<figure id="attachment_464205" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-464205" style="width: 4589px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="f01f6e28"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/04/5603fe7dc0bb81bd7fce86ee78700799.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-464205" class="wp-caption-text">He is also expanding his activities as an interviewer at the &#8220;TV Asahi Big Sports Award&#8221; ceremony.</figcaption></figure>
<h2> I want to work with Sugitani again.</h2>
 Kenshi Sugitani, 35, a Nippon Ham alumnus who now works as a YouTube star, has seen his reputation as a reporter &#8220;explode. Sugitaniwill retire from professional baseball in 2022.
 He has been selling his eloquent talk since his active days, and was featured in &#8220;Tunnels&#8217; Sports King is Me! (TV Asahi) as &#8220;Team Teikyo&#8221; for many years. He appeared in a total of 777 professional games, and although he was not a regular on the show, he was a nationally known player in terms of popularity. He was also a popular guest on off-season talk shows, and he himself was eager to make the most of his popularity.
 After retiring from professional baseball, he immediately set up his own private office. He is now not only a YouTube star but also a frequent visitor to the baseball field.
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 He is supported in his work by a former sports production staff member at a key station in Tokyo. He understands Sugitani&#8217;s position well. Although his track record as a commentator is a little lacking, he has a certain amount of weapons. That&#8217;s why we pitched him to the stations for a reporter slot. He is a well-established junior character, so he is also very good at talking with Hideki Kuriyama (64), Yoshio Itoi (44), Sho Nakata (36), and others about their episodes.
 There are many cases of professional baseball alumni who boast popularity among the general public turning into reporters or TV personalities, but it is the reporters who cover the game on a daily basis who feel bitterly about this.
 Although it is becoming less common these days, there are reporters who visit important games or international tournaments only to cover them as a &#8220;special assignment,&#8221; treating the reporters as a distraction, chatting with popular players and leaders, and then going home.
 However, when Sugitani covers Japanese professional baseball, Major League Baseball camps, and WBC training camps, he does so not as a &#8220;special assignment,&#8221; but as a reporter. At first, the staff members of other media were a little put off by his presence, but then he asked them, &#8220;Am I interrupting anything? I know XXX player, so if you don&#8217;t want to ask him questions, I can ask him and ask him first. He was very attentive and open to chatting with them. He does not talk about baseball from a superior perspective, which is common among baseball alumni, and this is another reason why he makes a good impression.
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 Another TV sports production staff is also impressed.
 He is so considerate to the staff that it is hard to believe that he is a former professional baseball player. He always brings in gifts for the staff, and he speaks respectfully to the cameramen and other staff members who are difficult and crafty, and they like him.
 His &#8220;junior staff power&#8221; is nothing short of amazing. In the media world, you are finished if you are disliked by the technical staff. He is also a genius at getting around at drinking parties. He is highly regarded as a person who knows what is going on around him, both in his private and professional life, and many people involved with him say, &#8220;I want to work with Sugitani again. It is rare for a reporter to be called &#8220;kun,&#8221; though (laughs).
 (Laughs)&#8221; It is expected that Sugitani will be even more active as &#8220;Japan&#8217;s most down-to-earth baseball evangelist.

 AFLO

 Kenshi Sugitani, 35, a Nippon Ham alumnus who now works as a YouTube star, has seen his reputation as a reporter "explode. Why is this?

Reporter Kenshi Sugitani&#8217;s reputation &#8220;explodes&#8221;&#8230; &#8220;Japan&#8217;s most humble baseball evangelist&#8221; is a junior powerhouse.

Reporter Kenshi Sugitani’s reputation “explodes”… “Japan’s most humble baseball evangelist” is a junior powerhouse.

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