RIP Toru Mori

Toru Mori passed away from liver cancer last week at age 78.  Mori debuted with the Dragons in 1958 after attending Waseda.  He hit 75 home runs in his first three seasons but after his homers dropped to 13 in 1961, he was shipped off to the Taiyo Whales (possibly in a trade for Takeshi Honda).  He hit over 20 home runs in each of his first two seasons with the Whales but after two more sub-20 home run seasons, he moved on to the Tokyo Orions where he fnished his career in 1968.  As an odd footnote to his career, Mori was the manager of the Tokyo entry (the Tokyo Dragons) in something called the Global League, an attempt in 1969 to create an international major league with teams in Japan, the Philippines, Venezuela, Mexico and the US.  As you might of guessed by the fact that you've never heard of it, it failed.  (I'm pretty sure though that the uniform of the Tokyo team appears in "The History Of Uniform".)

Here's some cards of Mori.  He had some menko cards with the Whales but as far as I can tell, the only OB cards produced of him show him with the Dragons.

1958 Doyusha JCM 30b

2011 BBM Legend Of Tokyo Big Six #005

2006 BBM Nostalgic Baseball #098

2006 BBM Dragons 70th Anniversary #28