Found at the Racecourse! Tsuyoshi Shinjo: Behind the Scenes of His Sudden Appointment as Nippon Ham’s “Manager

In the late afternoon, Boat Race Edogawa was crowded with boat fans even though it was a weekday. And on this day, there was a star in the racecourse who was well suited to the enthusiastic stands. Tsuyoshi Shinjo, 49, was standing in the special glass-walled bleachers, his bright white teeth gleaming.

“He had the same inverted triangle body and blond hair as when he was still active, so he stood out. But he’s been coming here more and more often lately, and no one’s making a fuss about it anymore (laughs). (laughs) The clientele here are more interested in the race in front of them than in Shinjo.

And then there was a man who was holding a boat ticket and looking disappointed while maintaining a social distance from Shinjo.

The other day, in a direct interview with FRIDAY, a martial arts fighter, Kojima, said, “If I lose my next fight, I’m retiring! I’ll retire if I lose my next fight!

“We met through a mutual friend a few years ago, and as festival men, we hit it off right away. They met through a mutual friend a few years ago, and as festival men, they hit it off right away. (entertainment industry executive).

I’m not sure if it’s a good match or a bad time, but the two of them enjoyed themselves until the last 12 races.

To be honest, I was a complete stranger to the sport. I’m sure Shinjo didn’t think he’d get an offer, and he probably had a big schedule to keep. I’m not sure.

“I’m sure that when Hideki Kuriyama (60) extended his contract for one more year last off-season, the default line was that Atsunori Inaba (49) would succeed him as manager in the off-season of 2009, after he finished fighting in the Tokyo Olympics.

However, the tide turned with the violent incident involving Sho Nakata (32), his trade to the Giants, and the leak of the team’s problematic video. However, the violent incident involving Sho Nakata (32), his trade to the Giants, and the leak of the team’s troubling video turned the tide.

“The parent company and the team’s sales department wanted a new manager who could dispel the negative image of the team and who could regain the nationwide popularity of the team. Shinjo was the perfect fit. He may look like a charlatan, but he is sincere about baseball, as Katsuya Nomura has admitted. He had played in the Japan Series, the World Series, the majors and the minors. In fact, there are many baseball team alumni who appreciate his rare baseball career.

It would be interesting to know if the reason why he started going to a boat race at this time, and why he invited an active fighter to join him, was to regain his competitive instincts.

From “FRIDAY” November 12, 2021 issue