Nagashima Shigeo was probably the most famous baseball player in Japanese history, at least until Ohtani Shohei. At the beginning of his career, he made the news with a walk-off home run in front of the Emperor, and everyone in Japan went crazy. He was exciting to watch, and he loved his fans. When Oh Sadaharu joined the Giants, they became an unbeatable pair. Oh hit third and Nagashima hit fourth, and because of their powerful hitting, they were called the ON Cannon. They helped the Giants win the Japan Series nine times in a row from 1965 to 1973. Nagashima was Mr. Baseball! After he retired, he became the manager of the Giants twice. He passed away at the age of 89, but we should remember him as the great player that helped to make baseball Japan’s number one sport.   (141 words)

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