Hall of Famer Sachio Kinugasa, whose 2,215 consecutive games remain a Japanese record, died of colon cancer Monday aged 71, people familiar with the matter said.Nicknamed "Iron Man," Kinugasa played for the Hiroshima Carp from 1965 to 1987 and was the Central League's 1984 MVP. He is tied for fifth in hits in Nippon Professional Baseball history with 2,543, sixth in runs with 1,372, and tied for seventh with 504 home runs.On June 11, 1987, Kinugasa played in his 2,130th consecutive game, equaling Lou Gehrig's professional record total, and surpassed it two days later in front of a sold-out …READ FULL ARTICLE