Original article is in the January edition of Monthly Tigers magazine
At long last! Thanks for coming today.
Think nothing of it. It’s no big deal at all.
You’re from Niigata Prefecture. Could you tell us how you first came to know about the Tigers, and how you became a fan?
The first time I saw a professional baseball game was at Korakuen Stadium. Tigers vs. Giants. I was an elementary student. The Tigers battery was Yutaka Enatsu and Koichi Tabuchi – they were so cool! I wondered why it was that this team always finished in second. Of course that was right in the middle of the Giants’ V9 (1965-73) so they were particularly strong then too. If anything, I was anti-Giants. Everyone else in Niigata likes them, so I cheered for the (Hankyu) Braves (laughs).
And from there you became a Tigers fan?
I was definitely a fan by the time I got to high school.
Any players you were particularly fond of?
Taira Fujita is one for sure. But really, the most impressive player back in those days was Mr. Tigers himself, Masayuki Kakefu.
You were a Tigers an through thick and thin, weren’t you? Mostly thin, mind you…
Nah, there were good times too (laughs).
Last season the team finished in last for the first time in ages…
To me, last place was not the issue – they simply did not play fun baseball. Remember in Kanemoto’s first year (actually second), when they had that huge come-from-behind win against the Carp, and there were all kinds of dramatic games. But last season, they kept getting walked all over… there were so many games like that. It felt like there was no entertainment value. Even if they had finished in third place, there’s no way they would have made a playoff run. All those fans cheering so passionately all season long – give them something to get excited about! That was what I felt most strongly about last season.
In that case, are you expecting much from Yano’s Tigers?
Manager Yano gave three orders to his guys, right? One of them was “Make the fans happy.” Attaboy, Yano! You understood what the team was lacking, didn’t you (laughs)? That’s what Hanshin lacks more than anything else right now. Of course as a professional team, winning is really important too, but they also need to appeal to the fans, give them something memorable at some point during the 9 innings of baseball. I think that is part of the mission of professional baseball. Even though Yano was not in the top squad dugout last year, he paid attention enough to realize what was lacking, and made it into a team slogan.
What players in particular strike you as interesting?
I’ve had my eye on Masahiro Nakatani since the Yutaka Wada years. I keep wondering when he’s going to finally put it all together. He’s got a good arm, he’s fast, he hits for power… what’s missing? I really think he’s as talented as Yuki Yanagita (SoftBank Hawks). But he hasn’t broken through yet. Of course, Yusuke Ohyama is good too, and there are others as well… but Nakatani is head and shoulders above everyone, in my opinion. He had a great 2017, and I expected he would do even more in 2018. What a loss.
Do you think he just needs to be himself, let his personality shine through?
Like I said, he’s on the same level as Yanagita. But that guy has found a way to just let it flow… Yanagita’s personality comes through, and the team has helped him maximize his talents. This team needs to do the same, not only with Nakatani, but with Shintaro Fujinami, Ohyama, speedy Kai Ueda, all of them. Let their strengths define who they become, let them be who they are meant to be. If they can do that, well, it might be an exaggeration to say the guys we have now are enough, but I really think this team has a lot of potential.
Naturally, Yano has said he is going for a pennant even in his first year. Do you think that if they can get more out of the talent they have on the roster, it’s a possibility?
Oh, for sure. Not a pipe dream at all. If they could pick up a really good foreign bat, that would help too. It’s going to depend on how much Fujinami can bounce back, and how much potential the young players and mid-career guys really have.
The Carp have three-peated and the Giants really bolstered their roster this past offseason, but you’re saying the Tigers could compete?
I think they can. I hope they can, anyways.
Looking at the roster, looking at the numbers, they look good on paper, don’t they…
That’s all in the past! Last season, 2018 is in the past. We have to look at the future! We have to believe in that the team will be strong for the next 5-10 years…
Right (laughs). We definitely have to believe, in 2019.
For starters they need to play fun ball. Stir up the fans a little more.
I get the feeling Yano is going to do something special here.
Yano has a very broad view of baseball, as someone who played the game. He seems to be very logical in his use of pitchers, his selection of fielders. But even before these guys make their way onto the field, I feel like Yano is doing something special with the way he is mentally preparing them, the way he is letting them practice.
Interview goes into movies and Watanabe’s business ventures for awhile…
Whether we talk about the cafe, movies, or baseball, they all have one thing in common: they are there to please the people.
Absolutely. After the (Tohoku) disaster (March 11, 2011), I was talking to Rakuten catcher (Motohiro) Shima about showing fans the underlying strength of baseball. And I got to thinking, “What IS that underlying strength?” It’s got to be throwing the ball, hitting the ball, catching the ball with all one’s strength. I mean, think about it: tens of thousands of people, players included, are following the path of that ball wherever it goes. That’s the underlying strength of the game, and I think Yano is helping lead the Tigers back to the basics in that respect. It’s so interesting how so many people focus so much on that one small white ball.
Not just the players.
Right. I don’t think for a second that Tigers fans are awful, but there are a lot of fans at games that don’t even watch the game (laughs). They just want to get excited, they just want to cheer; it’s a way for them to release their stress. And that’s fine, it is what it is, but I think that’s what makes the majors and its players as intense as they are. Every fan in the stands is hanging on their every move. Every pitch, every swing of the bat. This might be a bit extreme, and I’m not saying people should stop cheering the way they do at Koshien, but I think the 50,000 people in the stands at Hanshin games can make the team stronger by paying closer attention to the ball on the field. It’s a big factor if you ask me.
You make your way to Koshien every year for a few games. What’s your way of watching the game? Beer in one hand and making a lot of noise?
Nope. I don’t drink during the game.
Really?
I’m a little weird in that way. I’m just serious about watching the game. Naturally I eat while I’m there – I get hungry! But I’m never in the mood for alcohol.
You’re united with the team during the game?
Just not in the dugout, but otherwise, yes. Just like the high school kids who can’t be on the bench with their team… I want to be with them for every pitch, every hit, every fielding play. I do sing Rokko Oroshi, mind you.
And when the game is over?
I’m beat. It’s tiring. REALLY tiring (laughs). But then after that, I have a few drinks and talk about the game for several hours: “He should have thrown that pitch instead!” “How could he have possibly whiffed on that pitch?”
You often go with Yutaka Fukumoto, right?
Right. So I’m absolutely knackered if I go to three games in a row. But that’s how much fun baseball is to me.
You just want to get to the stadium any time you find an opening in your schedule?
Right. Basically I keep my itinerary open every October, but the Tigers haven’t allowed me to enjoy one for awhile (laughs).
What do you think is the attraction of the Tigers, especially in comparison with other teams?
I dunno! They’re not a very attractive bunch, are they? (laughs) It’s kind of like a religion. When things aren’t going well, you question yourself and what you believe in, and all you can do is pray things will get better (laughs). That’s what it is. There’s no simple answer as to what the attraction is. But I always say “us” when I talk about the Tigers.
How excited are you about the upcoming season under Yano?
I can definitely say I’m really excited. A lot of things have changed about the club, and I think even the players have changed their core thinking. I think Koshien is the best ballpark in Japan. We need for the players to perform amazing feats, bringing tears and laughter to the fans. I hope to experience the thrill of good, fun baseball this year.
How many times do you think you’ll be at the stadium this coming season?
At the moment… I have plans to go once by the time May finishes up, and then I always keep October open for baseball (laughs). My birthday is October 21. I’ll be 60 this year. I hope the team will cooperate with my plans to turn 60 in style! (laughs)