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03/05/2004 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Japan's Mr. Baseball, Shigeo Nagashima, Suffers Stroke"
Revered Former Great Paralyzed on Right Side
Regular readers of Baseball Guru.com will know who Shigeo Nagashima is, a former third baseman and manager for the Yomiuri Giants who is the Japanese game's equivalent of Joe Dimaggio. His popularity dwarfs both Hideki Matsui and Ichiro by far and he is more well known than the Emperor. Friday, the 68 year old hall of famer suffered a stroke that has so far left him paralyzed on his right side and there are doubts that he will be able to carry on as skipper of the Japanese national baseball team. However, the episode is reportedly not life threatening and he is responsive. Right now, doctors are saying that they will treat him with drugs and no surgical procedure is necessary.
According to Sankei Sports, Nagashima complained of not feeling well Thursday. He apparently didn't wake up Friday morning at his usual time, so a family member went to check on him and then decided to call an ambulance.
Former Kokutetsu Swallows and Yomiuri pitcher Masaichi Kaneda, who won 400 games during his long career, remarked rather oddly upon hearing the news, "he should take it easy. The dream is broken. It's irritating. It's frustrating. He can't give in to his illness. I hope he will get back on his feet."
Another erstwhile Yomiuri hurler, Tsuneo Horiuchi, now the team's field boss, revealed that, "I heard about it last night. I was astonished, to tell you the truth. I only pray that he recovers quickly. Hopefully he will be able to lead the olympic team. Nobody else but Nagashima would be suitable."
Nagashima's son Kazushige a former infielder with both Yakult and Yomiuri, was red eyed as he discussed his father's illness at a 5 a.m. press conference. "As a family all we can do is pray that he gets better." The younger Nagashima has had an often strained and conflicted relationship with his father over the years, though recently it has seemed to improve. He disclosed that "I was panicked" as he arrived at the hospital to visit his dad.
In recent weeks, Shigeo Nagashima had, as is customary for him during spring training, visited most of the other NPB camps, an event that always elicits breathless coverage by the Japanese sports press.
At this point, doctors say they have no idea when Nagashima will be able to go home. Japanese doctors are notoriously overly cautious about these things, so at least a month would not be out of the question, judging from past experience.
Former Hanshin manager Senichi Hoshino, who guided the Tigers to their first Central League flag in 28 years last season, was in the U.S. making the rounds of the big league camps, averred upon hearing of Nagashima's hospitalization, "I thought, 'oh no!' He should focus on taking care of his health from here on in."
Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, when apprised of all this, stated, "My feelings are ones of surprise and worry. I can only pray that he will recover."
Nagashima had been scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on the 28th before the Yankees-Devil Rays MLB opener at Tokyo Dome, but that is now being "reconsidered." One of those Bronx Bombers, outfielder Hideki Matsui, told reporters that nobody has contacted him about Nagashima, but "I hope that he doesn't suffer any after effects from it."
Nagashima's former teammate when he was a player, Sadaharu Oh, sounded a little more upbeat note when he responded, "he is conscious and so in this unfortunate time there is at least one bit of happy news and I'm glad about that."
On a concluding historical note, Nagashima could have become the first Japanese to ever play in MLB. While the Giants were training with the Dodgers during the spring of 1961, L.A. owner Walter O'Malley approached both Nagashima and Yomiuri management about buying the superstar infielder's contract. A couple of days later, the Giants and Nagashima issued a press release through their public relations department turning down the offer "for the good of the continuing development of Japanese baseball." Nagashima had drawn raves from infielder Ken Boyer and manager Solly Hemus when the St. Louis Cardinals toured Japan in 1958, Nagashima's rookie year. The first year man hit .283 against the Redbirds during that 16 games series, during which the MLB nine prevailed in 14 of them.
