Who shook the hearts of baseball boys, visited the stadium of the summer Koshien tournament to cheer for his alma mater, and moved seats after the crowd was concerned about safety accidents
Kyoto International High School, a Korean-American international school in Kyoto, Japan, has advanced to the quarterfinals of the national high school baseball championship and the summer Koshien tournament. Kyoto International High School beat Western Japan Short-Term University Association High School (Fukuoka) 4-0 in the third round match held at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, near Osaka on Thursday. It has advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in three years following 2021, when it advanced to the semifinals by creating a stir. After the team’s victory, Kyoto International High School players sang a Korean school song that begins with “The land of Yamado is our holy ancestral dream across the East Sea.” Most of Kyoto International High School players are known to be Japanese students.
However, a small disturbance broke out before the two teams played each other. When Nippon-Ham Fighters coach Suyoshi Shinjo appeared at Koshien Stadium, both inside and outside the stadium shook hands. On the day, the Nippon-Ham team had an away game against the Orix Buffaloes at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka. Prior to the game at 2 p.m., Shinjo watched the high school baseball game that started at 10:51 a.m.
There is a reason why he visited Koshien Stadium, which is called the sacred place of Japanese baseball. The West Japan Short-Term University Association is the alma mater of coach Shinjo, whose hometown is Fukuoka. It was the 7th time in 3 years that he made it to the finals of the summer Koshien tournament. I was able to visit the stadium because Nippon Ham was on the way to Osaka.
After graduating from West Japan Short-Term University, Shinjo joined the Hanshin Tigers in 1990 under the fifth name of rookie. He played for Hanshin Tigers in the background until 2000. After playing for the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants for three years, he returned to Japan. He retired after playing for the Nippon-Ham team for three years instead of the original team, Hanshin.
Shintaro Nishimura, a high school classmate of Shinjo, is leading the baseball team of his alma mater. Nishimura said in a media interview after the game, “I thank Shinjo. I could feel the difference in power (from the other team), but I tried my best to respond to his support. I don’t know how to repay Shinjo. I hope our team will have a player like Shinjo.”
Shinjo was originally scheduled to watch from a seat near the central press box of Koshien Stadium, but when the crowd gathered, he moved to the royal suite on the top floor as he feared a safety accident. Shinjo, wearing a white T-shirt and black sunglasses, waved and cheered for the players.
“I wanted to do well in front of Shinjo,” one player said in a media interview, while the other said, “Everyone was watching Shinjo. I want to become a player like Shinjo in the future.”
Shinjo failed to make it to the finals of the Koshien Championship, a dream stage for baseball boys. In the summer of 1989, he lost four to six in the final round of the Fukuoka preliminary round, swallowing regret. Shinjo showed great performance in the game, recording a cycling hit.
The West Japan Short-Term University Association reached the finals of the Koshien tournament in the summer of 1990 when coach Shinjo joined Hanshin and lifted the trophy in 1992.토토사이트
Due to Nippon Ham’s schedule, Shinjo could not finish the game for his alma mater. West Japan Short-Term University Association High School left in the seventh inning when it was trailing 0-3. Kyoto International High School added one more point in the ninth inning to win 4-0. West Japan Short-Term University Association High School lost the game, but had a special time thanks to seniors’ support.
Meanwhile, Nippon Ham lost 0-3 to Orix on the day. It lost two consecutive games to Chiba Lotte and then to Orix. Orix’s left-hander, Miya
Hiroya Ki pitched seven innings of three hits and no runs. Nippon Ham kept second place after the leading Softbank Hawks. The loss eliminated the third-place Chiba Lotte Marines.