Japanese Iron Man Sachio Kinugasa dies at 71, HOF confirms

The Japanese equivalent of MLB Iron Man Cal Ripken Jr. died Monday, the Baseball Hall of Fame confirmed.

Sachio Kinugasa, who appeared in 2,215 consecutive games in Japan, died at the age of 71 after battling colon cancer, a source told The Japan Times.

A private funeral was held for the Kyoto native in Tokyo on Wednesday.

When Ripken Jr. famously broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games streak in 1995, he wasn't alone. Kinugasa, the 1984 Central League MVP, passed Gehrig's total in 1987 to become the world record holder for consecutive baseball games played.

In 1996, Ripken Jr. surpassed Kinugasa as world record holder during a contest against the Kansas City Royals. Kinugasa attended the game and formed a friendship with Ripken Jr. that lasted until his death.

Kinugasa spent 23 seasons with the Hiroshima Carp in Japan, posting a career slash line of .270/.345/.476 with 504 home runs and 1,448 RBIs.