One day, during a practice game. The Nippon Ham Fighters are having their own red and white game.

The second pitcher for the red team is a rookie. Right-hand pitcher Yamashiro Gotaro (22) graduated from Hosei University and was selected sixth in the draft. He was signed with a signing bonus of 30 million yen (about 29 million won) and an annual salary of 7.7 million yen (about 7.5 million won), which are not bad conditions.

This day marks his first real game. He pitched one inning without allowing a run. He allowed one hit, but his heavy fastball, which reached up to 150 kilometers per hour, was impressive. It was a satisfactory debut stage.

However, something seems off. The expression of the observing coach is not good. He eventually shows his dissatisfaction. This is unusual. It is entirely different from usual. He generally operates with a soft leadership style. He is not the type to speak directly to players.

He does not even hide it in front of reporters. He openly criticizes. This is what he said.

"No, he threw 12 pitches, and his hat came off seven times. This is really problematic. It's dangerous. If a ground ball comes to the pitcher and gets caught in his hat, he could step on it and get injured." (Shinjo Tsuyoshi)

The reprimanding does not stop. The coaches also scold him.

"How much time has passed already.... I told them to adjust his hat size from 58 to 57, and I’m angry at the coaching staff for not communicating that." (Shinjo Tsuyoshi)

After a while, he appeared a bit calmer. He regained his usual tone. He ended up wrapping it up with a joke.

"It seems like the treatment went really well. His hair looks so soft because of that." (Shinjo Tsuyoshi)

In any case, since that day, the rookie pitcher's hat has not come off.

Shinjo (53) is one of the hottest coaches in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He is especially famous for his commitment to fashion. He believes that "a professional athlete is a job that is seen by fans, so it is natural to pay special attention to appearance."

What can be said more? He shows through his actions. He has already received grace from the "aesthetic god" several times. He does not hide it either. Last winter, he stated during a TV recording, "I recently went to Korea. My nose had been too high since the surgery, so I had it trimmed by 3 millimeters. Now I can finally take off my mask."

There is one area he focuses on particularly. It is the hairstyle. He firmly believes that the completion of (men's) fashion is hair.

This was also a recent occurrence. Sweating profusely, he approached a player who was taking fielding practice. Was there a problem with his defensive movements? The conversation continued for quite a while. What could they have talked about? Curious reporters asked.

The answer was indeed typical of coach Shinjo.

"I asked him about his hairstyle. Where he gets his hair cut and how often. If he has a regular shop or a dedicated stylist. We talked about those things."

The consultation target that day was a fourth-year infielder. Mizuno Tatsuki (24) was not really the type of player associated with fashion. He looks like he would just diligently play baseball.

"If you just go to a hair salon and get your hair cut, the back of the hat will stick out. That's a bit problematic. I, for instance, always wear a hat when going for a cut. I tidy up the sides and back with that on. That way, I can maintain the look. I've been doing that since my playing days." (Shinjo Tsuyoshi)

It’s quite a novel method. It has some persuasive aspects to it.

"In fact, what most fans see is the appearance of players in uniforms. The moments when they take off their hats or dress in casual clothes are hardly exposed. Therefore, fashion has to align accordingly."

The conclusion is, of course, a joke.

"Good-looking players naturally gain popularity. This leads to national recognition, and one can appear on TV variety shows, just like me. Then one can earn a lot of money too. Hahaha."

[OSEN]