TOKYO — Shigeo Nagashima, an iconic figure in Japanese baseball known as “Mr. Pro Baseball,” has passed away at the age of 89. The news of his death was confirmed on Tuesday by the Yomiuri Giants, the team with which he forged a legendary career both as a player and as a manager.
In a nod to past traditions, the announcement of Nagashima’s death was also made in special newspaper editions handed out on street corners, reminiscent of debriefing methods from earlier decades. Nagashima’s fame was solidified before Japanese stars like Ichiro Suzuki and Shohei Ohtani captured the world’s attention in Major League Baseball.
Shohei Ohtani paid tribute to Nagashima with a heartfelt message and shared three photographs of them together on social media before the Los Angeles Dodgers’ game on Monday night. Among the photos were those taken during the Dodgers’ visit to Tokyo last March. “May your soul rest in peace,” Ohtani wrote, though he did not speak to the press after showcasing his skills, including his major league-leading 23rd home run, during the Dodgers’ narrow 4-3 defeat to the New York Mets.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi remarked that Nagashima “gave bright dreams and hopes to the society.” Throughout his career, Nagashima was instrumental in leading the Yomiuri Giants to nine successive Japan Series titles from 1965 to 1973, a significant achievement similar to baseball’s World Series.
Teaming up with Nagashima during this celebrated period was Sadaharu Oh, who made his mark in baseball history by hitting 868 home runs. Nagashima himself was a formidable third baseman; over the course of his 17-year career, he amassed a .305 batting average, tallying 2,471 hits, 1,522 RBIs, and 444 home runs. He concluded his playing career in 1974 but returned to manage the Giants from 1975 to 1980. His tenure ended after the 1980 season when he couldn’t secure a Japan Series victory.
He made a comeback to management in 1993, guiding the Giants to a Japan Series win in 1994 with Hideki Matsui, who later joined the New York Yankees. The Giants clinched another championship under his helm in 2000. Nagashima was poised to lead Japan in the 2004 Athens Olympics, but a stroke left him partially paralyzed a few months before, preventing him from taking part.