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Kazushige Nagashima

Kazushige Nagashima
Infielder
Born: (1966-01-26) January 26, 1966 (age 51)
Ohta, Tokyo, Japan
Batted: Right Threw: Right
NPB debut
April 9, 1988, for the Yakult Swallows
Last NPB appearance
May 28, 1996, for the Yomiuri Giants
NPB statistics
Batting average .210
Hits 161
Runs batted in 82
Stolen Bases 8
Home runs 18
Teams

Kazushige Nagashima (長嶋 一茂 Nagashima Kazushige?, January 26, 1966 -) is a Japanese actor, sports commentator and former professional baseball player. His father is Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima.

Nagashima was born in Tokyo, Japan, the oldest son of former Japanese national team manager Shigeo Nagashima and his wife Akiko. His brother, Masaoki, is a race car driver, and his sister, Mina, is a newscaster. Nagashima's wife is his business manager, and they have twin daughters.

Nagashima entered Rikkyo University, following his father, and attracted lots of attention from professional scouts, being the son of Shigeo Nagashima. He was drafted in the first round of the 1988 draft by the Yakult Swallows, and his first professional hit was a home run against the Yomiuri Giants, and the pitcher was Bill Gullickson. He was touted as the next big star in Japanese baseball, after his father, but failed to live up to expectations. Nagashima did not hit or field well, and his playing time decreased as the years went on. In 1992, he spent a year with the Los Angeles Dodgers single-A team in the United States, but made little improvement.

He was about to be released from the Swallows in 1992, but was traded for money to the Yomiuri Giants, where his father was the manager. He did not play any better with the Giants, but his team won the league championship in 1994, and the father-son combination became a pet topic of the Japanese media. Nagashima suffered various injuries to his wrists and ankles during this period, and in 1993, he went to the U.S. to undergo surgery.

Nagashima's baseball career ended in 1996. The team demoted him to the minor leagues, along with a fine and a suspension, when he insulted coach Shozo Doi after he was told to practice bunting. Nagashima explained that he had no intention of insulting Doi, but pressure from the team and his own frustration increased when he yelled at Doi for telling him to bunt. Giants owner Tsuneo Watanabe was upset, and manager Shigeo Nagashima was forced to tell his son that he would not be offered a contract for next year. Several teams showed interest in signing Nagashima, but he announced his retirement, ending his nine-year career in the professional leagues.


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