Yusuke Oyama’s Absence from Fan Day Sparks Anger, Threatens His Stay

Hanshin and Giants Owners Comment to the Press

The famous FA reinforcement of professional baseball’s offseason is heating up day by day. The biggest concern for fans is whether or not No. 4 infielder Yusuke Oyama, 29, will decide to move from the Hanshin to their eternal rivals, the Giants.

On the afternoon of November 20, a meeting of the owners and representatives of the 12 teams was held at a hotel in Tokyo, but after the meeting there was a clear difference in temperature between the two sides.

In response to a reporter’s question, Hanshin owner Takehiro Sugiyama (65) said, “FA is an important personnel matter, so please understand that I have nothing to say on the subject of personnel matters.

On the other hand, Giants owner Juichi Yamaguchi (67) said that he had left the FA matter to Tadashi Yoshimura (61), head of the organization headquarters, and added, “I hope he will have a happy baseball life with the Giants. I want him to spend a happy baseball life with the Giants. As a team, the Giants want to win the league championship and win the crown of Japan’s No. 1 team. That is how we treat our players. I would like you to come to Japan.

He added, “As the oldest baseball team in Japan, I think the Giants have the greatest responsibility and love for their players. I would like you to be a member of such a team. This is a scene that clearly shows that the Giants are completely on the front foot.

None of the players who declared FA were present.

Under such circumstances, it is the job of Hanshin reporters to follow Oyama’s daily movements until the decision to declare FA is made. On the same day, two sports newspapers reported that Oyama was scheduled to attend all of the team’s upcoming events.

One reported that Kazuo Awai, 60, president of the team, had announced that Oyama’s name was on the list of participants for the team’s golf and fan appreciation festivals. The other noted that past Hanshin players Keiichi Hirano (45), Yamato (37), and Takashi Toritani (43), all of whom had declared FA, were absent from the team’s off-season events that year. It was written as if to suggest that “Oyama’s attendance at the team’s events meant that he had decided to remain with the team.

However, Oyama is said to be perplexed by this. A source close to the baseball team who knows the situation takes over the story.

He has been distrustful of the media for a long time, and he is fed up with the media writing about FA until the very last minute. What he is most worried about is the fact that his attendance at the team’s events, all of which he has circled as his participation at this point, has been reported as his “silver lining” for remaining at Hanshin.

This time, he seems to be angry not only at the media but also at team president Awai for leaking the information so brazenly. It is said that he is prepared to cancel the team’s events to avoid any misunderstanding that he has decided to stay on.

The off-the-field brawl in the traditional game is likely to last longer than expected.