[In Memoriam] Isao Harimoto… The Details of the “Final ‘Katsu!’” He Gave a Month and a Half Before His Death

A stern rebuke for the alumni!

“He seemed in good health when I met him in July… But saying goodbye to a superstar who graced professional baseball is truly heartbreaking,” said professional baseball commentator Takeshi Yamazaki.

Isao Harimoto, who recorded a career total of 3,085 hits—the most in NPB history—passed away on September 9. He was 86.Having played for Toei (now Nippon-Ham), the Giants, and Lotte, and having won the batting title seven times, Mr. Harimoto earned the nickname “Hit Machine.”

After retiring, he appeared as a regular commentator on the sports segment of “Sunday Morning” (TBS). His exclamations of “Katsu!” and “Appare!” became the show’s signature features. Mr. Yamazaki, who received coaching from Mr. Harimoto during his early career and later co-hosted the show with him after his own retirement, shares his memories.

“When I was a young player with the Chunichi Dragons, he served as a temporary coach and gave me batting instruction. I remember him telling me, ‘Tighten up your stance and give it a swing.’ Mr. Harimoto had a reputation for being brusque, but in reality, he was an even kinder person than that. During program meetings, he would tell me, ‘Don’t worry about what others think—just speak freely! I’ll take responsibility for it.’”

The last time Mr. Harimoto delivered one of his famous “Katsu!” shouts was at the “Suntory Dream Match 2026,” held on July 27—a month and a half before his passing.

“Mr. Harimoto participated in this event—where professional baseball legends gathered at the Tokyo Dome to stage a one-night-only dream all-star game—as the general manager of The Premium Malts team.A friendly, reunion-like atmosphere filled the stadium, and the participating former players were encouraging one another, saying, ‘Let’s have fun and stay injury-free.’

However, Mr. Harimoto took the microphone and barked, “Even as we get older, we still have to win when it counts! Everyone, play seriously today.” The renowned heavyweights—including the managers of both teams, Koji Yamamoto (79) and Yasushi Tao (72)—stood at attention,” said a participating former player.

Mr. Yamazaki, who chatted with Mr. Harimoto on the third-base bench during pre-game practice, recalled the moment.

“That’s so typical of Mr. Harimoto (laughs). He said, ‘Don’t go grinning during the game! When it’s time to play, you’ve got to play!’
When the topic turned to the Chunichi-Giants alumni game scheduled for November, he was so enthusiastic—saying, “If ‘Wan-chan’ (Mr. Oh Sadaharu) is going, I’ve got no choice but to go too!”—so it’s truly a shame.”

He led an admirable life, continuing to offer words of encouragement right up until the very end for the sake of baseball’s development.

From the October 2 & 9, 2026, combined issue of *FRIDAY*