Having already done a few dozen player profiles about guys I never got a chance to see play, I love going back and reading some of the older books written about Tigers legends. This particular book was published soon after the death of Fumio Fujimura, who lived to the age of 75. Given the timing of its release, I should not have been surprised that it did not include any juicy or controversial episodes from his colorful life with the team. Instead, it was a vanilla-flavored tribute to perhaps the greatest man to don the Tigers uniform.
Case in point, his #10 was the first in team history to be retired. He held the league’s single-season home run record (46) for 15 years until Sadaharu Oh (ever heard of him?) broke it with 55 in 1964. He held the single-season hits record (191) for 44 years until Ichiro (ever heard of him?) broke it with 210 in 1994. He was also Japan’s Babe Ruth (you know him, right?) 70 years before the media took that metaphor and put it on Shohei Ohtani’s right arm.
In any case, this book was not a particularly great read, truth be told. There were some interesting facts, like his upbringing in a small town in Hiroshima. I really grew in my appreciation for a truly baseball-crazy prefecture when I read about his childhood and schoolboy years. The book also highlights his affection for the headmaster’s wife, who took good care of Fujimura and the whole baseball club.
There was also a little more detail about his service in the war, which I had not read before. Quite interesting stuff, though it obviously brought an even more solemn tone to the book than its opening and closing, which talk of Fujimura’s passing.
And then there was the time playing manager Fujimura called his own number as a pinch hitter late in a game, hit a come-from-behind, walk-off grand slam home run for the final round-tripper of his career.
The man had so much color, hit so many home runs, still leads the club in career RBIs, came in as an ace pitcher, managed the team (amidst much controversy). His story should be rainbow-colored, but instead is multiple shades of grey. Good read, but could have been so much more.