Yomiuri Giants Legend, ‘Mr. Pro Baseball' Shigeo Nagashima Dies at 89
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Retiring Yomiuri Giants player Shigeo Nagashima waves to his many fans as he circles the ground at Tokyo's Korakuen Stadium in October 1974.
Yomiuri Giants lifetime honorary manager Shigeo Nagashima, widely known as Mr. Pro Baseball, died\ due to pneumonia at the age of 89 on Tuesday morning.
Born in Usui (now Sakura), Chiba Prefecture, in 1936, he went on to Rikkyo University after graduating from Sakura No. 1 High School. While at university, he broke the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League record in the fall of 1957, hitting a total of eight home runs.
Joining the Yomiuri Giants in 1958, he claimed the home run and RBI crowns, as well as Rookie of the Year. With his clutch performance — most notably a walk-off home run in the first game attended by the Emperor, in 1959 — he sparked a national frenzy.
Together with teammate Sadaharu Oh, or 'ON,' as the pair were nicknamed, Nagashima played a key role in the Giants' nine consecutive Japan Series title wins from 1965, marking the team's golden age.
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A funeral for Japanese baseball superstar Shigeo Nagashima, who died on Tuesday, aged 89, was held in Tokyo on Sunday. A total of 96 people, including his relatives and former Yomiuri Giants players and managers, attended the funeral and bid farewell to the legendary former hitter for the popular Tokyo-based Central League team. Nagashima, nicknamed "Mr. Professional Baseball" for his commanding performances and presence, served as Giants manager after retiring as a player. An altar decorated with orange-colored flowers, representing one of the Giants' team colors, was set up at the funeral venue, together with a bat and Nagashima's jersey. 'Every move Nagashima made on the field captivated fans across Japan,' said Sadaharu Oh, a fellow baseball superstar who played alongside him as a hitter for the Giants and later managed the team, in a memorial address at the funeral. "He shined like the sun and was truly special," said Oh, now chairman of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, a professional baseball team in the Pacific League. Hideki Matsui, who was also a former Giants slugger, was coached by Nagashima after joining the team. "I want to hear his voice now," said Matsui, who also played for the New York Yankees and other U.S. major league teams. Nagashima's second daughter, Mina, who served as chief mourner at the funeral, addressed the attendees, saying, "I think my father is continuing his daily walk and training in heaven." "On a sunny day, I hope you will look up at the sky and remember my father," she added. Nagashima's coffin was transported from his home in Tokyo to the funeral venue. The wake held Saturday night was attended by Shinnosuke Abe, the Giants' current manager, and Giants hitter Kazuma Okamoto, among others.
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