Latest news with #Mr.ProBaseball
Yomiuri Shimbun
4 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)
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yomiuri Shimbun
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.
France 24
5 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Ohtani leads tributes as Japan's 'Mr. Pro Baseball' dies at 89
Known as "Mr. Pro Baseball", Nagashima starred for Japan's most popular team, the Yomiuri Giants, winning nine straight Japan Series titles from 1965 to 1973. He formed a lethal partnership with Sadaharu Oh, who holds the world record for hitting the most home runs, and the pair are credited with cementing baseball's status as Japan's favourite sport. Their batting exploits captivated a Japanese public enjoying new economic prosperity out of the ruins of World War II, with families tuning in to watch games on black and white TV sets. Nagashima's outsized personality and easy charisma made him a popular public figure and symbol of a confident new Japan. He hit a dramatic walk-off home run to seal a win for the Giants in the first professional game ever attended by Japan's emperor in 1959. "May your soul rest in peace," Ohtani wrote on Instagram to his 9.5 million followers. Nagashima retired in 1974 after a 17-year playing career during which he won the Central League batting title six times and was home run king twice. He played in 2,186 games and hit 444 home runs. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary said Nagashima was "a sunny person". "He left so many brilliant records in the world of professional baseball for many years, and gave bright dreams and hopes to society as a national star," he said.
