Tsuyoshi Shinjo and Kazuhiro Kiyohara

Two of baseball’s most popular players may be making their last appearance as all-stars

Tsuyoshi Shinjo 2006©Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters

Most sportsmen want to be famous for what they do—they want to be the best at their sport, win trophies and retire as heroes. But there are those who transcend their profession and, in effect, become famous for being famous. This description certainly applies to the two biggest vote-getters in baseball’s upcoming Sanyo All-Star Games. Tsuyoshi Shinjo of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters is out-voting the Orix Buffaloes’ designated hitter Kazuhiro Kiyohara by a small margin, and the two are wiping the floor with the rest of the league’s players.

For the flamboyant Shinjo, this will be his last hurrah as an all-star—the 34-year-old former Major Leaguer is retiring at the end of the season. But the Nippon Ham outfielder (described by one journalist as “more Ham than Fighter”) will not be disappearing. In fact, he’ll be all over the media after he hangs up his cleats, much as he’s all over it now. With retirement pending, we’ll never know just how good a player he could have been—but we certainly know how he used to be.

In 1999, Katsuya Nomura took over as Hanshin Tigers manager and tried to come to terms with the popular but ineffective outfielder. How? He tried to turn him into a pitcher, even forcing him to throw in an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants. Needless to say, that wasn’t going to work, but the blow to Shinjo’s ego (almost certainly deliberate) finally awoke some of his potential. While his stats weren’t sensational (.255, 14 HRs, 58 RBIs) in 1999, they were a considerable improvement over the previous year (.222, 6 HRs, 27 RBIs) and provided a stepping- stone to his breakout (almost) 2000 season (.278, 28 HRs, 85 RBIs), which earned him a move to the majors. In truth, Shinjo has never been one of baseball’s best, but he has always been watchable and has always been a star.

The same goes for Kiyohara, who began his career helping PL Gakuen win Japan’s prestigious high school baseball championship before starring for the Seibu Lions and the Giants. Now in the twilight of his career, Kiyohara remains a fan favorite, as well as a staple of the media—but not always for the right reasons. Kiyohara is not so much a larger-than-life figure than a large-as-life figure. He talks the talk and walks the walk.

Kiyohara’s dream of playing for the Giants was shattered when he was drafted by the Lions. But the infielder put his disappointment behind him by slugging 31 homers in his first season and helping Seibu become the dominant team in Japan. Becoming a free agent in 1997 meant he could finally wear a Giants uniform, but while moderately successful (particularly in 2001, when he hit .298, 29 HRs and 121 RBIs), he seemed to be a player in decline and was released last year. Now playing out the string with the Buffaloes, Kiyohara commands respect for his past achievements and for the realization that his career is in its dying days.

But while he has always been respected for his abilities, he has never been loved, and the media has constantly criticized his lifestyle. He’s been accused of keeping bad company (yakuza), of being a womanizer and frequenting expensive hostess clubs (not sure why that’s bad), of taking steroids (he bulked up considerably as he recovered from injury), and of being Korean (according to the zainichi grapevine). But with over 500 home runs to his name, Kiyohara’s record says enough. He’s been a great baseball player; now it’s time to call it quits.

After retirement, Shinjo is talking of doing a nude photo book. Let’s hope Kiyohara doesn’t get the same idea.

The Sanyo All-Star Games take place July 21 at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo and July 22 in Miyazaki. See sports listings for details.

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