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Japan Forward
6 days ago
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Shigeo Nagashima (1936-2025): There Can Never Be Another 'Mr Baseball'
Everyone loved Shigeo Nagashima. During the Showa years, kids gathering to play sandlot ball would vie for the honor of wearing the "Number 3" jersey just like him. Even many fathers who prided themselves on being "Giants haters," did not let that stop them from enjoying Shigeo Nagashima's play. It was a phenomenon you could experience in public squares and living rooms across Japan. Nagashima's way of playing baseball symbolized an era when Japan was recovering from the war and moving towards becoming an economic superpower. It was a buoyant era when people were confident of a bright future. 2025 marks an even century since the start of the Showa era and 80 years since the end of the Pacific War. Nagashima, who passed away on June 3 at the age of 89, was a giant of the game and an unrivaled superstar who seemed to embody the Showa and postwar eras. Shigeo Nagashima of the Giants hits a walk-off home run in the first professional baseball game to be watched by the Emperor. June 1959, against the Hanshin Tigers at Korakuen Stadium. Perhaps the best-known moment in his lengthy career was the walk-off home run he hit against his worthy rival Minoru Murayama in a game attended by the Emperor Showa in 1959. Professional baseball fans went wild over his competitive spirit as well as his spectacular swings and misses that would send his helmet flying. He always lived up to expectations in crucial situations like those. September 16, 1968 (Showa 43) - Giants player Shigeo Nagashima swings and misses, sending his helmet flying at Korakuen Stadium. Nagashima teamed up with his teammate and buddy Sadaharu Oh to blast "O-N (Oh-Nagashima) Cannon Shots." But he also thrilled the crowds with his deft defensive performance at third base, where he would routinely leap for a fiercely hit ball and then wave his right hand as if striking a pose after throwing the ball to first base for the out. Nagashima would wear a large helmet that could fly easily. And his movements after throwing the ball were straight out of kabuki theater. He was clearly out to entertain the fans. With O-N taking the lead, Japanese professional baseball grew in popularity to the point that it became the national pastime. And Nagashima came to be called "Mr Giants." With time, that became "Mister Pro Baseball," and eventually he was known affectionately to all Japanese simply as "Mister." His boundless cheerfulness and consistently positive attitude were the true source of his popularity. Giants' player Shigeo Nagashima watches the ball's trajectory. Nagashima was also loved for his many famous words of wisdom, such as "Failure is the mother of success." Asked how he deals with the psychological pressure before an important game, he replied, "I enjoy the pressure." When young, he made light of the famous line by author Kenji Miyazawa meant to embody the will to endure, "Unbowed by the rain, unbowed by the wind." He dismissed it as "boring." And instead his sayonara message for his junior high school graduation message board was: Rejoice in the rain, enjoy the wind. His thoroughly positive personality appears to have remained unchanged since his childhood. When the war ended in the summer of 1945, Nagashima was nine years old. Tokyo and other major Japanese cities had been turned into burned-out ruins. But the speed of recovery that followed astonished the world and speaks volumes about the industriousness of the Japanese people. In 1956, the government's White Paper on the Economy declared that "We are no longer in the postwar period." At that very time, Nagashima was a star player as third baseman at Rikkyo University, a member of the Big Six league of elite Tokyo universities. Two years later, he made his debut with the Yomiuri Giants. And in his very first year as a pro player, he won the Central League home run and RBI titles. Shigeo Nagashima at Korakuen Stadium [Photo taken on November 1, 1963] In 1960, the Hayato Ikeda Cabinet launched its "Income Doubling Plan." And 1965 marked the start of the "Izanagi Boom." It was also the year in which the Giants won the first of nine consecutive Japan Series titles. The color television joined automobiles and air conditioners to form the "new three sacred treasures." It was a staple in the living room of every household. And in the evenings, fathers would monopolize the choice of channels to catch live night games in which the Giants played. That was the scene in Japan during the Showa era, and Nagashima could always be found center stage. Shigeo Nagashima (center) on the day of his retirement, with Sadaharu Oh (left) (October 14, 1974). In 2021 Nagashima was awarded the Order of Culture. He was only the second athlete to receive this honor, following the swimmer Hironoshin Furuhashi, nicknamed the "Flying Fish of Fujiyama" [Mount Fuji] by the sports world. Furuhashi set 33 world records during his career in the immediate postwar years. Just as Furuhashi symbolized the postwar reconstruction era, Nagashima symbolized the high economic growth era. Led by Coach Shigeo Nagashima, the Giants won their first Japan Series title in six years. Players, including Hideki Matsui, circle the stadium with their manager at Tokyo Dome. October, 2000. In 2004, while getting ready for the Athens Olympics as the manager of the Japanese national baseball team, Nagashima suffered a cerebral infarction (stroke) and was hospitalized. He subsequently became disabled. Nevertheless, he continued to appear in public, displaying to all his efforts at rigorous rehabilitation. Nagashima forced himself to live in such a way that others would see him. His conduct serves as inspiration for others who have suffered the same disability to live courageously. That no doubt is why he acted as he did. In 2013, the Japanese government bestowed the National Honor Award (People's Honor Award) upon Nagashima and Hideki Matsui in a joint ceremony at Tokyo Dome. Nagashima had mentored Matsui and Matsui considered himself Nagashima's disciple. When asked upon his retirement what scene from his career came immediately to mind, Matsui answered, "Batting practice with Manager Nagashima." The two men, mentor and disciple, kept in close touch even after Matsui left to play ball in the United States. Back in Japan, Nagashima continued to listen to the whistling sound of Matsui's bat swing over his cellphone, which he placed on the floor of his home or hotel room. At the People's Honor Award ceremony, the pair rode side by side in an open car. And since Nagashima was waving his left hand while hiding his disabled right hand, Matsui also continued to wave only with his left hand. Later Matsui explained, "I wanted to draw attention to the manager's vigor." Obviously, another of Nagashima's great achievements was his nurturing of kind-hearted successors. Shigeo Nagashima encourages Ichiro (left) before a practice match between the Japanese WBC team and the Giants in February 2009 at Sun Marine Stadium in Miyazaki City. Across the wide Pacific, Shohei Otani paid tribute to Nagashima before the start of a Los Angles Dodgers game. Then in the game, he proceeded to hit a huge home run. Looks like we are rapidly gaining a symbol for the Reiwa era. This is how the tapestry of stars transcending eras is woven. Shigeo Nagashima, "Mr Pro Baseball" (1936-2025) OBITUARY | Baseball Great Shigeo Nagashima Dies at 89 (Read the editorial in Japanese .) Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Shigeo Nagashima Passes Away: Eternal Mr. Pro Baseball Brightened An Era
With his spectacular plays and beaming smile, Shigeo Nagashima brightened an era. He was truly a sun- or sunflower-like figure. Together with fans across Japan, we pray for him to rest in peace. Nagashima, the lifetime honorary manager of the Yomiuri Giants, has passed away. He was 89. As a player and manager, he achieved numerous accomplishments and solidified the popularity of professional baseball in Japan. He was a national star worthy of the title 'Mr. Pro Baseball.' The bigger the stages were, the more the 'man with the burning spirit' demonstrated his abilities. In the game attended by the then Emperor and Empress in 1959, he hit a dramatic walk-off home run off Hanshin Tigers pitcher Minoru Murayama in the bottom of the ninth inning. With slugger Sadaharu Oh, Nagashima was the driving force for the Giants known as the 'O-N' pair during a period called the Giants V9 campaign when they won nine consecutive Central League and Japan Series titles. And the two earned a description as the 'record-breaker Oh, memory-maker Nagashima.' During Japan's high-growth period of the Showa era (1926-1989), many people related to Nagashima with his energetic plays in a thriving society and drew inspiration from him for days to come. Nagashima was probably the only player who could make fans cheer even after making an error. Even people who rooted against the Giants loved him deeply. After retiring in 1974 with the famous speech, 'My Giants are forever immortal,' Nagashima managed the Giants over two stints. In 1994, Nagashima led the team to victory in the 'Oct. 8 showdown' against the Chunichi Dragons to win the league championship and went on to win the Japan Series. In 1996, he managed the team as they came from behind to overcome an 11.5-game deficit against the first-place Hiroshima Carp to win the league championship. In the 2000 'millennium showdown' Japan Series against the Daiei Hawks managed by Oh, the entire nation was abuzz. Dramatic developments occurred around Nagashima one after another, probably because he was a superstar. He always maintained a positive attitude, leaving behind numerous memorable quotes such as 'Make Drama' and 'Miracle Again.' At times, he also made humorous remarks that charmed fans like 'Let's pretend to go for 'utsu' [a hit], but instead we will go for hitting,' mixing English and Japanese words both meaning same thing, and 'I've reached my first 60th birthday.' One thing that must not be forgotten is Nagashima's contribution to nurturing Hideki Matsui into an indisputable cleanup hitter. Nagashima set a '1,000-day plan' to turn Matsui into an elite hitter in three years, and Nagashima was always with Matsui to tirelessly practice hitting. When Matsui retired, Nagashima said, 'I have refrained from praising him openly until now, but I would like to call him the 'greatest home run hitter of the modern era.'' Matsui still reflects on the days he spent swinging the bat under Nagashima's watch and speaks of his appreciation for Nagashima. In 2004, Nagashima suffered a cerebral infarction and was left with paralysis on the right-side of his body and other aftereffects. Despite this, he continued his rehabilitation saying, 'I want to run again.' Although he was often called a genius, he was also a man of relentless effort. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 4, 2025)
The Mainichi
30-05-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Baseball: BayStars end scoreless streak, beat Tigers
NISHINOMIYA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The DeNA BayStars ended their scoreless streak at 36 innings and went on to beat the Central League-leading Hanshin Tigers 5-1 on Thursday. DeNA captain Shugo Maki's eighth home run of the season tied the game at 1 in the fourth inning. Toshiro Miyazaki's tiebreaking bases-loaded walk was followed by Taiki Ishikami's two-run single in the seventh, making it 4-1 at Koshien Stadium. Andre Jackson (5-1) pitched seven innings of one-run ball. Jon Duplantier (1-2) took the loss. In the day's other games, former Oakland Athletics left-hander Kyle Muller (1-3) picked up his first win in Japan after working seven innings as the Chunichi Dragons blanked the Yakult Swallows 6-0. The Rakuten Eagles defeated the Seibu Lions 6-3.
Kyodo News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Ex-baseball pro plants "Superman" rice to help Kyoto kids
The Kyoto Shimbun - 7 hours ago - 16:29 | All, Japan A former professional baseball player for the Hanshin Tigers and native of Yosano in Kyoto Prefecture recently returned to his roots -- this time in a rice field. Yoshio Itoi, whose physical prowess during his playing days earned him the nickname "Superman," took part in a rice-planting activity on May 2 in Yosano's Ishikawa area, as part of an ongoing initiative to support local children. Itoi, 43, has been working with the local agricultural corporation AGRIST to tackle a decline in both the farming population and youth participation in sports. Through this partnership, Itoi has spent the past two years helping produce and promote a premium brand of Koshihikari rice known as "Superman Rice." A portion of the rice's sales is used to purchase sports equipment that Itoi personally delivers to local elementary schools. During the activity in Ishikawa, Itoi skillfully operated a rice-planting machine under the guidance of AGRIST representative Keishi Ota, carefully planting seedlings across approximately 10 ares of land. He showed genuine commitment to the work, frequently looking back to inspect the field throughout the process. After completing the planting, Itoi shared his hopes for the future. "It would make me happy if children from our community grew up strong and became famous local athletes." The Kyoto Shimbun Related coverage: Japan's largest photography festival opens in Kyoto Foreign residents and locals unite for Kyoto Hina-matsuri Kyoto Abilympics showcase vocational skills of people with disabilities
Kyodo News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Ex-baseball pro plants "Superman" rice to help Kyoto kids
The Kyoto Shimbun - 17 minutes ago - 16:29 | All, Japan A former professional baseball player for the Hanshin Tigers and native of Yosano in Kyoto Prefecture recently returned to his roots -- this time in a rice field. Yoshio Itoi, whose physical prowess during his playing days earned him the nickname "Superman," took part in a rice-planting activity on May 2 in Yosano's Ishikawa area, as part of an ongoing initiative to support local children. Itoi, 43, has been working with the local agricultural corporation AGRIST to tackle a decline in both the farming population and youth participation in sports. Through this partnership, Itoi has spent the past two years helping produce and promote a premium brand of Koshihikari rice known as "Superman Rice." A portion of the rice's sales is used to purchase sports equipment that Itoi personally delivers to local elementary schools. During the activity in Ishikawa, Itoi skillfully operated a rice-planting machine under the guidance of AGRIST representative Keishi Ota, carefully planting seedlings across approximately 10 ares of land. He showed genuine commitment to the work, frequently looking back to inspect the field throughout the process. After completing the planting, Itoi shared his hopes for the future. "It would make me happy if children from our community grew up strong and became famous local athletes." The Kyoto Shimbun Related coverage: Japan's largest photography festival opens in Kyoto Foreign residents and locals unite for Kyoto Hina-matsuri Kyoto Abilympics showcase vocational skills of people with disabilities
