Nippon-Ham manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo (54) made a surprise appearance at autumn practice on the 28th. On the final day of autumn practice held at Es Con Field, Shinjo appeared on the ground 45 minutes after the start. His unannounced arrival left staff members surprised, with many saying they "didn't know" he was coming. He watched the movements of four players intently from positions such as beside the batter's box and inside the ground.

On the way, he went behind the bench and returned to the ground with bats in hand. He had them practice hitting with two types of bats with heavy grips, based on the ones he used during his active playing days. Hitting coach Yokoo, who received the instructions, explained the intent behind using them: "One point is how to make the ball fly even with that kind of bat. Since the handle is heavy, when you get jammed, a normal bat might break, but in a game, a right-handed hitter could drop the ball behind third base. The advantage is being able to get a hit even if you don't catch it on the sweet spot. I hope they can feel that as well."

Batting coach Yokoo remarked, 'It's rare to see him,' regarding the boss's sudden appearance, but emphasized its effectiveness. He nodded, saying, 'I could feel the players getting tense. The atmosphere changed, so to speak. Besides, we wouldn't use those bats if the boss weren't here. In that sense, we were able to conduct a practice with a clear purpose.'

Manager Shinjo himself left the stadium without giving details, saying, 'I will talk about it once camp begins.' Just as he had predicted, Head Coach Hayashi stated clearly, 'I have heard he will participate starting from the 30th,' indicating that he will be providing guidance from the very first day. Heading into next season, which will be his sixth year in command, he will further instill his philosophy.