Role of Nagashima in Japanese Baseball
Well, word got out, and Nagashima-kantoku backed out. I suspect that he didn't want to hurt the feelings of Yakult's president, who was a HUGE Nagashima fan (can you say "conflict of interest?), but that he didn't want the job, either.
Mind you, that's complete heresay.
Most people start their Pro Yakyu fanship as Giants' fans, then graduate to other teams. I was one. I liked the Giants because I was a life-long San Fransicso Giants' fan, so I already had the T-shirts and orange and black goods.
But at some point, they really lost their appeal. It was after I started writing on the web - and I started opening my eyes to the other teams. Also, when asked who my favorite Giant was, since Ogata was gone (or wasn't getting any playing time), and so was Ohkubo, my answer turned out to be Nagashima-kantoku.
"Ahh! No, not him!" I'm sure many of you are saying. I just lost my credibility, didn't I? But as Hosono-san says, he was a showman, and still is. Sure, his "Speed and Charge" are as potent as G.W. Bush's "Action Administration"
(Comedy Central had a great peice on that a week or two ago), but he's really very good at protecting his players from a rabbit press.
If Nagashima-kantoku wasn't there, do you think that Matsui would have any peace at all? Seibu's Matsuzaka could really use somebody to block the press like Godzilla's got.
The best story I've heard about Nagashima as a player was by his former team mate and pitch coach, Horiuchi. In a game between the Giants and BayStars a few weeks ago, Horiuchi-san was the guest commentator, and he was asked to compare Nagashima and Mori, the two managers facing off for the first time in a regular season. Horiuchi said something to the effect of:
Well, I was struggling through a game my rookie year, and both of them came over to give me advice. Nagashima came over from third and said, "Come on, now, let's finish these guys off. You've just got to get another (?) out(s) and you've got the next few days off." Mori came over from behind the plate and said, "Where the **** do you think you're throwing the ball?"
[Translations are very loose, and relying on my faulty memory. That's just how I remember the story.]
Now, which advice would you prefer?
Nagashima has provided three generations of baseball fans with entertainment and inspiration, yet one is considered to have lost one's credibility (in the realm of baseball intellectuals) for regarding Mister Baseball as what he is: a hero.
Having followed pro yakyu for more than a decade, I've found that members of the "anti-Kyojin" crowd share this common characteristic: They consider baseball to be more about politics and fairness than about winning baseball games. Nagashima and the Giants are "too popular" and thus undeserving of true devotion; fans are expected to "graduate" to other less-heralded teams as they supposedly mature in their knowledge of the game; Nagashima is regarded as a hypocrite for preferring to coach his favorite club rather than contribute his skills to a Pacific League franchise.
Wake up, people. A true fan does not intellectually choose the objects of his affection. Fanmanship is an affair of the heart. And baseball is not about being nice to the underdog, it's about getting clutch hits and making close plays; it's about pushing oneself to the limit physically and emotionally for the good of one's team; it's about winning games and clinching pennants.
Nagashima loves the Giants, the team of his youth. Would he contribute more to baseball by offering his services to the Nippon Ham Fighters? Would the Hanshin Tigers win the CL pennant if the Giants had less money to spend on great players? Who cares! Since when is baseball governed by these kindergarten playground principles?
In professional sports, it's OK for the big guy to win. Goliath is SUPPOSED to beat David. The goal of a franchise should be to dominate one's opponents through strength, fundamental skill development, hard work, and fair sportsmanship.
If the Tokyo Giants do this better than other teams, and so provide their fans with heros to cheer for and high standards to aim for, what is the ethical problem with wanting to manage them? And what apology do their fans owe to supporters of those other teams who--for financial or other reasons--are unable to compete at this level?
Give Nagashima a break. His hero status is not up for revisionist reconsideration, and his team has contributed greatly to the rich history of baseball in this country. He and his fans have every reason to delay their graduation from the Yomiuri Giants.
Cheers, and thanks for this great Web site,
tokyotodd
This is a site about Pro Yakyu (Japanese Baseball), not about who the next player to go over to MLB is. It's a community of Pro Yakyu fans who have come together to share their knowledge and opinions with the world. It's a place to follow teams and individuals playing baseball in Japan (and Asia), and to learn about Japanese (and Asian) culture through baseball.
It is my sincere hope that once you learn a bit about what we're about here that you will join the community of contributors.
Michael Westbay
(aka westbaystars)
Founder
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Some rights reserved.
I was naturally a Giants fan at that time, although my next door neighbor in Tokyo, who was a TAIYO WHALE and taught me how to play baseball, was my hero (Kazuhiko Kondo). Although I was a Giants fan, I didn't like Nagashima that much because he was too popular. Instead I rooted for Oh because he was always overshadowed by Nagashima even though he had a better record most of the time.
Its amazing that almost 30 years since Nagashima retired, he is still the most popular baseball personality. Even his kids are popular. Unlike Joe Dimaggio and Ted Williams who are legendary figures in the US, Nagashima is everywhere on TV - all the time! In my opinion, he is so popular and so powerful that he can single-handedly change Japanese baseball if he wants to.
For example, he could have gone to the Pacific League and make them more popular. BUT, he didn't do that. Instead of making NPB better, he only thinks about the Giants. When he was out of baseball after he was axed as a Giants' manager in the early 80's, he just timidly waited and waited to get another chance with the Giants. He could have gone to some other team!! Giants this Giants that... He just wants to hang on to the status quo. Just be Giants manager forever. Very narrowminded. I'm so disappointed.