Randy Bass

Bass came up with the Minnesota Twins as a first baseman in 1977. In his six seasons in the Major Leagues (divided among five teams), he was never a day-to-day player, usually coming off the bench just to pinch hit. After his contract expired following the 1982 season, Bass signed with the Hanshin Tigers of the Central League, who made him their starting first baseman. Bass is often credited with single-handedly turning around the fortunes of the Tigers, which ultimately resulted in the team\'s pennant run and Japan Series title in 1985.\n', ' Bass adapted quickly to Japanese pitching, hitting 35 home runs in his first season in 1983, and became the Tigers\' star slugger for several seasons. He won four consecutive league batting titles; in 1986, he nearly became the first player in Japan to bat .400, finishing the season with a .389 average, a record that still stands, despite Ichiro Suzuki\'s formidable challenges to it in 1994 and 2000. Bass won consecutive batting Triple Crowns (1985 and 1986). \n', ' In 1985, he challenged Sadaharu Oh\'s record of 55 home runs in a single season, but finished the year with 54. In the last game of the season the pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants - then managed by Oh - intentionally walked Bass each time, seemingly to prevent him from having a chance to equal or break the record. \n', '