“He’d Stare Me Down”—High School Mentor Recalls Tomo Otosaka’s Wild Side as He Joins Giants

“I’m honestly surprised I didn’t punch him. With that level of intimidation. He was probably one of the most difficult players I’ve ever had to deal with.”

Says Kiyoshiro Ogura, the former head of the Yokohama High School baseball team. The player he nearly punched was Tomo Otosaka (31), whose transfer to the Yomiuri Giants was announced on July 12. He was drafted in the 5th round in 2012 and joined DeNA directly from Yokohama High. After being released in 2021, he became a journeyman—playing in Mexico’s professional league, independent leagues in the U.S., and Triple-A with the Seattle Mariners.

However, according to Ogura, Otosaka had already been quite a handful during high school. Here is a true story he shared:

“Otosaka would instantly lose his temper—his blood would rush to his head. When I pointed out mistakes in his play, he’d glare at me—right in front of my face. That made me mad too, of course, but if I had laid a hand on him, it would’ve been a compliance issue. I think I really did well to hold back. He didn’t take well to top-down authority and often pushed back.”

Even after becoming a professional, Otosaka’s rebellious streak didn’t change. In August 2019, Shukan Bunshun reported suspicions that he had been drinking with an underage girlfriend.
In June 2021, Shukan Post reported that he had been going to nightclubs during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, DeNA issued a stern warning and placed him on house suspension, after which he was released.

“I’ve decided to play in Mexico.”

On the other hand, he also knew how to show respect. According to Mr. Ogura, Otsusaka would call him every time something happened.

“Every time he transferred—to the Mexican League or to the Mariners’ Triple-A—he would call me. He’d say things like, ‘I’ve decided to play in Mexico now,’ or ‘I’ll be continuing my career in the Mariners’ Triple-A team.’ All I could really say was, ‘What? Mexico, huh,’ but it made me happy. He’s a competitive guy, but he’s also someone who doesn’t forget the people who’ve helped him in the past.”

With the Giants, Otsusaka has already appeared in several third- and second-team games and has been hitting. But Mr. Ogura is not overly optimistic about Otsusaka’s future with the Giants.

“Professional baseball isn’t an easy world where you can succeed right away. On top of that, the Giants aren’t in great shape right now. They’ve got outstanding closers like Taisei and Martínez, but there haven’t been many games where they’re leading late, so those pitchers aren’t getting much time on the mound. To make better use of their closers, what they really need is a powerful slugger who can boost the team’s scoring. So, I can’t help but question why they signed a player like Otsusaka, who specializes more in small-ball tactics.”

Will he be able to ease the concerns of his former high school coach? Having gained experience overseas, Otsusaka now has the chance to show a new side of himself with the Giants.