Tetsuya Matsumoto, who will serve as Nippon-Ham' first-team fielder coach from next season, held a press conference at ESCON on the 7th and spoke of his enthusiasm. "I thought that playing for a team other than the Giants would be a new challenge and a new experience for me, so I've become very positive about it, and I want to make sure to share what I've learned at the Giants. I think I have to learn new things, and I can. I want to do my best to help the players grow." He spent 11 years with The Giants during his active career. This season he served as The Giants' first-outfield defense base running coach.
fielder As a coach, you teach comprehensively, whether in outfield position, offense, or defense. I have to look at it holistically. There is a coach for each position, but I also have to support them while identifying what is lacking. I also have to be very detailed in my play. That's the way I used to play, so I'm going to work hard and think hard in order for the team to win.
He was a Hanshin Tigers fan in his childhood. He also had a strong admiration for Manager Shinjo when he was still playing. He says he has never met the manager, but he said with excitement, "I watched Manager Shinjo closely. He has an aura about him, he stands out, and I really liked his playing style. I was excited to see what he would do."
Regarding Shinjo's baseball which makes frequent use of detailed tactics such as squeeze and hit-and-runs, he commented, "So that's the kind of play they're going to make here. Their tactics and way of thinking are different from everyone else's. It made me think that there is another type baseball like this."
Chief Baseball Officer (CBO) Kuriyama Hideki, who was also present, explained the circumstances surrounding his appointment, saying, "One of the themes was to improve areas that require the most thought, such as defense and base running, in order to succeed. We discussed with everyone how to look at the baseball world as a whole and ensure that we do these things properly, and if the timing is off, things can easily go wrong at times like this, but the timing was absolutely perfect."
Related News
・ Nippon-Nippon-Ham announces 2026 coaching lineup, with Chihiro Kaneko as pitcher coordinator and Tetsuya Matsumoto as first-team fielder coach
・ Nippon-Ham Fighters' Kazunari Ishii will exercise his free agent rights on the 7th. He is a large infielder who has batted in all batting order from 1st to 9th this season, and has ample experience playing second base, shortstop, and third base.
・ [Nippon-Ham] Tetsuya Matsumoto has been appointed as the first-team fielder coach. This season, he will be the first-outfield defense base running coach for The Giants.
・ [Nippon-Ham] Chusei Mannami "I'm giving it my all to win the championship," declares victory during elementary school visit, "moved" by cheers from students
・ [Nippon-Ham] Manager Shinjo's theme for this season is to develop five stars... "Take us to the port of victory" in line with the slogan "The great voyage continues"
