My Take
Okay, Randy Bass is one of those names that means almost nothing in the States and absolutely everything in Osaka, and I love that split-screen life. Six up-and-down seasons across five MLB teams, then he crosses the Pacific in 1983, joins the Hanshin Tigers, and basically becomes a god. The 1985 Japan Series title, the .389 monster season, that bushy beard, that compact left-handed swing tearing through NPB pitching — Tigers fans still talk about him like he descended from the heavens. What gets me, though, is the second act: he goes home, runs for office, and ends up in the Oklahoma Senate. From foreign-import folk hero to small-town state senator is such an unexpected, oddly grounded arc. Genuinely one of the great gaijin legends.
Overview
Randy William Bass (born March 13, 1954) is an American politician and former baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and served in the Oklahoma Senate. Bass made his MLB debut in 1977, playing with five different teams over six seasons. He moved to NPB in 1983, signing with the Hanshin Tigers, whom he led to a Japan Series title in 1985.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Randy Bass
- Name (Japanese)
- ランディ・バース
- Reading
- らんでぃ・ばーす
- Born
- March 13, 1954 (age 72)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Horse
- Origin
- Lawton, Oklahoma, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 184 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- baseball player / politician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Lawton High School
- University
- University of Oklahoma
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.