“Showa Professional Baseball Workers Talking to Reiwa” 23rd Toshio Naka, Part 1 (See the list of series articles >>)
A series that explores the essence of past interview materials of “professional baseball | Professional baseball | Shueisha's sports magazine Sportiva official website web Sportiva”>Showa professional baseball players” that you want to keep in the history of baseball. Toshio Naka, who lived an active life for 18 years as an outfielder with a fast-paced skill and also served as a director after retirement, can be said to be one of the “Dragons Legends”.
However, the ball history has changed a little. Mr. Naka, who was a super high school student who has excellent grades at a prestigious school where students aiming for the University of Tokyo gather, and who also manages sprinting in athletics while playing baseball, started studying for entrance exams after the summer of 3rd year, but goes on to university. Without a second thought, I joined the team with the invitation of Chunichi. As a result, that choice was the correct answer, but was the decision to become a professional in high school graduates so confident in the ability of baseball?
1969. (Photo = current affairs photo)” />Toshio Naka (the name at that time was Akio) who led Chunichi at the No. 1 center. 1969. (Photo = current affairs photo)
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I went to see Toshio Naka in December 2012. It’s a very private story, but when my father was a junior high school student, Naka-san was at the other school I played in a practice game. In 1951, a match was held in the school playground of a junior high school in Takasaki City, Gunma. Indeed, hearing from my father a “legend” that seems to be a player who will become a professional later was the trigger for the interview.
“The home run that Mr. Naka struck jumped over the roof of the school building. Even though the school building was a one-story building, we had never seen it cross the roof. I had a track and field record. Anyway, I lost the game and was hit by a home run. “
The hit ball pulled by Mr. Naka, who was left-handed, flew toward the school building behind the light. My father, who was in the second grade at the time and kept a short, was amazed at the trajectory. A scene I have never seen at the school I usually attend. Even in the same third grade as Mr. Naka, there was no senior in his school’s baseball club who did such batting.
