b ats ▁against ▁Mas a ichi ▁Kan eda ▁( co inc ident ally , ▁Sad ah aru ▁Oh ▁also ▁struck ▁out ▁in ▁all ▁of ▁his ▁at - b ats ▁in ▁his ▁debut ▁game ▁against ▁Kan eda ). ▁Reg ard less , ▁Nag ash ima ▁became ▁the ▁team ' s ▁clean - up ▁h itter ▁by ▁mid - season , ▁and ▁the ▁Gi ants ▁won ▁the ▁league ▁championship . ▁Nag ash ima ▁led ▁the ▁league ▁in ▁H R s ▁( 2 9 ) ▁and ▁R B Is ▁( 9 2 ), ▁and ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁ro ok ie ▁of ▁the ▁year ▁award . ▁He ▁would ▁have ▁hit ▁. 3 0 0 ▁with ▁over ▁ 3 0 ▁home ▁runs ▁and ▁ 3 0 ▁ste als ▁in ▁his ▁ro ok ie ▁year , ▁but ▁he ▁had ▁one ▁home ▁run ▁scratch ed ▁off ▁his ▁record ▁because ▁he ▁forgot ▁to ▁step ▁on ▁first ▁base ▁while ▁round ing ▁the ▁bases ▁after ▁hitting ▁a ▁home ▁run . ▁ ▁Nag ash ima ▁played ▁perhaps ▁his ▁most ▁well - known ▁game ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁when ▁the ▁Japanese ▁em peror ▁attended ▁a ▁baseball ▁game ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁Nag ash ima ▁hit ▁the ▁game - win ning ▁home ▁run ▁off ▁Minor u ▁Mur ay ama , ▁and ▁ro ok ie ▁Sad ah aru ▁Oh ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁home ▁run ▁in ▁the ▁game . ▁ ▁The ▁Y omi uri ▁Gi ants ▁clean up ▁consisting ▁of ▁Sad ah aru ▁Oh ▁batt ing ▁third , ▁and