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Shigeo Nagashima, one of the greatest Japanese baseball players of all time, has died at the age of 89.
The Yomiuri Giants, the Nippon Professional Baseball league team he played for and managed throughout his illustrious career in Japan, confirmed his death Tuesday.
While he was a Japanese legend, Nagashima was beloved globally, and that showed with the outpouring of love and support after the news of his death, including from Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani.
“May your soul rest in peace,” Ohtani’s caption on Instagram below a picture of Ohtani and Nagashima said when translated to English.
Ohtani’s Dodgers, who tried to buy Nagashima’s contract from the Giants while he was playing, also shared condolences.
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“The Dodgers mourn the passing of Shigeo Nagashima, Japan’s ‘Mr. Baseball,’ who died Tuesday in Tokyo at age 89,” the Dodgers said. “Nagashima became a legend for the Yomiuri Giants, who have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Dodgers from as far back as the 1960s. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and generations of fans.”
For 17 NPB seasons, Nagashima starred for the Giants, slashing .305/.379/.540 with 44 home runs and 190 stolen bases from 1958-74. He was named the Central League Most Valuable Player five times as one of the most feared hitters in the sport.
Nagashima and fellow Japanese legend Sadaharu Oh helped the Giants win nine straight Japan Series, and Nagashima won 11 overall during his playing days.
When his career was over in uniform, Nagashima and Oh took turns leading the Giants as managers. Nagashima won a couple of Japan Series titles as manager, including his 1994 season with Hideki Matsui leading the way.
Matsui went on to star for the New York Yankees in the major leagues as Japanese superstars heading to MLB became more commonplace. Matsui was instrumental in bringing the Yankees their 27th world title in 2009.
Nagashima stayed connected to the game to the very end, including his role as a torchbearer at the 2020 Summer Olympics alongside Oh and Matsui.
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