CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY
President Ma Ying-jeou conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon on baseball legend Sadaharu Oh Thursday in recognition of his contributions to the sport of baseball and to promoting friendship between Taiwanese and Japanese people.
Upon receiving the prestigious medal, Oh, known in Taiwan as Wang Chen-chih and baseball掇 all-time home run king, said it was the greatest honor of his life to be decorated by President Ma.
Oh, who retired from the Yomiuri Giants in 1980 at the age of 40, hit 868 home runs during his career, the most hit by a player in any professional league around the world.
He said he has been involved in baseball for five decades and baseball has left him a lot of beautiful memories. Because of baseball, Oh has been able to gain fame and meet famous people from all sectors.
Oh, the son of a Chinese father and a Japanese mother and a Republic of China citizen who has never forgotten his Chinese heritage despite spending most of his life in Japan, said he anticipates spending more time in his retirement to promote the love of baseball among youths and children.
Ma also played host to Oh over a luncheon at the Presidential Office Thursday.
Later in the day, Oh paid a courtesy call on ruling Kuomintang Chairman Wu Po-hsiung, with whom Oh has been well acquainted over the past two decades.
Wu gave two photos to Oh as souvenirs ?one depicting Oh bringing the torch into a Taipei arena to symbolize the opening of the national games in Taiwan in 1989 and the other showing Wu, in his capacity as Taipei city mayor, presenting Oh with a certificate of honorary citizen of Taipei. Wu served as Taipei mayor from 1988-1990.
