Sayonara Shigeo ... Yomiuri Giants legend Nagashima passes away at 89

TOKYO — I read with sadness of the passing of Shigeo Nagashima, the former Yomiuri Giants star who died June 3 at the age of 89. It is hard to put into words the effect that Nagashima had on Japan when he was an active player (1958-1974) and later as Kyojin manager. But it is accurate to say he was even more beloved than Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers star whose presence today on Tokyo billboards, subways posters and TV commercials is ubiquitous.

In The Chrysanthemum and the Bat I wrote that Nagashima “was the most loved, most admired and most talked about figure in the history of sport since the days of Joe DiMaggio.” It seems like hyperbole in retrospect, but back then you couldn’t take a stroll through any Tokyo thoroughfare without seeing Nagashima’s mug advertising some product or another. Toyota automobiles, Oronamin C was a leading health drink he promoted, along with Sanyo men’s clothing, Mitsubishi banks, Hitachi computers and Sumitomo Life Insurance, among many, many others. He also appeared in several movies and TV dramas. Giants games were telecast every single night to a nationwide audience of over 20 million viewers.