Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dies at 89
Shigeo Nagashima, a Yomiuri Giants legend who was so revered that he was known to many as 'Mr. Pro Baseball' died on Wednesday due to pneumonia at the age of 89, according to an announcement by the Yomiuri Shimbun.
Long before the rise of Shohei Ohtani and Ichiro Suzuki, Nagashima was arguably the most famous player in Japanese baseball history.
He was one of the top players for the Giants, the most popular team in Japan, and his fame was greatly boosted by the spread of television during his prime years. Nagashima's talent on the baseball diamond and his good looks and charisma helped him become one of the most famous people in Japan during his playing days from 1958 to 1974.
Nagashima was all over newspapers, appeared on TV shows and commercials and his visage adorned billboards. His overwhelming popularity helped lift pro baseball into its place as the top sport in the nation.
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Japan Times
8 hours ago
- Japan Times
Hakuho's departure highlights worrying sumo trend
With the Japan Sumo Association accepting former yokozuna Hakuho's resignation this week, only four of the 10 most recently retired grand champions remain part of the sport's governing body. While that quartet may have won a combined total of 30 Emperor's Cups during their active days, the six that departed accounted for 117 — almost four times as many. It's a significant loss of high level experience and one that hurts sumo's efforts to both find and keep young talent in the sport. And even though many former yokozuna have left professional sumo over the past two decades, Hakuho's resignation is the biggest blow of all. He is not just the most decorated wrestler in the history of the sport — by a significant margin — but was also a major recruiter of talent dating back to the Mongolian native's days as an active wrestler. His namesake event, the Hakuho Cup, has over the past decade and a half grown into arguably the most important sumo tournament in the world for elementary and junior high school children. In addition to being a major milestone and motivator for numerous current rikishi, including newly promoted yokozuna Onosato, the Hakuho Cup has provided invaluable experience for children from numerous countries across the globe and served as a link between international amateur sumo and ōzumō. Now with Hakuho's resignation from the JSA — the organization that provided the venue for most editions of the Hakuho Cup — the future of the tournament is unclear. And even if reports already surfacing about the former yokozuna's intentions to create a new international professional sumo organization are true, the scale of that challenge is enormous, with all previous attempts to do so having crashed and burned in short order. Several other prominent ōzumō stars expressed similar intentions after retiring, but the logistics and financial obstacles, as well as the fractured and highly politicized nature of international sumo, proved too great to overcome. Hakuho speaks at the 2023 edition of the Hakuho Cup at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in February 2023. | John Gunning Regardless of what transpires over the next few years, Hakuho leaving the JSA is a blow to ōzumō, and part of an unfortunate trend among recent yokozuna. However, before positing possible solutions to the situation, it must be remembered that in each individual case the circumstances behind the separation were unique. It would be a mistake to try and portray the aforementioned six men as victims of some grand conspiracy. Even so, there are certainly enough commonalities to provide food for thought. Straight off the bat, it's obvious that wrestlers who exerted total dominance over the opposition inside the ring often chafed at sumo's strict rules and norms throughout their careers, finding themselves chastised on multiple occasions. But official censure — or condemnation by the media — is easier to handle when you are top of the world and raking in trophies and prize money. It's a completely different situation when the limelight and all the perks are suddenly gone and you now find yourself on the lowest rung of a new hierarchy. For men such as Akebono, the Hanada brothers and Hakuho, sumo is all they knew from a young age. There were few, if any, opportunities to develop the kind of skills and mechanisms needed to cope with the emotional turmoil that comes from such a sudden shift. Every professional athlete undergoes something akin to grief when their career comes to an end, and the feeling of helplessness tends to be stronger the higher they soared when active. What sets sumo apart, and makes the adjustment even harder, is the rigid nature of life post-retirement. For those who acquire elder name stock and choose to remain with the JSA as coaches or stablemasters, there is still little freedom in how they choose to live their lives day to day. It's no surprise that bleached hair and tattoos are often the first step for former rikishi — especially those with 'rebellious' personalities — once they leave the JSA. Hakuho is the most decorated wrestler in the history of sumo by a significant margin. | John Gunning Imagine how tough it must be to join professional sumo at 15, fight and claw your way to the very top over the course of a decade or more, all while sacrificing the freedoms and experiences that people in their twenties normally enjoy, only to find yourself at the bottom of another 30-year-long ladder. Life is also very different in the 21st century than when yokozuna like Asahifuji, Onokuni and Hokutoumi retired in the early 1990s. Globalization and the internet have combined to lay out a whole range of tantalizing alternatives for well-off former star athletes. Of course, life as a stablemaster provides a certain amount of stability and can be a very comfortable existence that meets the needs of many ex-rikishi. For uber-high-profile men such as Takanohana or Hakuho, however, there are always other options and their willingness to stay and fight various battles within the framework of JSA structures can reach a breaking point. Regardless of who might have been right or wrong in each individual case, the result has been the same. Sumo's biggest names in recent history have chosen to follow paths outside of the sport. That's a problem, and one without easy answers that may require some innovative thinking to overcome. Despite the latest departure, the JSA will continue to survive and thrive, and the former yokozuna likewise may discover exciting new opportunities. That doesn't mean both sides wouldn't have been better off by finding a solution to outstanding issues, however, and it's hard to argue that sumo hasn't been lessened without its most decorated champion. Hakuho is gone, but for the sake of the sport's future, sumo should figure out a way to stem the tide of such high-profile departures.
Yomiuri Shimbun
10 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan Baseball Legend Shigeo Nagashima Symbolized Postwar Growth; Inspired Fans With Dazzling Play and Courage Amid Illness
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Shigeo Nagashima is surrounded by children in front of Miyazaki Jingu shrine in Miyazaki in January 1961. As Japan recovered from the devastation of World War II and entered a period of rapid economic growth, a jaunty superstar appeared in the form of professional baseball player Shigeo Nagashima. The nation was charmed by the enthusiasm emanating from his entire body and his bright smiles like sunshine. Nagashima's words and deeds embodied a Japan that was stepping forward into a future full of hope. Nagashima dazzled fans with his batting, which often resulted in dramatic victories, as well as his showy fielding and swift base-running. People of all generations, from children to adults, were enthralled by his energetic performance on the field. He joined the Yomiuri Giants in 1958 and changed the world of professional baseball. Another Giants legend Sadaharu Oh, now chairman of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, might be called 'a king of records' with his career total of 868 home runs. Nagashima, on the other hand, could be called 'a king of memories.' Nagashima's own choice for the best moment of his career took place during a game on June 25, 1959. It was his second year as a pro player, and the game was held at Korakuen Stadium with Emperor Showa in attendance. In the ninth inning against the Hanshin Tigers, Nagashima hit a walk-off home run to win the game. The story of this dramatic hit has been passed down in the annals of Japanese baseball. Nagashima was proud of that moment. 'Baseball is said to have drama, but that was the only game where I reached a much higher level.' That game is believed to have elevated the status of Japanese professional baseball to the national sport. Before that, professional baseball was less popular than the games played by six university teams in Tokyo. In those years, Oh and Nagashima were nicknamed the 'ON cannons,' They were a key part of the Giants winning the Japan Series championship nine years in a row from 1965. The phrase 'Kyojin, Taiho, Tamagoyaki' was synonymous for children's favorite things back then: the Yomiuri Giants, a popular sumo wrestler of the day and a rolled omelet. Japan's gross domestic product saw double-digit increases for five years in a row from 1966. People were said to long for the '3C' consumer products, namely a color TV, an air-conditioner — called 'coolers' in Japan — and a car. The proliferation rate of color TVs rose from only 0.3% in 1966 to 75.8% in 1973, when the Giants won their ninth straight Japan Series championship. Live TV broadcasts of pro baseball games focused on the Giants, and Nagashima was a TV hero called 'Mr. Giants.' The postwar years of rapid economic growth years have been described as the happiest period in history for the Japanese public. Nagashima was undeniably a symbol of those good years. Asked how he felt about being a symbol of that time, Nagashima said it made him happy. 'Personally, I just wanted to play well in games and take professional baseball to higher levels,' he said. Nagashima became seriously ill in March 2004 due to a brain infarction and hovered between life and death. After an arduous rehabilitation process, however, he returned to his social activities. While he was playing, Nagashima rarely let others see his hard work. However, he did not object to newspapers and TV programs showing his struggles in rehabilitation. 'Many people across the nation are suffering from the same illness. I hope they'll be energized [by seeing my struggles],' he said. Patients all over the nation were encouraged by the sight of Nagashima working hard to get better. The story was included in a junior high school textbook, and some students wrote letters to Nagashima. He sent back cards on which he wrote a kanji character meaning 'effort.' In November 2021, Nagashima became the first baseball player to receive the Order of Culture. 'I think this award may be the result of my giving my all to baseball,' he said. Nagashima was a superstar who was close to the people and shared their lives as the era changed from Showa to Heisei to Reiwa. As a result, he was loved by all.
NHK
11 hours ago
- NHK
Ex-Major Leaguer Matsui pays condolence visit to mentor Nagashima
Japanese baseball legend Matsui Hideki has flown in from the United States to offer his condolences following the death of his mentor and fellow legend, Nagashima Shigeo. Matsui played for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan as well as for some Major League Baseball teams, including the New York Yankees. Soon after arriving in Tokyo early Wednesday, he visited the home of his former mentor. Nagashima, who died on Tuesday, was the Giants' manager when Matsui joined the team. In the 1992 draft, Matsui was selected by four professional teams, including the Giants. Nagashima personally drew the winning lot, securing the right to negotiate with him. Under Nagashima's "1,000-day plan," Matsui received intensive training and evolved into the team's star cleanup hitter. The two spent nine years together as manager and player. Even after Matsui moved to Major League Baseball and joined the Yankees, their relationship remained strong. Matsui became a powerful slugger, hitting 507 career home runs before retiring. The two won the People's Honor Award together from the government in 2013. Matsui spoke to reporters after spending more than 2 hours at Nagashima's home. Q: How did you spend your time with Nagashima at his home? A: Nagashima's daughter left the two of us alone. I spent the time reflecting on the many memories we shared. Q: How did he appear to you? A: It felt like he might open his eyes at any moment. I sensed a will. Q: What did you say to him? A: There was so much, I can't explain it all right now. But above all, I expressed my deep gratitude. If I hadn't met Nagashima, and if we hadn't had that connection, my career as a baseball player would have been different. It started with that moment in the draft, when he drew my name. I thanked him for all the time we spent together and for everything he gave me. Q: What did Nagashima mean to you? A: It's hard to put into a single word. He was one person, but to me, he had many different sides. He gave me so much in so many ways. Q: What is your most memorable moment with him? A: It's difficult to pick just one, as our relationship evolved over time, from manager and player, to former manager and player, and later, after we had both retired from baseball. Q: What do you remember about practicing your swings with him? A: I spent a lot of time with him doing those sessions. We communicated through swing practice, and it was through those moments that he taught me the most important things about being a baseball player. I think it was the most fortunate experience for me, and what I'm most grateful for. Q: How do you hope to carry on his legacy? A: He gave me so much. I'm not sure yet how I'll pass it on to the next generation, but there is a promise I made to Nagashima. Although I can't share it right now, I hope to fulfill the promise. Q: When did you last see Nagashima? A: I met him when I returned to Japan last January. Q: What was your reaction to the news of his death? A: I was shocked.
