura
"I've always swung the bat to get results in games as a professional. I'm happy to have accumulated 1,500 hit, which is proof of that. Of course, I'm where I am today thanks to the support of my family, the people around me, and the cheers of my fans. I won't be satisfied with this number, and I want to continue swinging the bat to the limits of my ability. I want to continue striving to be a player who can lead the team win, the league championship, and become the best in Japan."

◇ Nakamura's hit record
First hit May 10, 2011 vs. Orix
1000th hit September 17, 2020 Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
Most hit: 176 hit in 2014

・ Match details/video