The Yomiuri Giants` No. 1 ranking in the Central League has been confirmed. It was an accomplishment that Shinoske Abe, 45, made in his first year in office. However, there is another leader who attracts the most attention in the Japanese professional baseball league this season. Tsuyoshi Shinjo, 52, manager of the Nippon-Ham Fighters, is also known for his stellar performance.
As you know, the Fighters were a team played by Shohei Ohtani. Before that, there was Yu Darvish. At that time, he was a powerhouse in the Pacific League. In 2016, he also reached the top of the Japanese series.
However, the team was reeling from the outflow of core power (to the MLB). The situation has been on a sharp decline since 2017. Under such circumstances, Shinjo took charge of rebuilding. He took the helm in late 2021. However, there is nothing he can do. His team gets worse. It fell to the bottom for two consecutive years (2022-2023).
This year, however, is different. He is moving up to the top ranks from the beginning. As of now, he has solidified his ranking in second place at the end of this season. The winning rate stands at 0.563. He has a 6.5 game gap with third place. He has secured qualification for the postseason for the first time in six years.
It is truly an eye-opening performance. The term “new magic” is in fashion. It is full of praise for its outstanding leadership. The timing is exquisite, too. This year is the last year in his term. There is nothing strange about extension contracts during the season. It happens sometimes in MLB, even in KBO.
However, NPB is cautious. It has been quiet all the time. Then, there was a news report recently. The news was that the team plans to ask for a fastball soon. Fastball (續投) means that the team keeps throwing. In other words, the team will offer an extension contract.
Finally, some of the highest-ranking officials made comments. The remarks were made after a meeting of owners on Tuesday. Nobuhisa Ikawa, 63, chairman of Nippon-Ham, stood in front of the microphone. “I have not received any complaints from the club yet, so I can only speak neutral terms. Nonetheless, I have a high evaluation on Shinjo (for Shinjo).”
The front desk of the club does not hide it. The CEO of the group’s headquarters is also thirsty for praise. He has good objective performance and supports the public opinion enthusiastically. In fact, this is enough. There is no doubt about Shinjo’s contract extension.
However, this is not true. There is a slightly different atmosphere. Media outlets are constantly raising suspicions. Articles such as “Shukangendai” (Shukan Gendai) and “Is this the way to retire after becoming the best Japanese coach?” (Daily Shincho) are being published.
The focus is on Shinjo himself. He says, “If you don’t like the security audit, that’s enough.” No matter how good the team offers you. There is nothing we can do if the person in charge refuses. If he says, “I’ll stop here,” how can he hold on to it.
For now, he avoids direct comment. The barrage of questions is deflected like this. “I’m only thinking about the Climax Series (Postseason). I just have the scene where we fight great and stand on top.”
Of course, no one would know if he hadn’t taken the mound at all. There are quite a few big stars who were reluctant to take the helm. However, this situation is different. For now, he has stepped in. While he is in the office, it is not easy to do so.
However, he is unique. He has a unique character. He is far from ordinary. In other words, he is a nerd. He is truly a free soul. Such has been the trajectory of life. At an important crossroads in our lifetime, we often make unexpected decisions. That is why it makes it difficult to predict the future.
For starters, he was like that when he was an active player (currently Hanshin Tigers). Hardly enough, he became a free agent. Naturally, he was expected to remain in the team. The Tigers offered a five-year offer of 1.2 billion yen. The offer is not a bad deal considering his full 24 years in the team. Other teams have also contacted him.
But I volunteer for a sudden press conference. And I declare, “I have found a team that fits my ideal. I will try to achieve my old dream there.”
It was in the New York Mets. It was not even a place where a starting position was guaranteed. The annual salary was only 500,000 U.S. dollars. The amount is far lower than the amount that his former team demanded.
Life in the U.S. was tough. He wandered around New York, San Francisco, and New York for three years (2001-2003). He barely managed to cover himself up. Still, he has more worries than others. Looking at the young players playing in their camp, he said, “I want to give them a chance.” This sounds strange to U.S. coaches. He is not motivated to play in the Minor League. 먹튀검증
He eventually had to return to Japan (2004). He was beaten by Nippon Ham, now known as Nippon Ham.
The third year was another problem here. He announced his retirement from the beginning of the season. And he kept that promise. The problem is that he won the Japan Series title that season. It was the first time in his career. He left the ground at the best moment.
After that, he left the baseball scene. He was a celebrity. He was an advertising model, fashion model, horse racing face-to-face, and appeared on TV…. Bamchi, an ordinary entertainer, enjoyed popularity.
That’s why the word “forgiveness” comes out. “Leave when you clap.” His life itself was like that. I hate being stubborn. It’s a form-based company. In a way, it’s the personification of self-management.
His popularity is at its upper limit. He is better than when he was an athlete. At this rate, he will be treated with the best blue chip treatment. He will be able to dominate the entertainment industry for a while.
It is the same in terms of the economy. All the assets collected were destroyed by fraud. Rumor has it that he took over the coach for that reason. It is different now. It may be faster for a financial recovery. Of course, there will be much less stress about the outcome.
He has two nicknames. They are PRINCE and BIG BOSS. The latter was also used as a registered name in the first year of the coach’s coach in 2022. This is a proverb that reminds me of leadership.
On the other hand, the former is a nickname used to describe the Hanshin era. It came from his handsome appearance (181 cm tall, 76 kg) when he was running on the ground. He literally became the prince of Koshien who made fans excited. His nickname is more appropriate for a celebrity than a baseball player.
How will he be called in 2025? Will he remain the “big boss” or will he become the “middle-aged prince”? He is not sure where he will stand out.
