Tokyo (AFP) – Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani led the tributes to Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima following his death on Tuesday aged 89. Known as “Mr. Pro Baseball,” Nagashima starred for Japan’s most popular team, the Yomiuri Giants, winning nine straight Japan Series titles from 1965 to 1973. He formed a lethal partnership with Sadaharu Oh, who holds the world record for hitting the most home runs, and the pair are credited with cementing baseball’s status as Japan’s favourite sport.
Their batting exploits captivated a Japanese public enjoying new economic prosperity out of the ruins of World War II, with families tuning in to watch games on black and white televisions. Nagashima’s outsized personality and easy charisma made him a popular public figure and symbol of a confident new Japan. He hit a dramatic walk-off home run to seal a win for the Giants in the first professional game ever attended by Japan’s emperor in 1959.
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“May your soul rest in peace,” Ohtani wrote on Instagram to his 9.5 million followers, along with a picture of himself with Nagashima. Oh also paid tribute, telling reporters that he was “really shocked” to learn of his former team-mate’s death. “I’m really disappointed that Mr. Nagashima, who shines brightly in the history of Japanese baseball, has departed after a long bout with illness,” the 85-year-old Oh was quoted as saying by the Kyodo news agency. “He taught me a lot of things. I’m grateful to have been able to play with him.”
Nagashima retired in 1974 after a 17-year playing career during which he won the Central League batting title six times and was home run king twice. He played in 2,186 games and hit 444 home runs. He also had two stints as the Giants’ manager, winning two Japan Series titles over 15 seasons. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary said Nagashima was “a sunny person.” “He left so many brilliant records in the world of professional baseball for many years and gave bright dreams and hopes to society as a national star,” he said.
© 2024 AFP
