Before the single room, "I didn't have 5,000 won a day"...Now he's the most popular director

Nippon Ham Fighters Director Shinjo Tsuyoshi's Life Turnaround Story

[OSEN = Baek Jong-in Guest Reporter] It was last weekend (17th). Koshien Stadium near Osaka is full of people. This is because the quarterfinals of the national high school baseball championship are in full swing.

A match between the affiliated high school of the Fukuoka National University of Western Japan and Kyoto International High School, which is scheduled for the first game in the morning, is about to take place. The baseball stadium suddenly becomes noisy. It is because someone showed up in the audience. He is wearing a white shirt and black sunglasses.

Fans are starting to murmur. Countless people are flocking to the area. There are endless requests for autographs and photos. Dozens of reporters trying to cover the scene are also busy glancing. Even players on the ground are busy glancing. The progress of the game is difficult. There is also a great concern about possible safety accidents.

Finally, the broadcast is played in the hall. "The first game will begin shortly. Please cooperate in maintaining order."

This is not the end. The announcement goes on. "Director Shinjo, please move to the separate room upstairs." The headquarters of the competition opened an unscheduled VIP suite. We had no choice but to quarantine ourselves to calm the confusion.

Popular idol star is Tsuyoshi Shinjo, 52. He is an incumbent coach of the Nippon-Ham Fighters. He visited Koshien to cheer for his alma mater (a junior high school affiliated with the University of West Japan).

Shinjo played for the Hanshin Tigers for 11 years when he was an active player. The team uses Koshien Stadium as its home ground. In other words, the "star of Koshien" has returned. (His alma mater lost 0-4 despite his support. His opponent was Kyoto International High School, which sang Korean school songs.)

"I was not that good at baseball that gave me goosebumps. I have never exceeded 30 percent before. I don't hit many home runs. He is evaluated as an outfielder (midfielder) who is quick in feet and good in defense. Some brilliant plays are clear in fans' memory. For example, he seems to have hit a ball that he intentionally played four times and made it a timely hit (against the Yomiuri Giants in 1999).

His style is good and his showmanship is strong. This made him more popular. After all, he is more like an entertainer than a baseball player. Therefore, many people said it was unexpected when he was appointed as the coach in 2022. It was taken for granted that he would come in last place for the second consecutive year. He also openly said that "no baseball player would think that Shinjo is a coach."

He does not hesitate to run an unconventional team. He also discloses the starting lineup of players through SNS. A few days ago, he even successfully played squeeze with two consecutive balls. He also produces results. He is constantly ranked second to third in the league. This has given rise to the term "Shinjo Magic." He is said to resemble Katsuya Nomura (died 2020), a legendary player.

His popularity is unrivaled among active coaches. Every word and gesture makes a story. His enthusiasm as if he showed at Koshien Stadium on the day is a prime example. The Japanese media call him the "Fever." The Fighters' home stadium (Escone Field) is always crowded with fans.

It is similar to his reputation in the baseball community. His life was full of ups and downs. He also went through a period when he fell into an abyss. He lost all of his assets right after he retired from active duty. According to his personal opinion, the amount of damage is over 2 billion yen (about 18 billion won). His mother, who was managing him, was cheated by an acquaintance. He was 35 years old (2007).

His retirement life on Bali Island has ended. This is how I look back on that time.

"I had to live in a single room. The monthly rent was 30,000 yen (about 270,000 won). There were no separate refrigerator and kitchen facilities. We shared the room. Back then, I was so lucky to have 600 yen (about 5,400 won) a day. It was truly a life of extreme poverty."

Since then, he has made money as he pleases. He appears in TV entertainment programs, fashion models, baseball commentators, and so on…. Whenever I call him, he goes out. The topic of the talk is his story that he failed just in one day.

"The victory parade in 2006 was the heyday of my life. I went out in Yonsama (Bae Yong-joon of Winter Sonata) and handed out my personal belongings to fans one by one. He also readily took off the 100,000 yen (about 900,000 won) bracelet. I drove a supercar such as a Ferrari and a Lamborghini. Now I ride a scooter," the audience laughed.토토사이트 추천

This is his third year as a manager. His first contract was two years long. It ended at the end of last year. He was expected to be replaced, but his contract was extended by one year. For now, this is the last season. However, in the current situation, it seems natural to renew the contract. Unless the person with a free spirit thinks wrong.