Fukushima Baseball Club Co., Ltd. Representative Director Akinori Iwamura (Fukushima Red Hopes Manager)

We want to liven up Fukushima through baseball. Our goal is to become a "circus troupe."

Representative Director of Fukushima Baseball Club Co., Ltd.　岩村明憲(Fukushima Red Hopes Director) (Iwamura Akinori)

■ Profile

He joined the Yakult Swallows as the second pick in the 1996 draft.
He has won the Golden Glove Award, Best Nine, and Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award.
He won gold medals at the WBC in 2006 and 2009. In 2007, he moved to the MLB Devil Rays and contributed to the team's appearance in the 2008 World Series.
He returned to NPB (Rakuten) in 2011. He then moved to Yakult and BC League Fukushima, before retiring in 2017.

The Fukushima Red Hopes are a professional baseball team from Fukushima Prefecture that belongs to the independent Baseball Challenge League. The team is run and managed by Akinori Iwamura, a former professional baseball player who played for the Yakult Swallows and in the American Major Leagues. We spoke to him about his journey to becoming a professional baseball player, the difficulties of running a baseball team, and his feelings about Fukushima.

■ Swinging the bat during his student days

From an early age, influenced by my father and older brother, who was three years older than me, I was a student who naturally picked up a bat and ball. Then, while watching baseball broadcasts, I admired the successful players and began to want to become a professional baseball player myself. Looking back, the training environment in high school was so tough that I never wanted to do it again. My days consisted of six hours of studying, six hours of practice, and then individual practice. There were several times when I came home overnight (laughs). I said many times that I wanted to quit, but there were times when I had to endure in order to achieve my dream of becoming a professional baseball player. I believe that it was precisely because there was a dream beyond my perseverance that I was able to persevere and continue despite the tough training.

■ His days as a professional baseball player changed the atmosphere with just one bat

I wanted to become the No. 1 player who could change the atmosphere of a room with just one bat, such as hitting a walk-off home run, and draw many people's attention to my play. Although there were differences between the environments in Japan and the rest of the world, this goal was something I kept in mind every day. I studied the fighting styles of strong teams and strong players both in Japan and overseas, and continued to search for the best position for myself.

■ Team management comes with responsibility

Running a business is so difficult that I often find myself thinking, "It would have been easier if I was employed." Sponsorship income accounts for 80% of my sales, and I have 200 sponsors. However, because I also work as a coach, there are still some sponsors I haven't been able to meet in person. So I try to make time to meet up with them for meals as much as possible, or to play a round of golf, which is a mutual hobby. Golfing allows you to spend about six hours together, which really brings out your true character. I try to get them to understand me as a person, and explain my reflections on this season and my goals for the next season and beyond, so that they can understand.

■ Coaching struggles with players' individual personalities

Honestly, it's often difficult to deal with people in their 20s when you don't know what they're interested in. But as professionals who play baseball for money, not for fun, I'm strict with this generation, who don't often get told off. I adapt my coaching methods to suit each individual, such as intentionally letting them fail once to turn their frustration into a desire to improve, praising them to encourage them to work harder, or being strict with them to encourage them to work hard with a rebellious spirit.
If a player becomes discouraged, I tell them two main things. The first is to ask them to carefully consider whether they truly have any regrets. I ask them to consider whether they can truly say from the bottom of their hearts that they have no regrets, considering the time they have invested and the support they have received from those around them. The second is that all players make mistakes. Recently, people have been saying that Ohtani is amazing, but he was not born with the talent that he is. No matter how great a player is, he will make mistakes, and I tell them that mistakes are an opportunity to improve themselves.
Also, in the world of professional baseball, a .300 hitter is considered amazing. In other words, you can make seven mistakes. I think this would be enough to get you fired in a normal working environment. That's why I share my own experiences and provide guidance to help people reduce even one mistake.

■ A "circus troupe" spreading the appeal of Fukushima

Fukushima, where the Fukushima Red Hopes are based, suffered unnecessary damage due to the nuclear accident caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The disaster also played a role in my decision to become the Fukushima Red Hopes' manager, despite being from Ehime Prefecture. While touring the disaster-stricken areas, someone asked me to sign a clear file containing disaster certificates. I initially declined, saying, "I can't sign something so important," but they told me, "Your signature will give me strength." This made me truly glad to be a baseball player and motivated me to do something to help. I was fortunate enough to become the manager and owner, and I hope to become a circus-like presence, touring Fukushima Prefecture and around the country, invigorating each region. While there is NPB professional baseball, it generally only visits regional areas once a year. Therefore, I hope the Fukushima Red Hopes can travel to the region and contribute to regional revitalization by providing entertainment. When we travel to other prefectures for away games, I want to continue to eradicate the negative reputation that has been caused by food and other factors.

■Message to university students

I believe that your time as a student is a precious experience that you can only have for a few years in your life. Therefore, I want you to meet many different people and cherish the connections you make. Of course, you may fail at something, but I want you to use that as an experience.
My motto is "Nakusokon" (the spirit of suffering), which means that suffering is the foundation of anything. No one becomes a professional baseball player or a company president by sleeping and waking up, so I think it's necessary to work hard and suffer. There may be times when you have to sacrifice sleep to work hard, but it's important to grit your teeth and endure.
Finally, I would like to say that I would love for everyone to come and visit Fukushima. In today's world, where the concentration of population in Tokyo is creating a difficult situation, I believe that sports and entertainment are one of the elements that can liven up the regions. For that reason, I would like everyone to come and visit Fukushima to watch a Fukushima Red Hopes game, visit hot springs, and eat delicious food.

Student Newspaper Online Interview November 3, 2022 Chuo Gakuin University 4th Year Student Tane Hayato / Musashino University 3rd Year Student Nishiyama Ryusei