Former Hanshin Tigers ace Gene Bacque, the first foreign recipient of the Sawamura Award, passed away on Saturday night at the age of 82, multiple outlets in his home state of Louisiana have reported. Bacque died after complications from a surgical procedure.
A native of Lafayette, Louisiana, Bacque was one of the greatest foreign pitchers in NPB history, pitching for the Tigers from 1962-68 and the Kintetsu Buffaloes in 1969.
Bacque went 100-80 with a 2.34 ERA in Japan. He's one of only four foreign pitchers to reach 100 wins in NPB. Bacque and former Nankai Hawks star Joe Stanka, who also finished with 100 wins, share the record for the most victories by an American pitcher.
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