Nagashima Shigeo, one of Japan’s most respected and decorated baseball players passed away on the morning of June 3 from pneumonia at age 89.

He started his professional career with the Yomiuri Giants in 1958, and during his 17-year career with the team, won several awards and accolades.

This included being chosen for the Best Nine Award 17 times, Batting Champion 6 times, RBI Champion and MVP Award 5 times each, and the Home Run Champion Award twice.

During his career, which was a period of economic growth in Japan, he was seen as a beacon of hope.

After retiring from the sport, he served as manager of the Yomiuri Giants, from 1975 to 1980, and again from 1993 to 2001.

In addition to being elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988, he was also named Honorary Lifetime Manager of the Yomiuri Giants in 2001.

His history with the sport garnered him the nicknames “Mr. Giants”, “Mr. Pro Baseball”, and “The Burning Man.”

In 2013, Nagashima, along with former protégé Matsui Hideki, were awarded the People's Honour Award in recognition for their accomplishments in sport.

The two also served as one of the final Torchbearers at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Nagashima was also awarded the Order of Culture in 2021, being one of the first baseball players to receive it.

Yamaguchi Toshikazu, owner of the Yomiuri Giants, said: “I cannot find the words to express my sadness at the news. When I was a child, the Giants were Nagashima's team. That feeling has not changed. He was a ‘burning man’, with a competitive spirit and the brightness of the sun. He was a superstar who embodied the era of high economic growth and was ‘Mr. Pro Baseball’ who led the baseball world. Even after his illness, his passion for baseball never waned, and he continued to come to Tokyo Dome to encourage managers, coaches, and players, right up to the end. His ambition will surely be carried on by his younger colleagues. We pray for his soulful rest in peace."

MLB Dodgers player Ohtani Shohei also posted to his social media before today's game against the Mets to mourn Nagashima. 

Otani met Nagashima at a pre-season game against the Giants in March this year, before the opening game of the Major League Baseball season in Japan.

He posted three photos, including a shoulder-to-shoulder shot, wishing his sincere condolences paying his respects to Nagashima.

The two also “starred” in a commercial for a “Dream Match-Up” using the latest in CG technology.

Across Japan, there was widespread sadness at the news of his passing.

In Tokyo, special editions of the Yomiuri Shimbun were distributed, with many expressing that “a hero had passed away”, and that “he was like the sun”.