Harold Breeden, a feared home run hitter for the Hanshin Tigers in the late 1970s, died last week at the age of 76, the Albany Herald reported.
Breeden, who was known as Hal in his playing days in Japan, died at his residence in Leesburg, Georgia on May 3, according to the paper. No cause of death was immediately given.
Breeden was a rarity in that he was a right-handed hitter who threw left-handed. He hit 40 homers in his first season with Hanshin in 1976 as an infielder when he was joined in the lineup by sluggers Koichi Tabuchi and Masayuki Kakefu.
He batted .251 with 79 homers and 194 RBIs in 260 games in his three seasons with the western Japan-based team.
Prior to joining the Tigers, Breeden also played for the Chicago Cubs and Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals) in the major leagues.
