“I split a little of the money I earned in my early days as a professional and sent it to my mother who lived in a difficult life. But when I went home a few years later, she had it without spending any of it. When I asked her, she said, ‘How can you spend it? Isn’t it your money?’ “
Jang Hoon (84), who has surpassed 3,000 hits in his career and remains a legendary hitter in Japanese professional baseball, appeared on TV broadcasts for the first time in a long time and told some stories of the past.
Jang Hoon appeared as a guest on BS12’s “Thrube-chan and Sawako-chan, senior artist and two Stranger Things,” which aired on Sunday evening. The talk show is hosted by famous MCs Thrube Shofukutei (72) and Agawa Sawako (70).
Jang Hoon, who had been suffering from serious illness for a while, appeared healthy on the day and said, “I had surgery because of back pain, but now I’m okay. I eat well and drink alcohol. I lost some weight after the surgery, but now I gained weight again.”
During the broadcast, a story of a difficult childhood touched the hearts of viewers. “I didn’t have any bullies because I was this big and poor in personality. However, my family and my (Korean) friends were discriminated against,” he said. “Especially, my mother suffered a lot because my father died early.”
Jang-hoon also had vivid memories of the atomic bombing he wore when he was living in Hiroshima.
“It was when I was five years old. I was walking out the door one day and saw a huge light “blinking.” My mom just picked me up and blocked me with her whole body. She was wearing white clothes, and when I woke up, red blood oozed over her clothes. It was because of countless pieces of glass,” she said of the horrible time.
“Even in that situation, my mother told me and my sister to ‘run away quickly’, so I took refuge in a vineyard about 50 meters away,” he said. “I was able to reduce the damage from exposure by hiding in the shade.”
“After graduating from high school in Osaka, I joined the Doe Flyers (currently the Nippon-Ham Fighters) and became a professional player,” Jang said. “I was able to become an All-Star in my fourth year. I just won the MVP award at an All-Star game held in my hometown (Hiroshima). I invited my mother and brother to the ballpark, and it was the first time I saw them so happy,” he said.
“Since I became a professional player, I have sent my living expenses little by little every month, even though it is not a large amount. But when I saw him playing in the All Star game, he didn’t even touch the money. I was so surprised and opened my eyes wide, saying, ‘What, mom? Why aren’t you spending it?’ Then my mom said, ‘It’s okay. How can I use that money? It’s your money.’
Jang Hoon, who was delivering the story, said, “Old women are… How can I say? You’re strong,” which makes her speechless. Then, the two MCs also get emotional. Agawa (female MC) quietly wipes away tears, while Tsurube (male MC) cries loudly, saying, “You’re amazing.”
Jang Hoon also recalled some anecdotes from his playing days.
“After moving to the Yomiuri Giants. He is already in his mid-30s and has won several titles, which made him famous. One day, he was hit by an opposing pitcher’s ball. I could hardly play for two to three days because of the pain. Then the manager called me. I still can’t forget what I heard back then.”
The coach at the time was Shigeo Nagashima. He is four years older than Jang. Here’s what I heard from him.
“Hey, how many children’s fans do you think will come to see you today? The grandstand opens at 4 o’clock, and I heard that there are children waiting with their parents’ hands from 2 o’clock. In this hot weather, how would they feel? Wouldn’t it be exciting to see Harimoto (Jang Hoon’s Japanese name) make a hit today?”
Jang Hoon said, “That reminded me of that. It was a turning point that completely changed my mind about what a professional baseball player is.”
There is another episode with Nagashima.
“Once it was an away game in the provinces. I was at the batter’s box when I was given the chance to hit the first and third bases with one out at the end of the game. It was a good period of hitting. But the bench thought of a squeeze bunt. I missed the autograph because I didn’t expect the plan to come out. Instead, I had a heavy hit, which resulted in better results. Of course, I won the game.” 메이저사이트
However, he was called to the manager’s office after the game. “Why didn’t you follow the signature?” Nagashima said with his eyes wide open. When he replied, “I didn’t see it,” the boss returned.
“If you’re a batter of your caliber, you can hit an outfield fly. Or you can hit a runner on the third base somehow. But back then, I really needed one run. That was enough. That’s my way of being a manager. You’ll know how I feel when you become a manager later.”
Jang Hoon said, “When I saw the Nagashima Prize saying that, I realized that he is truly a pure baseball player and has more passion than anyone else. He immediately put his hands together and politely apologized. I still have that respect.”
Jang Hoon was a regular panelist on a TV program (TBS “Sunday Morning”) for 23 years before dropping out in 2021. Agar and MC expressed regret, saying, “Excuse me, but the person who criticizes with such a stubborn old man’s feeling is gone now.”
He was invited to the Tokyo Dome in June as the first pitchman and appeared in public for the first time in a long time. At that time, he was holding a cane and his walking was unstable due to the aftereffects of back surgery. There was a lot of concern from fans who saw this, but since then, he has been showing off his good health through various media.