Nobuhiro Matsuda, the “hot man” who “has done it all,” directly asks, “Do you feel like you are giving back to the team that has been so good to you?”

I had to hold back tears during my speech at my retirement game (laughs).

My original goal was to stay active until I was 40. When I finished my 30s in a Giants uniform this past May, I felt a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that I had never experienced before. Every year a number of players take off their uniforms. Not a few of them retire with regrets that they could have done more. But I have none of that. I want to praise myself for being able to devote so much time to baseball, which I love. I’ve done it all. Even if they had asked me to play one more year, I would have said, ‘I’m full of it, so I’m done with it’ (laughs).

He always gives his all more than anyone else, and his uniform is always covered in mud. On this day, the “hot man” who has maintained such a style, dressed in a beautifully tailored dark blue suit, looked straight into the eyes of the FRIDAY reporter and quietly reflected on his baseball career as if he were chewing on his own words.

Nobuhiro Matsuda (40) entered SoftBank in 2006 through the “desired entry” system of the college and adult draft. He was expected to replace Hiroki Kokubo (52).

He said, “At that time, I never felt that training at Asia University, which was said to be the hardest school, was difficult, but my first year with the Hawks was tough. It was not a physical problem, but I was shocked to realize how high the level of training was. When I saw Koji Mise’s (47) straight ball, which was the first pitch I faced in camp, I was shocked. …… I remember talking with Yuichi Honda (39), who had joined the Hawks the same year, and saying, “I can’t hit a fastball like this.

In his first year, Matsuda’s problems in dealing with professional fastballs were solved by a comment from Koji Akiyama (61), then manager of the second team.

He said, “Let’s put the bat down. Until then, I had been hitting with the bat upright. It took courage to change my form, but I think that decision was a major point in my baseball career.

He had not changed his all-out play since his rookie season, but his role as the team’s mood-maker had been “entrusted” to him.

In the off-season of 2011, when I played in every game for the first time, Mr. Kawazaki (Munenori Kawasaki, 42), who had decided to challenge the majors, told me, “Leave it to Match to be cheerful and upbeat! He said to me, ‘Leave it to Match to be cheerful and upbeat. That day, I decided to fulfill my role as the “cheerful Nobuhiro Matsuda” for the team.

Matsuda prioritized his contribution to the team above all else. That is why he insisted on playing in every game.

I was able to play in every game for five consecutive years from ’15 to ’19. I continued to do the same thing for a long time in order to keep playing in every game. The menu for my voluntary training, the way I adjusted myself in camp, and the way I took care of my body were all part of it. If you ask me what I was doing on any given day of any given year, I can answer almost exactly what I was doing. The 301 home runs and 1,832 hits I’ve hit in my professional career are important numbers, but improving my personal performance ranks far below staying in the game for the team.

His decision to join the Giants in the off-season last year was also in pursuit of opportunities.

He said, “Although I was indebted to SoftBank, I had no desire to finish my baseball career with SoftBank. I wanted to go anywhere as long as I could play in games. I was honestly happy when then manager Tatsunori Hara (65) said, ‘I consider you as an asset. But I was sorry that I couldn’t repay him with results. ……

Matsuda was transferred to the Giants in search of an opportunity to play, but he spent most of his first year with the Giants in the second team. How did he see the Giants’ young warrior who bears the future?

I have the impression that all Giants players practice smartly. Although we are 21 years apart, we joined the Giants at the same time, and both of us are right-handed hitters. We were both right-handed hitters. I really enjoyed watching him practice hard and energetically, even though he was an elite Dora 1 player. I hope he will lead the future of the Giants and the baseball world. I told Shogo, “Three beats are not enough. I told Shogo, “It’s not enough to be a three-talent player; you have to be a four-talent player, with running, offense, defense, and energy. I really want him to do his best.

Looking into his eyes overflowing with love for the young players, one cannot help but expect to see the “hot guy” as a leader.

I have always wanted to wear the uniform of the Hawks or Giants again. I don’t know yet when that will be, or whether it will be as a coach or manager, but I would like to give back to the teams that have helped me. I also think that now is not the time, but I also loved carrying my country on my back as a member of the Japanese national team, so I would like to lead Samurai Japan.

He says he now has more time in his schedule than when he was active and spends more time with his family, who have supported him throughout his career.

His professional career is over, so now I spend my days in strategy meetings with my wife and son to make the second part of Nobuhiro Matsuda’s life more interesting. I want my fans to watch me as I transform myself more and more into my 40s and 50s. You can count on me!”

Matsuda’s speech was more relaxed than during his active career, but his eyes were still filled with a passionate fighting spirit. The “hot guy” will definitely return.

From the December 8-15, 2023 issue of FRIDAY