The Cro flies overseas

Warren Cromartie becomes the first American-born player in his prime to make the jump from the major leagues to Japan when 40 years ago today the former Montreal Expos outfielder signs with the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants of the Central League.

Cromartie is 30 years old when he leaves the majors for Japan.

Cromartie also leaves behind a .280 batting average he accumulates over all or parts of nine seasons with the Expos.

As a free agent in the fall of 1983, though, Cromartie has few calls from major league teams.

Working with the great Sadaharu Oh

The San Francisco Giants reportedly offer him a contract, but Cromartie instead opts for the other Giants – the ones from Tokyo – after they overwhelm him with a two-year, $2.5 million contract that comes with a signing bonus.

The choice is an easy one for Cromartie, who later says, “I didn’t go over there to eat a bunch of sushi.”

Cromartie ends up spending seven seasons in Tokyo with Japan’s legendary Giants, batting .321 in 779 games for them.

He also hits 171 home runs over those 779 games in Japan after hitting only 60 of them for the Expos in 1,038 games.

Cromartie’s best season there comes in 1989, when he hits a league-high .378 in 124 games for Tokyo and wins the Central League’s MVP award as Tokyo wins the league’s Japan Series.

Cromartie returns to the majors for a final season in 1991, when at age 37 he hits .313 in 69 games for the Kansas City Royals before retiring.