◆ Sports Hochi Journalist Column "From Ryogoku"
I have been a reporter for over 20 years. I have spent many stimulating days, sharing from the world of professional baseball and soccer. The most recent event that remains in my mind is the one that took place in September 2023. The Orix I was in charge of won three consecutive championships, and I interviewed Hiroya Miyagi pitcher who was second only to the ace at the time, Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitcher (now with the Dodgers). He answered all the questions with aplomb anyway.
We carefully broached the topic of his childhood, which was by no means wealthy. He probably didn't want to be dug up, but he remained cheerful. He told us about how his daily life was inconvenient when the electricity, water, or gas were cut off. He told us how he filled his stomach with school lunches and received milk from female students to help him grow taller. We heard stories of hardships that we could never have imagined.
He started playing baseball at the age of four. He achieved his dream of becoming a professional baseball player under difficult circumstances. "I don't want people to give up on their dreams because of financial problems," he said, and in 2010 he established the general incorporated association "Hiroya Miyagi Fund." He supports sports activities for young boys and girls because of his own experience. He has steadily built his career, earning an estimated annual salary of 200 million yen. Even though he has joined the ranks of the top players, he remains humble and steady.
I've started to buy some of the things I want," he says. Socks are consumable items, and he buys them in bulk at low prices from online retailers in units of 10 pairs. The other day, he went to a supermarket in search of chicken breast meat and bought more socks there. In the 23rd WBC, national team manager Hideki Kuriyama gave him a pair of fashionable, high-end sneakers as a commemorative gift for winning the world championship. Incidentally, he wore them only twice. He is a man who understands the value of things and always remembers to be grateful. (Orix Contact: Toru Nagata)
◆Toru Nagata Joined the company in 2004. In charge of professional baseball and soccer. Obsessed with anti-aging.
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