Yusuke Oyama’s Absence from Fan Day Sparks Anger, Threatens His Stay
The owners of Hanshin and Yomiuri Giants commented to the press.
The annual FA reinforcement frenzy in professional baseball is heating up day by day. The biggest concern for fans is whether Yusuke Oyama (29), the fourth batter and infielder from Hanshin, will decide to transfer to their eternal rival, the Yomiuri Giants.
On the afternoon of November 20, a meeting was held at a hotel in Tokyo with owners and representatives from all 12 baseball teams. However, there appeared to be a clear difference in tone between the two sides after the meeting concluded.
“In response to reporters’ questions, Hanshin owner Takehiro Sugiyama (65) firmly stated, ‘Free agency is an important personnel matter, so I have nothing to comment on regarding personnel matters. Please understand.’ He gave no further response.
On the other hand, Yomiuri owner Juichi Yamaguchi (67) indicated that the decision regarding free agency was entrusted to the head of the team’s development department, Tadashi Yoshimura (61). He further commented on the situation, expressing his wish for players to have a happy baseball career with the Giants. He said, ‘As a team, we want to win the league title and the national championship. We approach players with this goal in mind and hope they will join us.’
Additionally, he passionately stated, ‘As Japan’s oldest baseball team, we believe we have the greatest responsibility and the deepest love for the sport. I hope you will consider becoming part of such a team.’ This clearly demonstrated how forward-looking the Giants were in their approach” (report from a national sports newspaper).
