In Memoriam: Shigeo Nagashima – 3330 days since his stroke!　The day Mr. Nagashima threw the ball again with his indomitable fighting spirit

Wearing sneakers with the number “3” in red.

Mister looks at a small ball …… at the end of his smiling gaze. It was indeed the ball that Shigeo Nagashima had thrown with his own hand.

Mr. Nagashima, “Mr. Professional Baseball,” who built the golden era of the “Glorious Giants,” passed away at 6:39 a.m. on June 3. The cause of death was pneumonia.

It was March 2004 when Mr. Nagashima suffered a stroke at his home in Denenchofu and was urgently hospitalized. At the time, Nagashima was leading the “Dream Team” of the Japanese baseball team for the Athens Olympics.

It was later reported that he had made a “miraculous recovery,” but his whereabouts were unknown at the time. Against this backdrop, this magazine has reported on Mr. Nagashima’s rehabilitation. Here we look back on Nagashima’s indomitable fighting spirit as he continued to face up to the challenges of the past.

The day of his first rehabilitation in his hometown, Tama River (April 19, 2001 issue)

In June 2005, a year after he suffered a stroke, this magazine witnessed Mr. Nagashima walking along the bank of the Tama River with a cane.

On that day, after completing his daily rehabilitation at a park in Tokyo, Nagashima drove to the bank of the Tama River in a light rain. He began walking with a cane in his left hand along the Tama River ground of the former Giant’s Army. He wore black sneakers with the number “3” in red, and his steps were strong.

Mr. Nagashima felt a sense of relief at his return to uniform and made his first visit to the Tama River Grounds since his illness to report to ……. This is how it appeared to this magazine, which had been following his rehabilitation every day.

It has been 3,330 days since his stroke!　Mr. Nagashima threw the “ball” (May 3, 2001 issue)

The day Mr. Nagashima throws the ball again…. This magazine finally witnessed the moment that all baseball fans have been waiting for.

The Mister smiled at ……

It was April 15, ’13, 3,330 days after he suffered a stroke in ’04. Mr. Nagashima was working hard on his rehabilitation at a park near the former site of the Tama River ground of the Giants. According to a local resident, “Every Monday for the past few weeks, he has been working in this park,

According to a neighbor, “I have seen Mr. Nagashima at this park every Monday recently. Except for a slight limp in his right leg, he walks with such a steady gait that it is hard to believe he is ill.

So it was. On that day, Mr. Nagashima greeted a woman walking her dog with a loud “Good morning! and greeted her in a loud voice. He received an oval ball for dogs from the woman with his left hand, and with a big swing, he threw it about 3 meters. It was not a white ball, but it was the moment when Mr. Nagashima finally threw the ball.

The ball fell to the ground, the dog took it in its mouth, and it went under Mr. Nagashima again. “Wahhhh! he laughed as he bent down and threw the ball up into the air once again. Although it was only two pitches, it was a moment when Mr. Nagashima showed us that he was definitely on the way to recovery.

Many fans must have longed for the day when he would be able to pitch with his right hand again. Although that wish did not come true, his smile surely gave fans great hope.

For us fans, that smile of Mr. Nagashima will be immortalized forever. May he rest in peace.