Japan's only career 3,000 hits/500 home runs player almost never made it to his sixth birthday, let alone to Japan Pro Baseball. In 1944, four year old Harimoto's right ring finger and little finger were severely burned. Only with constant practice was he eventually able to grip a bat. Furthermore, Harimoto, a Hiroshima native, was being carried out of town by his mother when the atom bomb struck, killing his sister. Based on the evolution of his signature and other factors, we feel that Harimoto signed this shikishi (traditional Japanese signing board) sometime during the 1980s. Harimoto has also inscribed "Meikyukai" (Golden Players Club) in Japanese at right. Harimoto's induction into the Hall of Fame came in 1990, nine years after his retirement as an active player. The fact that he wrote "Meikyukai" instead of "Hall of Fame" is a further aid in pinpointing the date of this autograph.

Size: 9 1/2" x 10 3/4"

Condition: Autograph --9 out of 10. Shikishi--Ex/Mt to Nm.