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Kyodo News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Baseball: Hideki Matsui pays final respects to Nagashima at private viewing
KYODO NEWS - 15 hours ago - 18:04 | Sports, All Former Yomiuri Giant and New York Yankee Hideki Matsui visited the home of Shigeo Nagashima on Wednesday to offer condolences following his former manager's death a day earlier. The 50-year-old Matsui had joined Yomiuri after Nagashima -- affectionately called "Mr. Giants," "Mr. Pro Baseball," or oftentimes just "Mister" -- secured negotiating rights to the slugger in the 1992 draft, soon after returning to management. "The biggest thing is gratitude. Without getting to meet him, baseball player Hideki Matsui would have spent a totally different baseball career," Matsui, who had last met Nagashima in early January, said being given the opportunity to see him in repose at his home. "He drew me at the draft. He taught me precious things through his practice swings." Matsui, who currently resides in the United States, flew back to Japan and made the visit early Wednesday morning, staying at the home for over two hours. "I spent the time recalling many memories. I felt as if his mind was still there and he would open his eyes at any moment," said Matsui, who developed into one of the most feared sluggers in Japan under Nagashima's enthusiastic guidance. A charismatic figure, Nagashima rose to stardom during Japan's era of rapid economic growth, helping Yomiuri win nine consecutive Central League and Japan Series titles from 1965. He was the CL batting champion six times, the home run king twice and the RBI leader and the CL MVP five times each. As Giants manager, he won five pennants, including two Japan Series titles, over 15 seasons spanning two stints before leaving the role in 2001. Matsui, nicknamed "Godzilla," won the CL MVP three times and hit 332 home runs for Yomiuri, claiming the CL pennant three times under Nagashima in 1994, 1996 and 2000 and the Japan Series twice in 1994 and 2000. "We've shared many moments, and I feel I'm a really fortunate person," Matsui said. He joined the Yankees in 2003 and had 175 homers over 10 seasons in the majors, becoming the first Japanese player to win the World Series MVP in 2009 when he hit three homers. Nagashima and Matsui both received the People's Honor Award in 2013, bestowed by then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for outstanding achievements in sports, entertainment and other fields. "We made a promise when he was alive," Matsui said without giving away any details. "I want to fulfill that promise." On Tuesday, MLB offered its condolences on X, saying, "We are saddened by the passing of Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima," alongside a photo and a summary of his career achievements. Former Seattle Mariner and U.S. Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki told Kyodo News that Nagashima's impact is unrivaled. "The reason why people above a certain age wanted to become a baseball player was because of Mr. Nagashima's performance, which was always cool," he said. "His service in letting people know about baseball is immeasurable." "More than anything, he had a dignity nobody could imitate." Related coverage: Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dead at 89 Tributes to Nagashima pour in from Japanese sports world
The Mainichi
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Baseball: Hideki Matsui pays final respects to Shigeo Nagashima at private viewing
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Former Yomiuri Giant and New York Yankee Hideki Matsui visited the home of Shigeo Nagashima on Wednesday to offer condolences following his former manager's death a day earlier. The 50-year-old Matsui had joined Yomiuri after Nagashima -- affectionately called "Mr. Giants," "Mr. Pro Baseball," or oftentimes just "Mister" -- secured negotiating rights to the slugger in the 1992 draft, soon after returning to management. "The biggest thing is gratitude. Without getting to meet him, baseball player Hideki Matsui would have spent a totally different baseball career," Matsui, who had last met Nagashima in early January, said being given the opportunity to see him in repose at his home. "He drew me at the draft. He taught me precious things through his practice swings." Matsui, who currently resides in the United States, flew back to Japan and made the visit early Wednesday morning, staying at the home for over two hours. "I spent the time recalling many memories. I felt as if his mind was still there and he would open his eyes at any moment," said Matsui, who developed into one of the most feared sluggers in Japan under Nagashima's enthusiastic guidance. A charismatic figure, Nagashima rose to stardom during Japan's era of rapid economic growth, helping Yomiuri win nine consecutive Central League and Japan Series titles from 1965. He was the CL batting champion six times, the home run king twice and the RBI leader and the CL MVP five times each. As Giants manager, he won five pennants, including two Japan Series titles, over 15 seasons spanning two stints before leaving the role in 2001. Matsui, nicknamed "Godzilla," won the CL MVP three times and hit 332 home runs for Yomiuri, claiming the CL pennant three times under Nagashima in 1994, 1996 and 2000 and the Japan Series twice in 1994 and 2000. "We've shared many moments, and I feel I'm a really fortunate person," Matsui said. He joined the Yankees in 2003 and had 175 homers over 10 seasons in the majors, becoming the first Japanese player to win the World Series MVP in 2009 when he hit three homers. Nagashima and Matsui both received the People's Honor Award in 2013, bestowed by then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for outstanding achievements in sports, entertainment and other fields. "We made a promise when he was alive," Matsui said without giving away any details. "I want to fulfill that promise." On Tuesday, MLB offered its condolences on X, saying, "We are saddened by the passing of Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima," alongside a photo and a summary of his career achievements. Former Seattle Mariner and U.S. Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki told Kyodo News that Nagashima's impact is unrivaled. "The reason why people above a certain age wanted to become a baseball player was because of Mr. Nagashima's performance, which was always cool," he said. "His service in letting people know about baseball is immeasurable." "More than anything, he had a dignity nobody could imitate."
Kyodo News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
Baseball: Hideki Matsui pays final respects to Nagashima at private viewing
KYODO NEWS - 9 minutes ago - 14:50 | Sports, All Former Yomiuri Giant and New York Yankee Hideki Matsui visited the home of Shigeo Nagashima on Wednesday to offer condolences following his former manager's death a day earlier. The 50-year-old Matsui had joined Yomiuri after Nagashima -- affectionately called "Mr. Giants," "Mr. Pro Baseball" or oftentimes just "Mister" -- secured negotiating rights to the slugger in the 1992 draft, soon after returning to management. "The biggest thing is gratitude. Without getting to meet him, baseball player Hideki Matsui would have spent a totally different baseball career," Matsui, who had last met Nagashima in early January, said being given the opportunity to see him in repose at his home. "He drew me at the draft. He taught me precious things through his practice swings." Matsui, who currently resides in the United States, flew back to Japan and made the visit early Wednesday morning, staying at the home for over two hours. "I spent the time recalling many memories. I felt as if his mind was still there and he would open his eyes at any moment," said Matsui, who developed into one of the most feared sluggers in Japan under Nagashima's enthusiastic guidance. A charismatic figure, Nagashima rose to stardom during Japan's era of rapid economic growth, helping Yomiuri win nine consecutive Central League and Japan Series titles from 1965. He was the CL batting champion six times, the home run king twice and the RBI leader and the CL MVP five times each. As Giants manager, he won five pennants, including two Japan Series titles, over 15 seasons spanning two stints before leaving the role in 2001. Matsui, nicknamed "Godzilla," won the CL MVP three times and hit 332 home runs for Yomiuri, claiming the CL pennant three times under Nagashima in 1994, 1996 and 2000 and the Japan Series twice in 1994 and 2000. "We've shared many moments together and I feel I'm a really fortunate person," Matsui said. He joined the Yankees in 2003 and had 175 homers over 10 seasons in the majors, becoming the first Japanese player to win the World Series MVP in 2009 when he hit three homers. Nagashima and Matsui both received the People's Honor Award in 2013, bestowed by Japan's prime minister for outstanding achievements in sports, entertainment and other fields. Related coverage: Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dead at 89 Tributes to Nagashima pour in from Japanese sports world
Kyodo News
3 days ago
- Business
- Kyodo News
Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dead at 89
KYODO NEWS - 14 hours ago - 13:36 | Sports, All Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima, a People's Honor Award recipient who rose to stardom for his on-field exploits during the country's era of rapid economic growth in the 1960s and 1970s, died Tuesday due to pneumonia, the Yomiuri Giants said. He was 89. Nagashima, who was a key player on the Giants team that won nine consecutive Central League and Japan Series titles from 1965 to 1973 and later managed the club, was a charismatic figure whose popularity transcended sports. Together with teammate Sadaharu Oh, or "O-N" as the pair were nicknamed, Nagashima became a household name at a time when the country's economy was booming and is fondly remembered by many middle-aged and older Japanese with nostalgia for those times. His retirement from playing in 1974 made the year's top 10 news stories, while the speech he gave at his retirement ceremony, in which he said "My Giants are forever immortal," has become part of Japan's popular lexicon. Over his 17-year playing career, Nagashima won the Central League batting title six times, was home run king twice and RBI leader five times. He was also a five-time CL MVP. He played in 2,186 games during his storied career, with a .305 batting average, 2,471 hits, 1,522 RBIs and 444 home runs. "I'm really shocked to hear the sudden obituary," said the 85-year-old Oh, whose 868 home runs is the Nippon Professional Baseball record. "I'm really disappointed that Mr. Nagashima, who shines brightly in the history of Japanese baseball, has departed after a long bout with illness. He taught me lots of things. I'm grateful to have been able to play with him." Known as "Mr. Giants" -- often shortened to "Mister" -- Nagashima was a flashy fielder with a flair for game-breaking batting heroics. His signature moment was his game-winning, sayonara home run in the first pro game attended by a Japanese emperor on June 25, 1959. Nagashima is credited with helping pro ball surpass Japan's traditional university game as the nation's most popular brand of baseball. When Yomiuri engineered his hiring as Japan's manager for the 2004 Olympics, players flocked to his banner. Japan swept through Asian qualifying but he was scratched from Olympic duty when he was felled by a stroke in March 2004. As Giants manager, he won five pennants, including two Japan Series titles, over 15 seasons. Although he was eventually named the Giants "Manager Emeritus," Nagashima's first tenure as manager was a rocky one. When his offense hit the skids in 1974 and the Giants just missed out on a 10th straight CL pennant, Yomiuri management jettisoned the team's most successful skipper ever, Tetsuharu Kawakami, to make room for Nagashima. In 1975, the rookie skipper led the Giants to their only last-place finish. Nagashima won CL pennants in 1976 and 1977, but not the Japan Series and was fired after the 1980 season. Nagashima returned as manager of the Giants in 1993, while a free agent system introduced at the time allowed the team to secure a steady flow of veteran front-line talent. In 1994, he won his first Japan Series pennant with a team powered by his young batting disciple and now fellow Hall of Famer, Hideki Matsui, who later joined the New York Yankees. Nagashima got the better of his old teammate Oh when the pair faced each other as managers in the 2000 Japan Series with Yomiuri prevailing 4-2 against the Pacific League-winning Daiei (now SoftBank) Hawks in the best-of-seven series. Despite being better known for wacky phrases that caught the public's attention than his communication skills, Nagashima still had a way of getting the best out of his players. Known for his cheerful character, Nagashima often created his own Japanese-English expressions, including "make drama," a phrase he used while he was Giants manager to encourage players not to give up winning even when it seemed impossible. The phrase was selected as a buzzword of 1996 after the Giants achieved a dramatic upset victory in the Central League. Born in Sakura, Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo, in 1936, Nagashima played for the Rikkyo University baseball team before joining the Giants in 1958. The CL's 1958 rookie of the year, Nagashima was the winner of the league's best nine award 17 times, the only player to win every season from his first to his last. Nagashima was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988 and had his No. 3 retired by the Giants. In 2013, he received the People's Honor Award, along with Matsui. The award is bestowed by Japan's prime minister for outstanding achievements in sports, entertainment and other fields. Nagashima was hospitalized in 2018 for half a year to treat a gallstone and then frequently used a wheelchair. But after receiving an offer to take part in the Tokyo Olympics' torch relay in 2021, he was determined to walk on his own feet and managed to do so with help from Oh and Matsui.
The Mainichi
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Japan mourns death of professional baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan on Tuesday mourned the death of renowned former baseball player and manager Shigeo Nagashima, who earned the nickname "Mr. Giants" for his lifelong contributions to the sport as part of the country's most historically dominant team. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Nagashima, a recipient of the prime minister's top honor who died of pneumonia at the age of 89 earlier in the day, was "a national star who brought dreams and hope to the Japanese people." After joining the Yomiuri Giants in 1958, Nagashima played in 2,186 games and hit 444 home runs over his 17-year career. He won the Central League batting title six times, was home run king twice, led in RBIs five times, and was named CL MVP five times. In 2003, he served as manager of the Japanese national team for the following year's Athens Olympics, the first to feature only professional baseball players. But a cerebral infarction later prevented him from leading the team at the games. A charismatic figure known for his cheerful personality who helped boost the popularity of professional baseball, Nagashima was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988 and received the People's Honor Award in 2013. "We pay tribute to the contributions of Mr. Pro Baseball, who was often compared to the sunshine, to Japanese baseball, and express our condolences," Hayashi, the top government spokesman, said at a regular press conference. The report of Nagashima's death spread across Japan on Tuesday morning, prompting an outpouring of feeling from baseball fans and those who had known or crossed paths with him. Mayor Tomonori Kiyoyama of Miyazaki, where Nagashima was an honorary citizen, said, "He brought great joy and vitality to our citizens. I pray his soul will rest in peace." Referring to the city's long history as a training camp site for the Giants, Kiyoyama added Nagashima's "passion for baseball and his love for Miyazaki are deeply engraved in the hearts of the citizens." In Tokyo, baseball fans hailed Nagashima as a "legend," with Genta Nakai, 31, saying, "He was a star, partly because of his cheerful personality." Masae Shinoda, 60, said, "I was shocked when I heard on the morning news that he had died. Mr. Nagashima was a hero to my husband," an avid fan of baseball. She thanked him for "giving dreams to so many young players."
