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The story
The new Yomiuri Giants regime led by new manager Hideki Matsui got underway on October 30 with the start of fall camp. On day one, more than 100 players, coaches, and staff gathered, and the infield stands — usually sparse on a weekday morning — were unusually packed. NHK’s flagship evening news program “News Watch 9” also led with an extended segment on the story. On 5ch, nostalgic excitement from older fans over his first managerial post in 25 years ran alongside cooler reactions like “anyone who isn’t a pro baseball fan is already sick of this” and “even Giants fans are losing interest,” making the generational gap in reception a key talking point.
[Giants] New Manager Hideki Matsui Hits the Ground Running — Fans Go Wild Over His First Comeback in 25 Years, “Matsui, Welcome Baaack!” — Fall Camp Sees Unusually Packed Infield Stands
The reborn Yomiuri Giants under new manager Hideki Matsui have gotten underway. Fall camp began on the 30th at Giants Stadium and Giants Town Stadium.
On day one, more than 100 people gathered, including the new manager, coaching staff, players from the first through third-tier squads, and support staff.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
is probably incomprehensible to soccer fanboys ("sakabuta," a derogatory term baseball fans use for soccer fans)
I don't get it either, honestly
Kazu [Miura] couldn't even land a coaching job
Apparently Nakata has no interest in the soccer world anymore
Honda's a rare case who's still relevant, but he gets dragged lol
542 Anonymous Pinch Hitter @ Live Commentary Happens on the Baseball Ch Board (Wakuchoi ed5c-w2Pu [2400:2412:a681:d800:*]) Fri 10/30/2026 21:16:29.64 ID:LuKijyVy0
NHK's News Watch 9 opened with 15 straight minutes on the Giants/Matsui
545 Anonymous Pinch Hitter @ Live Commentary Happens on the Baseball Ch Board (Wakuchoi b841-JPLR [2001:240:2461:aed9:*]) Fri 10/30/2026 21:28:01.86 ID:OY/dvxoT0
Re: #542
lol, turns out people are avoiding it
Well, probably only old geezers care about Matsui
Thought it was a joke so I checked — turns out it's true, dying laughing
Even Giants fans are already sick of it.
Anyway, cut those sideburns lol
No, dye those sideburns. They look scruffy.
A weekday morning crowd is gonna be nothing but unemployed old folks lol
Kind of incredible, honestly
Dye it, old man
Yeah, zero sense of being put together
Be a gentleman already!
that's way too cheap
They've probably already recouped it in advertising value lol
Matsui's only held that honorary "special advisor to the Yankees GM" title up until now, so of course he'd jump at this.
https://youtu.be/-oHZJ8buy4w
Theory: if Downtown makes you the butt of a bit, you're bound for big things
Mitsumata Matazo: "…"
Onigiri: "…"
(two lesser-known comedians who got the same treatment from Downtown but never became stars — awkward silence)
They look thrilled to have found a Nagashima substitute lol
As the saying goes, a mikoshi's best when it's light and empty-headed (i.e., a figurehead is easiest to manage when simple and pliable)
That's why they're scrambling to stack his entourage with big names
Feels like once Matsui left, Giants games stopped airing on free TV every single day
I think it's because Nagashima stepped down as manager.
Their popularity really is on another level
Going by that lineup, the fourth would be Nomo
He also tacks "pyon" (a cutesy, rabbit-like speech tic) onto the end of his sentences a lot
They barely got any attention before, and now next year they're absolutely expected to win every single game lol
Today's players probably can't even imagine that kind of pressure
Expected to win every game, no room for a throwaway loss
Get chewed out if you don't go full effort every single game
Pitchers get their face zoomed in on national TV the second they're in a jam
The cleanup hitter is expected to hit a home run every single time there's a scoring chance
NHK's News 9 opened with 20 straight minutes on Matsui
First, Gen Z (25 and under). Slightly trending up, but still under 10% either way. Seems like very few people in this generation are even interested in baseball.
The "core" demo (ages 13-49) isn't high either. Trending up a bit, but still more than 5% below the overall average.
Middle-aged and older viewers are what's propping up the popularity. Those in their 50s-60s are 7-8% above the overall average. And for 70-plus, it's almost double the overall average. Baseball really is a sport sustained by its older fans.
https://livedoor.blogimg.jp/rock1963roll/imgs/1/9/1982bc18.jpg
Background and Key Points of Debate
Since retiring as a player, Hideki Matsui had held the largely ceremonial title of special advisor to the Yankees’ GM, so this is close to his first hands-on role in Japanese professional baseball. His appointment as Giants manager came after the departure of previous manager Shinnosuke Abe, and while the thread floated some unverified speculation about the circumstances of that change, this article doesn’t get into those details. Where opinion split was over how popular he “really” is — against the nostalgic excitement over his star power of old, some pointed out that pro baseball’s viewership itself is aging. Indeed, age-breakdown data from the 2023 WBC showed viewership propped up by fans in their 50s and older, with Gen Z showing little interest, so it’s worth keeping in mind that this “fever” coverage is landing very differently depending on generation.
*This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread “[Giants] New Manager Hideki Matsui Hits the Ground Running — Fans Go Wild Over His First Comeback in 25 Years, “Welcome Baaack!” — Fall Camp Sees Unusually Packed Infield Stands“.
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