Award Created to Honor Baseball Legend Shigeo Nagashima; Captivates Fans in Baserunning, Hitting, Fielding

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:09 JST, November 11, 2025

The Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB) has announced the creation of the Shigeo Nagashima Award in honor of the legendary baseball player who died in June at the age of 89.

The recipient will be chosen from among the 12 pro baseball teams, starting in 2026. A player will be chosen who excels in the three fundamentals of baserunning, hitting and fielding, and who captivates fans each season.

The award was established by the NPB, The Yomiuri Shimbun and the Nippon Television Network to honor Nagashima, who served as the lifetime honorary manager of the Yomiuri Giants. The selection committee, composed of former pro baseball players and others, will chose the winner after the Japan Series.

The recipient will be given a commemorative medal and ¥3 million.

Japanese pro baseball also has the Sawamura Award, which is presented annually to the top starting pitcher and is named for the famous Yomiuri Giants hurler Eiji Sawamura. The Matsutaro Shoriki Award is given to the person who has made the greatest contribution to the development of pro baseball.

A farewell ceremony for Nagashima is scheduled to be held at Tokyo Dome on Nov. 21.