Sho Nakata relegated to the second team… “The worst future” brought about by his poor performance

24 hits, 2 runs, batting average of .083.

On October 1, the Giants’ Sho Nakata (32) was relegated to the second team. He returned to the first team on September 21, but his performance did not improve, and his results were as described above. I’m not sure what to make of it.

“I’m not sure what to make of it. This season, Nakata was in bad shape, with a batting average in the 10% range from his time at Nippon Ham. His back was not in good shape to begin with. He has taken various measures, such as modifying his hitting technique to a more slippery stance, but I don’t think he has been able to make any fundamental improvements.

Nakata’s sensitive nature also seems to be having a negative effect.

Nakata’s sensitive nature also seems to have had a negative effect. “He was transferred to the Giants after the assault incident. I’m trying to be as quiet as possible. He was careful about his surroundings and listened to the advice of his manager, Abe. I’m sure he’s under a lot of stress because of his auspicious attitude in an unfamiliar environment. Nakata was called “the general” during his days at Nippon Ham and has a dynamic image, but he has a very sensitive personality. He’s been playing in the Pacific League for a long time, but this is the first time he’s been in the spotlight.

Currently, I don’t have any opportunities to vent my frustrations. Nakata is known for his love of children, but he has been forced to live alone in Tokyo, away from his family in Sapporo. Due to the new coronavirus, he is unable to go out for a drink to take his mind off things. I’m worried that he’s so overwhelmed that he’s going to have a stroke.

Will he take a big pay cut even if he stays?

He got into trouble at Nippon Ham, and for a while there were whispers that he might retire, but he has been slumping at the Giants, who picked him up. In normal circumstances, it would not be surprising if he were to be fired.

But after the assault, Hideki Kuriyama, the manager of Nippon Ham, asked Tatsunori Hara directly, “Can you do something for Nakata? It is said that Hara, who has been entrusted with the full authority of the club, decided to acquire Nakata himself, even though he was prepared to face criticism from the public, saying, “I can’t leave a talented player behind. No matter how bad Nakata’s performance was, he couldn’t be fired right away, considering Hara’s intentions. Nakata’s annual salary is said to be over 300 million yen, but I think it’s realistic to expect him to sign a contract for next season with a significant salary cut of more than 50%.

However, Nakata’s ability to stay with the Giants next season is based on the premise that he has the backing of manager Hara.

“The term of manager Hara will end at the end of this season. If they lose in the CS and don’t advance to the Japan Series, there is a good chance that he will take responsibility and step down.

If Hara were to leave, there would be no point in retaining Nakata, who has been hitting poorly. At the same time that Nakata moved to the club in September, the Giants were in a downward spiral. I think the fans really want him to be released, rather than using him unnecessarily and reducing the opportunities for other players to play. If he is out of the lineup, there may be no one left to take him in. I don’t think his old team, Nippon Ham, will raise their hand either.

This is the second time he has been demoted. Will he be able to find his own way to avoid the worst possible outcome?