NIHAM led by Tsuyoshi Shinjo: “Too Bad Issues” Seen in First Giants Game

This was the first time the team took on the Giants in enemy territory.

Perhaps the trauma of losing to the ragdolls in the Hanshin era came back to haunt him, “We’re going to lose 3-4 in a close one!” Tsuyoshi Shinjo, 50, manager of Nippon Ham, was self-deprecating before the game. However, the batting lineup exploded to an 8-5 victory. While being interviewed, he found himself surrounded by a huge crowd and struck the pose you see here.

It was a weekday, but 4,000 people showed up,” he said. In Chatan, a 30-minute drive away, Chunichi, where “Mr. Dragons” Kazuyoshi Tachinami (52) was camping, had at most 70 people, including the press.” Shinjo’s showmanship really bowled me over, going up to “Hara Tower” to talk with Giants manager Tatsunori Hara (63) and signing autographs in the coach’s box,” said a desk reporter for an evening newspaper.

It looked like smooth sailing, but sportswriter Yamato Fujimoto says, “I could clearly see the problems.

The coach’s communication skills have kept the youngsters active. The temporary coaches are also gorgeous. The team did a rough job of asking Kyuji Fujikawa (41), who came for an interview, to coach on the spot, and Terusei Yoshida (21)’s fastball has improved. However, this is not a coach’s position. How many first-team coaches can you name?　Because the batting order is being changed from one batting order to another by lottery, the new team’s mold and core players are not set in stone. The new helpers we have come to rely on have not yet arrived. Shinjo’s brightness has made the team’s “problems” invisible.

When Shinjo mocked, everyone mocked. It would be nice to have such a team, but….

From the March 4, 2022 issue of FRIDAY