Tsuyoshi Shinjo, the manager of the professional baseball team, vehemently refutes the criticism of the players’ association!　The “deep gulf” between the two sides widens.

The mudslinging has not ended.

Tsuyoshi Shinjo, 53, manager of Nippon Ham, is said to be upset about a “complaint” from the Japan Professional Baseball Players’ Association.

The reason for this is that Naoyuki Uesawa, 31, who decided to return to the Japanese baseball world last year, joined SoftBank. Uesawa, who had been posted by Nippon Ham to try out for the Major League Baseball in the U.S., had to go back after only one year. Shinjo had been concerned about the departure of his student for some time.

Until the decision was made, Uesawa had been training at Nippon Ham’s facility in Kamagaya, Chiba Prefecture, and everyone, including the manager, the front office, and the fans, believed that he would return to Nippon Ham. However, the result was that he was transferred to a rival team in the same league with a large contract. Shinjo was so angry that he personally unfollowed Uesawa on Instagram and harshly criticized him, saying, “I made a mistake in the way I brought him up.

He challenged SoftBank manager Hiroki Kokubo (53) to allow Uesawa to pitch in the second official game of the season, which will be a direct matchup in a hostile environment, and even appealed for a revision of the posting rule at a meeting of the 12 teams’ managers.

In response to the manager’s unresolved anger, the Nippon Professional Baseball Players’ Association took Shinjo’s comments to task at a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) administrative meeting held in Naha City (Okinawa Prefecture) on February 20. Tadahito Mori, the secretary general of the players’ association, pointed out that Shinjo’s comments “lead to slander and libel.

On the 21st, the official X of the players’ association also commented, “Players make decisions after careful consideration during their limited working lives. There is no reason for them to be subjected to comments that could be taken as a denial of their character. He is prepared to continue discussions with the NPB to seek improvements.

The relationship between the two is completely strained.

One day toward the end of camp, Shinjo said in front of the press, “Why do I have to take that kind of criticism?　This is going to ruin professional baseball in Japan. The players’ association is concerned that this kind of back-and-forth will continue into the season, and that the players will be caught in the middle.

This is why Tsubasa Aizawa (36) of Hiroshima, the president of the players’ association, is questioning the NPB as to why they did not protect Uesawa, and the players are now fearful that “tomorrow is their own day. However, I am sure that Shinjo will not ease up in his efforts in the future.

Will there be a way to settle this mess?