{"id":26490,"date":"2025-05-14T14:57:27","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T14:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/26490\/"},"modified":"2025-05-14T14:57:27","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T14:57:27","slug":"npb-notebook-tsuyoshi-shinjo-has-the-nipponham-fighters-believing-in-themselves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/26490\/","title":{"rendered":"[NPB NOTEBOOK] Tsuyoshi Shinjo Has the Nipponham Fighters Believing in Themselves"},"content":{"rendered":"

Read the full story on\u00a0SportsLook<\/a>\u00a0– [NPB NOTEBOOK] Tsuyoshi Shinjo Has the Nipponham Fighters Believing in Themselves<\/a><\/p>\n

A lot has happened in Nippon Professional Baseball since our attention was focused on the highly successful and entertaining Paris Olympics<\/a>. For one thing, the Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters<\/a> have gone on a bit of a tear.<\/p>\n

With a 6-1 victory over the Chiba Lotte Marines on Thursday, August 15, the Fighters picked up their eighth win in nine nine games.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That winning streak allowed Tsuyoshi Shinjo<\/a>‘s team to move into second place in the Pacific League standings, just percentage points ahead of third-place Lotte through games of Saturday, August 17.<\/p>\n

While the Fighters (55-45-7) are still 12 games back of the front-running Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks<\/a> (69-35-3), they are six games ahead of the fourth-place Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and seem almost certain to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018.<\/p>\n

\"NipponhamFighters manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo (\u00a9SANKEI)<\/p>\n

Nipponham Fighters Dugout Boss Shinjo Provides an Element of Surprise<\/p>\n

One trademark of Shinjo, going back to the days when he was a player and famously stole home in an All-Star Game, is that he is not afraid to think outside the box.<\/p>\n

That was the case in a 4-1 win over the visiting Marines on August 14 at Es Con Field Hokkaido.<\/p>\n

With runners at second and third in the second inning, Shinjo called for a squeeze bunt that successfully plated the runner from third as the baserunner on second advanced.<\/p>\n

Not content to sit back and wait for a run, Shinjo called for another squeeze bunt that scored another run. Few managers in NPB would have the nerve to pull off back-to-back suicide squeezes.<\/p>\n

\"NipponhamSouthpaw starter Sachiya Yamasaki pitches on August 14. (\u00a9SANKEI)<\/p>\n

Nipponham Fighters starting pitcher Sachiya Yamasaki<\/a> picked up the win and improved to 8-3 after allowing a run on six hits over 7\u2153 innings. After the game, Yamasaki was appreciative of his manager’s bold move.<\/p>\n

“We squeezed twice in a row,” Yamasaki said, according to Nikkan Sports. “I could tell from that move that we were really going for the win.”<\/p>\n

He added, “I was pitching the whole time with determination that I was going to hold them down no matter what.”<\/p>\n

\"NipponhamFranmil Reyes is in his first season with the Fighters. (\u00a9SANKEI)<\/p>\n

Mannami, Reyes Helping to Ignite the Offense<\/p>\n

On offense, the Nipponham Fighters are getting another solid season from star outfielder Chusei Mannami<\/a>, who has 16 homers, 50 RBIs and a .247 batting average.<\/p>\n

Former major leaguer Franmil Reyes<\/a> has found his swing, connecting for 12 homers, including his fourth in five games in Thursday’s win.<\/p>\n

Making the postseason would be a big boost for the Fighters, who finished last in the previous two seasons under Shinjo.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The last time they finished in the top three, the so-called A-Class to qualify for the postseason, was in 2018 when they were third.<\/p>\n

Ownership has shown patience with Shinjo. When he took over the team in 2022, he had a reputation as a showman with his outlandish fashion and the moniker “Big Boss” on the back of his jersey.<\/p>\n

All that seems in the distant past and Shinjo himself has matured as a manager.<\/p>\n

Continue reading the full story <\/a>on SportsLook.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n


\n\"Japan<\/a>RELATED:<\/p>\n

Author: Jim Armstrong<\/a><\/p>\n

The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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