Isao Harimoto, A-bomb survivor and Japan baseball great known as 'Hit Machine,' dies at 86

1. 1940
   Isao Harimoto born to Korean parents in Hiroshima
2. At age four
   Severe burns to his right hand cost him most of its mobility
3. Aug. 6, 1945
   Harimoto, then five, survived the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima
4. 1959
   Harimoto began his professional career with the Toei Flyers and was named rookie of the year with 115 hits
5. 1980
   He became the first player in Japan to reach 3,000 career hits and moved to the Chiba Lotte Marines
6. 1981
   Harimoto retired from professional baseball

“As a baseball player, I always worried I might some day develop symptoms of atomic bomb-related illness”