When I dreamed up this forum, the idea was to shine a light on the great players of the early era of baseball in Japan- players like Aota who were great but had not yet been recognized by the Hall of Fame. However, this morning I learned of the election of Aota to the Hall- I am filled with both excitement and sadness. Excitement for the one to whom I believe this honor is a long time coming, but sadness that the unsung hero of my story will no longer be the flag-bearer of the cause. Still, I think it is a good place to begin, at an ending. So, from now on, this will highlight other players who will one day be recognized as Aota has been......