The Sun King of Baseball

 Mr. Shinjo is the manager of Nippon Ham Fighters, a local professional baseball team, who stands out even more than any of his players.   

Although I am not a baseball fan, I have known him for his flamboyant character and his openness about a series of plastic surgeries he has undergone, long before he was appointed as manager and before I moved to Hokkaido.

Hokkaido people seem to be deeply in love with him. Despite the team's not-so-flamboyant performance since his appointment in 2022, they seem to still accept Mr. Shinjo. Or rather, have fallen even deeper in love with him.  

Meanwhile, in Fukuoka, Mr. Fujimoto of Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, who assumed the managerial role in the same year as Mr. Shinjo, resigned after a two-year tenure. What a stark contrast! 

Due to his immense popularity, his (augmented and enhanced) face everywhere in Sapporo, as if Mr. Shinjo were declaring, "I AM the team," or "I AM Sapporo." He is actually from Fukuoka, though. 

This situation makes me wonder: What about Mr. Inaba, the farm team manager? In terms of achievements as a coach, Mr. Inaba boasts a far more impressive career than the "Sun King." He managed the national team and led them to a gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. It seems logical (at least to me) that to win games, Mr. Inaba should play the head coach role instead of the showman manager. 

Seeing this wild enthusiasm for the Shinjo Fighters, I feel somewhat out of place myself.