Yoshinobu Takahashi, Special Advisor to the Yomiuri Giants

The power to bloom wherever you are planted

Yoshinobu Takahashi, Special Advisor to the Yomiuri Giants

■ Profile
Born April 3, 1975 in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture. In his 18 years as a professional baseball player, he had a batting average of .291, 321 home runs, and 986 RBIs.
In the spring of his third year at Keio University, he won the triple crown in the Tokyo Big Six Baseball League. His 23 home runs in the league are still the most in history.
He joined the Giants as the first draft pick in 1997 and played alongside Hideki Matsui as a star player. He won the Rookie Special Award, was selected as a member of the Best Nine twice, and won the Golden Glove Award seven times. He won a bronze medal as a member of the Japanese national team at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
He retired from active play in 2015. From the following year, he served as the 18th manager of the Giants for three years.
He currently works as a special advisor to the Giants and as a baseball commentator.

Yoshinobu Takahashi has been attracting media attention since he was a high school student and has been called a "genius hitter." Takahashi has continued to perform well since his first year as a professional, but even just a few words with him convey his kindness and humility. Having had a wide range of experiences as a player, manager, and commentator, he spoke to us about his encounter with baseball and his thoughts on it.

■A small opportunity drew me into the baseball world

My parents loved baseball, so I often played catch as a child. In the area where I grew up, sports other than baseball were not very popular, and baseball was the only sport with a local club team. I started playing baseball when I joined a local club team in the fourth grade of elementary school.

■ What made you become a professional baseball player?

After graduating from high school, I went on to Keio University. The majority of students at my school, Toin Gakuen, chose to go on to university, and my senior, Takagi Taisei, went on to Keio University, so I felt that "maybe something will become clear if I follow the same path as my senior." After entering university, I didn't really think I would be able to become a professional baseball player, but when I was in my third year, I saw Takagi do well in his first year as a professional, and I thought, "Maybe I can do it too," and I began to consider going pro as one of my career options.

■Thoughts from his time as a professional baseball player

Before I became a professional, I actually had a strong desire to "play baseball for the people around me." My family was happy when I played baseball. When I played in a game and lived up to expectations, everyone, including my teammates, was happy. That's why I continued playing baseball. However, after becoming a professional, I began to think, "Since it's a job, I should work hard and earn money for myself." Professional baseball is a strange sport. Even though it's a team sport, poor individual performance isn't evaluated even if the team wins. Furthermore, if you don't hit, you lose your place. So I decided to do my best. During my time as a player, I sometimes got injured. Each time, I would remind myself, "There's something I'm lacking, so I'll be more careful next time," and try to change my mindset. Later, when I became a manager, I realized how difficult it is when a key player on a team misses a game due to injury.

■ Current activities and the appeal of baseball

Now that I've retired from being a manager, I work mainly as a baseball commentator. The role of a commentator is to explain what's happening in front of me in an easy-to-understand way. I'm conscious of making my predictions and comments, which draw on my experience as a player and manager, enjoyable for viewers. What's important to me is "how to convey my words." Having been in this industry for a long time, I often end up not being clear enough, thinking "this much explanation will get the point across." However, if I do that, elementary school students and people who have never played baseball often don't understand what I'm trying to say. That's why I try to explain things as carefully as possible.
The appeal of baseball is that there is no script. There are games where there is a sudden reversal, and there are games where a team that has won 10 times loses once in an upset. It's like a drama, and it's fascinating. Another appeal of baseball is that anyone who watches it can become a manager. One of the fun things about baseball is that you can think of all kinds of possibilities and think, "If it were me, I would do it this way."

■ Future outlook

My goal for the future is to further develop baseball. The number of people playing baseball has been declining recently, so I would like to do something to boost baseball and the sports industry as a whole. In fact, I personally believe that I am in a position where I have to do something for baseball.

■ Message

When you're in pain, you can't help but want to blame something. However, you are primarily responsible for it, so even if something difficult happens, it's important to be conscious of not treating it as someone else's problem. If you run away from pain, you won't gain the strength to overcome it. Struggling and reflecting on yourself can be painful, but it's a necessary time for everyone. I know this because I've been through the same thing, but even if life isn't going smoothly, you can still climb the ladder. The world is not fair. But instead of getting upset because it's not fair, it's important to work hard in the situation you find yourself in and find your next path.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on December 13, 2024 by Aoyama Gakuin University freshman Aoi Kuwayama and Waseda University senior Natsu Nishimura

Junior high school reporters (baseball and rugby national team players)
Assault interview

Yoshinobu Takahashi: A baseball star who was meant to become what he was meant to become

Yoshinobu Takahashi started playing baseball due to the influence of his baseball-loving father and two older brothers. He also learned swimming in elementary school, but skipped grades and played for a baseball team in his hometown of Chiba. However, during his school days, he didn't think he could become a baseball player, or even wanted to become one.
Yoshinobu didn't want to leave home, and his father didn't want to leave either, but at his mother's strong urging, he went on to Toin Gakuen High School. He practiced hard in a dormitory with a wonderful group of friends, and made it to Koshien. He had the option of going pro after graduating from high school, but he thought "professional baseball was a different world."
The influence of Takagi Taisei, who was two years older than him, played a major role in his decision to attend Keio University. He thought that if he followed the same path, he might see something. A senior colleague who was close to him was drafted into the professional league, and he himself was performing at his best, which attracted scouts, so professional baseball suddenly became a realistic goal. He joined the Yomiuri Giants as the first pick. In stark contrast to his student days, when he enjoyed spending time with his family and living up to the expectations of those around him, he developed a sense of mission to earn a living as a professional, and for the first time, he decided to work hard for himself.
In professional baseball, even if the team wins, players are evaluated based on their individual performance. That's why they must constantly identify their own shortcomings and work hard to overcome them. He says that the rare opportunity to play in front of tens of thousands of people was a place he wanted to return to, even after his injury. He describes himself as "a nervous type," but the professional world is a time-sensitive place. Many players are said to listen to music before games to help them concentrate, but Takahashi says that for his entrance song, he chose songs with lyrics that matched his feelings at the time, or Western music that children liked. His final experience as a player was as a substitute. He learned that there was a place for substitutes to shine, and reflected on how he found a way to work hard and flourish in the position he was placed in.
Since retiring, he has continued to work as a baseball commentator and coach for elementary school students and beginners. He strives to convey his views, which he has gained from his experience as both a player and a manager, in a fun and easy-to-understand manner to the general public.

When asked about the appeal of baseball from his perspective, Yoshinobu spoke enthusiastically, saying, "Like in the Otani Theater, miraculous events like in a comic book happen and there are sudden reversals," "The stories without a script are interesting," and "Everyone who watches can get a taste of what it's like to be a manager, thinking, 'If it were me, I would make the decisions like this.'"
Regarding his future outlook, he declared, "I want to use my experience in baseball to do something to promote the sport, and I must do so." While it is common overseas to try out multiple sports each season, Yoshinobu agrees, saying, "It may be difficult to do it professionally, but if you try out a variety of sports, you learn how to use your body in all sorts of ways, and it broadens your options and possibilities. It's also good for increasing the number of people playing baseball." In his private life, he deepens friendships through his hobby of golf, and takes care of his health by walking in the greenery early in the morning.
Finally, when asked to give a message to the readers of the student newspaper, she said, "When you're going through a difficult time, don't run away thinking it's someone else's problem. You can't get stronger unless you overcome it yourself. There's no equality once you enter society, so I want you to work hard in the reality you find yourself in and find a place that's important to you." With big shining eyes, she delivered this encouraging message.

■ Impressions from the interview

It's natural to be nervous in front of someone you admire, but Takahashi Yoshinobu spoke to the students with sincerity and honesty, and I was drawn in by his human qualities, and by the end of the interview I found myself leaning forward in a daze. When I actually met him, I realized that the baseball world is divided into two types of stars.
There are those geniuses like Shohei Ohtani and Ichiro who set lofty goals for themselves from a young age, live up to their promises, and achieve unbelievable results. There are also those geniuses who, putting others before themselves, put their shoulders to the fire and work hard in the environment they're placed in, moving forward step by step along the path that opens up to them, steadily achieving their goals. Takahashi Yoshinobu is the epitome of a star who was meant to become what he was. Becoming a professional athlete is usually considered a dream come true. In my quest to become a professional athlete, I too sometimes felt anxious about having to set lofty goals. But listening to Takahashi's story, I realized there is no single right answer. If you believe that the environment you're in is the best and work hard within it, the path will become clear. Instead of thinking, "This is impossible," Takahashi takes one step at a time, growing and climbing the ladder. I admire his cool way of life.

Author: Samurai Yoshida, 3rd year middle school student, Aoyama Gakuin
(IMG International Classic Baseball U15 Japan National Team, Rugby U15 Tokyo National Team)

Aoyama Gakuin Junior High School 3rd year student, Samurai Yoshida