The words and deeds of a great general who changed his baseball life (8)
Nobuyuki Hoshino talks about Akira Ohgi Part 1
Meeting a coach can change an athlete’s life. Nobuyuki Hoshino, who scored double-digit wins for 11 consecutive years from 1987 and contributed to the league title in 1995 and 1996 as the ace of Orix, says that his attitude towards pitching changed under manager Akira Ohgi at the time.
We asked Mr. Hoshino, who currently teaches baseball classes, is a baseball commentator, and is also active on YouTube, about his impressions of Director Ohgi, his management, and episodes when he pitched.
Orix manager Ohgi shakes hands with Mr. Hoshino (right) after the victory
See photos related to this article
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――What was your first impression of Director Ogi?
Nobuyuki Hoshino (henceforth referred to as Hoshino) At first, I was a Hankyu (now Orix) player, and Mr. Ogi was a Kintetsu coach, so we didn’t have the chance to talk. He’s a director who thoroughly implements things he dislikes.” For example, even players who are young and have hardly played in the first team games, I have almost always used players who have hit against me when I pitched. The batting order is not one-size-fits-all, and I have changed various things, and I had the impression that they would form a very unpleasant batting lineup.
――In 1992, you retired from the Kintetsu team, and in 1994, you became the manager of Orix. How was Ogi, who became the commander of his own team?
Hoshino: At that time, I was in the middle age, and I had a certain amount of achievements, so I wasn’t asked for anything in detail. Even if I went out to drink, I felt like I should get good results in baseball. In the first place, Mr. Ohgi himself was a person who said, “When you drink, you drink.” At one camp, I think it was the day before the holiday, but I saw him come back to the hotel, drinking and dizzy (laughs).
–How did you feel about Ogi’s appointment as a pitcher?
Hoshino: As a starting pitcher, I was thinking, “If I start, I’ll throw a complete game.” However, after Mr. Ohgi took over, the relief team had good pitchers, including closer Masashi Hirai, and when the starting pitcher’s pitch became suspicious, the bench began to move wildly.
In particular, I didn’t have the power of the ball, so when the ball gets a little higher, Mr. Ohgi will probably feel like, ‘It’s about time.’ At Green Stadium Kobe (currently Hotto Motto Field Kobe), I could see the bullpen outside, so I could immediately see what was going on.
