Nagashima won 11 Japan Series in his playing career, including nine consecutive titles
Shigeo Nagashima, one of the greatest and most beloved players in Japanese baseball history, has died at the age of 89. Nagashima’s death was confirmed by the Yomiuri Giants, the Nippon Professional Baseball league squad that he both played for and managed during his storied career. Robert Whiting, an author and authority on Japanese baseball, once wrote of Nagashima that he was “the most loved, most admired and most talked about figure in the history of sport since the days of Joe DiMaggio.”
Nagashima, a third baseman, appeared in parts of 17 NPB seasons, stretching from 1958-74. He batted .305/.379/.540 with 444 home runs and 190 stolen bases. He won five Central League Most Valuable Player Awards, including four from 1961-68. He hit .330 or better five times, cleared the 30-homer threshold five times, and, at the peak of his powers, would often walk more significantly more often than he struck out.
Nagashima, alongside teammate and fellow legend Sadaharu Oh, led the Giants to nine consecutive (and 11 overall) Japan Series victories. Both Nagashima and Oh would later take turns serving as skipper of the Giants. Although Nagashima failed to win a Japan Series in his first stint at the helm, resulting in his termination, he would later return to the dugout in the ’90s and would eventually bring home a pair of titles — including one in ’94 with the help of Hideki Matusi. Overall, he won 13 Japan Series titles with the Giants as a player and manager.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani posted a message honoring Nagashima on his Instagram, complete with a message that roughly translates to “may your soul rest in peace.”
Nagashima played before it became commonplace for Japanese stars to transfer to MLB. That didn’t stop some MLB teams from showing interest in his services, however. As TIME Magazine reported in 2001: “Los Angeles Dodger owner Walter O’Malley was so impressed with Nagashima that he tried to buy his contract, but the Giants’ aging founder Matsutaro Shoriki turned the offer down flat.”
Nagashima, along with Oh and Matsui, served as torch bearers for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
