TOKYO -- Japanese third baseman Sachio Kinugasa Saturday broke Lou Gehrig's world record for consecutive baseball games played, appearing in his 2,131st game to surpass the mark set by the New York Yankees first baseman 48 years ago.
Kinugasa, 40, slammed a home run in the eighth inning for Hiroshima Toyo Carp, who lost 8-3 to the Chunichi Dragons before a crowd of 32,000 at Hiroshima Stadium.
Bearing flowers from fans after the game, Kinugasa thanked God 'for giving me baseball. I want to continue playing baseball, the thing I like to do best.'
Gehrig played in 2,130 straight games for the Yankees from June 1, 1925 to April 30, 1939. He was forced to retire in 1939 and died in 1941 from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, now known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He finished his career with a .340 batting average, 493 home runs and 1990 RBI.
A congratulatory message from Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, on a state visit to Spain, was read to Kinugasa, known as the 'Iron Man' in Japan. Gehrig was nicknamed the 'Iron Horse.'
Kinugasa began his baseball career in 1967, and began his consecutive game streak in 1970. He needed 17 seasons to surpass the mark Gehrig set in 15 because the Japanese play 130 games per year and the American League played 154 games per year in Gehrig's time.
