Growing Up with the Giants
I love NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball).
When I was a child, games of the Yomiuri Giants were always on TV during dinner time.
Because of that, without thinking too much about it, I naturally became a Giants fan.
The Yomiuri Giants are like the New York Yankees of Japanese baseball.
They were one of the first teams in NPB and have a long history, tradition, and prestige.
They are by far the most popular team in Japan.
Because of their popularity, they receive a lot of media attention and always have star players.
I think many casual NPB fans support the Giants simply because they are everywhere.
Slowly Growing Distant
I was no exception. I supported the Giants as well.
But as I grew older and began to understand more about the league, I started to notice things I did not like.
For example, the Giants often used their financial power to sign star players from rival teams through free agency.
There were also times when they exploited loopholes in the draft system.
Little by little, I began to feel uncomfortable with those practices and started watching the team more critically.
Even so, I continued to support the Giants for a while after becoming a working adult.
Watching Games Alone on Weekdays
At that time, I was working as a pharmacist at a drugstore, using my professional license.
Because of that, I often had weekdays off.
On those days, I would go alone to watch NPB games.
Rather than Giants games, which were usually sold out, I preferred watching teams with smaller crowds.
It was simply more relaxed and comfortable.
The Day Everything Changed
In 1999, an incredible rookie appeared in NPB: Daisuke Matsuzaka.
He later moved to the Boston Red Sox and became part of their 2007 World Series championship team.
One day, I went to the stadium hoping to see him pitch, but I misjudged his pitching schedule and missed him.
That game was Seibu Lions vs. Chiba Lotte Marines.
At the time, the Lions were a strong team, while the Marines were considered weak and had not won a championship in many years.
But in that game, the Marines’ offense exploded, and they won by a large margin.
Their cheering style was unique, and the energy of the fans was incredible.
After seeing that, it was only a matter of time before I became interested in them.
The Moment I Became a Marines Fan
The decisive moment came later that summer.
I happened to be in Chiba, and since I was nearby, I decided to visit the Chiba Lotte Marines’ stadium.
At that time, the team was not strong overall, but they had been in first place in July.
However, after a series of losses, they had fallen to fourth place by the day of the game.
The starting pitcher that day was Tomohiro Kuroki, the team’s ace.
He was often featured in the media as Matsuzaka’s rival.
Kuroki pitched a complete game and led the team to victory.
The stadium was filled with excitement.
During the post-game interview, he said through tears:
“The team has not given up.
We want to win the championship.
For that, we need the support of our fans.”
Seeing such a tough man cry so openly moved me deeply.
From that moment on, I have continued to support the Chiba Lotte Marines.
A Final Connection
After retiring, Kuroki became a pitching coach for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
That is the team where Shohei Ohtani once played.
I believe that Kuroki’s passion and spirit were passed on to Ohtani, who has now become one of the greatest players in the world.
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