Ochiai was the youngest of seven children and grew up enjoying spending time in the cinema rather than on the baseball field.

He joined Toshiba Fuchu, a team in the Japanese industrial league, after leaving Toyo University and went back to his home town and spent some years as a professional bowler.

The 1985 one was notable, as it wasn't an all-NPB one, as Hanshin Tigers player Randy Bass also put a Triple Crown season of his own.

Instead of heavily disliking him due to his attitude about the tradition of Japanese baseball, he was instead seen as being "Japan's answer to Bass", and attempted to paint both as bitter rivals.

Closer Hitoki Iwase finished off the ninth for a rare combined perfect game to clinch the championship for the Dragons.

The Hiromitsu Ochiai Baseball Hall opened in Taiji, Wakayama in 1993 starting a trend of museums dedicated to famous ballplayers.