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?”

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.