On Monday night, the baseball world lost a legend. Shigeo Nagashima, who is widely known as “Mr. Pro Baseball” in Japan, passed away at the age of 89.
On Monday, the Yomiuri Giants held a moment of silence to remember Nagashima, who is the Lifetime Honorary Manager of the team.
【二軍】
vs ヤクルト
ジャイアンツタウン スタジアム
13時試合開始試合開始前、長嶋茂雄終身名誉監督のご冥福をお祈りし、追悼の黙祷を捧げました
試合はGIANTS TVで生配信！https://t.co/OFc1noTU7s#新風 #ジャイアンツ pic.twitter.com/UAQ4Er8gZj
— 読売巨人軍（ジャイアンツ） (@TokyoGiants) June 4, 2025
Nagashima was instrumental as both a player and manager with the Giants. He played all 17 seasons with the franchise, finishing with a career .305 batting average and 444 home runs while leading them to nine consecutive Japan Series titles.
After his playing career, he was the manager during two stints, one in 1975-1980 and then other from 1993-2001.
After the news came, Los Angeles Dodgers star and fellow Japanese legend Shohei Ohtani reacted to the news with a post on Instagram.
“May your soul rest in peace,” Ohtani wrote with several photos of the two of them together.
The tributes came pouring in from plenty of others, including the official MLB X account.
“We are saddened by the passing of Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima.”
The Dodgers also posted a message about Nagashima after the passing.
“The Dodgers mourn the passing of Shigeo Nagashima, Japan’s “Mr. Baseball,” who died Tuesday in Tokyo at age 89. 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.”
The impact he had in Japan, which came long before stars such as Ichiro Suzuki, is something that will be remembered forever in the country.
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