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. In 1945, Harimoto, a Hiroshima native, was being carried out of town by his mother when the atom bomb struck, killing his sister. Only with constant practice was he eventually able to grip a bat. 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. Autographed with a sharpie type black marker.  the shikishi is inscribed "Meikyukai" (Golden Players Club) in Japanese at right. Harimoto's induction into the Hall of Fame in 1990, and the fact that he wrote "Meikyukai" instead of "Hall of Fame" is a further aid in pinpointing the date of this autograph, as is the inclusion of his lifetime hits total, considering that he retired after the 1980 season.

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

Condition: Autograph--9 out of 10. Shikishi--Nm.