<figure id="attachment_411187" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-411187" style="width: 2328px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="6ff8b849"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/01/9370dd4a5dd5436b1ceb9ba7bb4887ec.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-411187" class="wp-caption-text">Coach Matsunaka passionately coaching Ishikawa at fall camp</figcaption></figure>
<h2> Too much of a genius&#8230;&#8221;</h2>
<p> Nobuhiko Matsunaka, 50, has been appointed as Chunichi&#8217;s supervising hitting coach under newly appointed manager Kazuki Inoue, 53. This was his first return to NPB since retiring from Softbank in March 2004.</p>
<p> Coach Matsunaka was a core member of the powerful Daiei batting lineup that included current Softbank manager Hiroki Kokubo (53), former Lotte manager Shihito Iguchi (50), and Softbank chief baseball officer Kenji Jojima and special advisor to chairman Oh (48).</p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> He was the only Triple Crown hitting champion in the Heisei era, and his outstanding hitting theory still holds true today. However, there is a slight point of concern &#8230;&#8230;. Like former manager Kazuyoshi Tachinami (55), he is said to be a &#8220;teaching devil. I used to go to the Hawks&#8217; field often as a baseball commentator on TV, and every time I came to the field, he would say to the young players, &#8220;This is how you should hit the ball! It was tough for me because every time I came to the field, I would start telling the young players, &#8220;This is how you should hit it! &#8230;&#8230;</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> In recent years, there have been more younger coaches, so there are fewer people who can give their opinions to Mr. Matsunaka, but behind the scenes, he seemed to be in a lot of trouble, saying, &#8220;Nobuhiko-san is too much of a genius, and the young players can&#8217;t get their heads straight and things get messed up.</span></p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<p> (SoftBank alumnus) &#8220;However, for the long-standing poor batting lineup of Chunichi, it may be just right that the triple crown winner&#8217;s guidance is too hot-blooded. What the Chunichi executives are more concerned about is his &#8220;guidance&#8221; off the field.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Nagoya, where Chunichi is based, has a famous entertainment district, Nishiki. The players of the visiting team used to go to Nishiki every time they traveled to Nagoya. However, Nishiki is the home of former manager Tatsunami. The Dragons players avoided Nishiki, saying, &#8220;If we have fun at Nishiki, Mr. Tatsunami will know who picked what woman, where, and when. &#8230;&#8230;</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> However, Coach Matsunaka, who hails from Softbank, would have none of it. Even during his time with the Hawks, he frequented Nakasu, Fukuoka, his hometown. Naturally, as coach of the Chunichi, he will be more frequently seen in Nishiki.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Moreover, Mr. Matsunaka would say, &#8220;I want to drink with everyone! He is the type of person who prefers to drink on the floor where other customers are also present. Since he is a celebrity, he should drink quietly in a private room. &#8230;&#8230; I&#8217;m worried that Matsunaka will take our players around and give them hot-blooded instructions on how to play at Nishiki,&#8221; said a baseball team official.</span></p>
<p> Chunichi has finished last in the Central League for three consecutive years, and rebuilding the team is an urgent task. The Chunichi team has been in last place in the Central League for three consecutive years, and the team needs to rebuild urgently.</p>


 Kyodo News

 Nobuhiko Matsunaka, 50, has been appointed as Chunichi's supervising hitting coach under the newly-inaugurated Kazuki Inoue, 53. It was his first return to NPB since retiring from Softbank in March '16. ......

Free from &#8220;Coach Tatsunami&#8217;s Watch&#8221;&#8230;Chunichi Nine Fears Coach Nobuhiko Matsunaka&#8217;s &#8220;Hot-blooded Coaching in the Pleasure Zone&#8221;.

Free from “Coach Tatsunami’s Watch”…Chunichi Nine Fears Coach Nobuhiko Matsunaka’s “Hot-blooded Coaching in the Pleasure Zone”.

Access Ranking