Kazuhisa Inao, who later set a Thai record but had an unprecedented 42 wins, naturally negotiated a bullish annual salary during the 1961 off. He urged Nishitetsu’s owner, Matajiro Nishi, to “because he has the most wins in history, he will have an annual salary that exceeds Masaichi Kaneda, the highest annual salary in the ball world.”
Kaneda’s annual salary was 18 million yen. However, the owner of Nishi negotiated, “Of that, 3 million yen is a 10-year player’s contribution, so it’s actually 15 million yen. How about adding 400,000 yen to this and 15.4 million yen?” Inao made a move with this.
However, the management of Nishitetsu Lions was already leaning. In 1962 off, Yasumitsu Toyoda, the mainstay, will be released to the Japanese National Railways to reduce annual salary.
In addition to the soaring annual salary of the players, the wad of bills was flying in the competition for newcomers. The West owner advocated “introduction of a draft system” in 1964 to stop the competition for acquisition without knowing the ceiling, and the giant and Hanshin showed disapproval, but finally with the support of 12 teams from 1965 the following year. It was decided to be introduced.
25 wins and 28 wins, the most wins even if there is “fatigue”
Inao finished 25 wins in 1962 due to the fatigue of the previous year, but picked up in 1963 and won 28 wins, the fourth most win. This year, under the supervision of Futoshi Nakanishi, Nishitetsu Lions won the league title for the first time in five years and for Nishitetsu.
At the beginning of August of this year, Inao’s ball, which was thrown with a bullpen, suddenly bounced. It is rare for Inao, who boasts outstanding ball control. Bullpen catcher Naoji Urata tilted his head. Inao was actually feeling pain in his shoulder at this time. In September, he always felt a dull pain in his right shoulder, but Inao pushed it and kept throwing, and although he lost in the Japan Series, he won two complete games against the giant.
This off is an invitation from Air France to travel to Europe with Sadaharu Oh, Shigeo Nagashima and Katsuya Nomura. Inao, a drinker, played with Sadaharu Oh, a drinker, on a trip, but he had a fever before returning to Japan and was hospitalized after returning to Japan. This inpatient examination revealed wear on his shoulder.
Retired at the age of 32, became director after the “Black Mist Scandal”
In 1964, he could only pitch 6 games and won 0 wins. Although it will be revived in 1965, it will have 13 wins and 11 wins in 1966. His old power will not return and he will retire only in 1969. He was 32 years old.
Reading the Lions’ biography and articles at the time, I feel that the environment surrounding athletes is different.
