Shigeo Nagashima, considered by many as one of the greatest players in Nippon Professional Baseball history, visited Peter O’Malley December 28, 1995. They are at the residence of Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles Seiichiro Noboru. Nagashima, who was the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants’ third baseman from 1958-1974, was inducted into the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. Nagashima managed the Giants from 1975-1980 and from 1993-2001, winning 1982 games.
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O’Malley Discusses Shigeo Nagashima in Yomiuri Shimbun
Inviting the Giants to the U.S., 60 years of exchange
— written by Tomoaki Obitsu, Yomiuri Shimbun, June 11, 2025
The following excerpt from the Yomiuri Shimbun includes comments from Peter O’Malley upon Shigeo Nagashima’s recent passing.
Peter O’Malley, 87, former owner of the Dodgers, who was a close friend of Shigeo Nagashima, the 89-year-old manager emeritus of the Giants, talked about his 60 years of memories in a telephone interview with the Yomiuri Shimbun on the ninth of June. The Dodgers came to Japan in 1956 for the Dodgers Goodwill Tour to Japan, and in 1961, the Giants held a camp at the team's facility in Vero Beach, Fla. On that occasion, Mr. O'Malley was told by his father (Mr. Walter), "You are in charge.” The Giants also held camp there in 1967 and 1971. O’Malley, who had become close to the players, was impressed by Nagashima’s hospitality. O’Malley, who got to know the players well, said he thought Nagashima’s superstar demeanor stood out.
When Nagashima took over as manager of the Giants in 1975, he asked O’Malley if he could take the team there again, and O’Malley readily agreed, saying, "Of course, please come back. He and I are the same age. He once came to our home when my daughter was still small. It was the beginning of a special friendship”. After that, Mr. O’Malley frequently visited Japan to see Mr. Nagashima, and Mr. Nagashima visited the U.S. frequently.
O’Malley called him “Mr. Nagashima” and Nagashima called him “Peter”. “He was very smart, friendly, and well spoken. We often talked about baseball and our families.” Their common interest was international baseball. When O’Malley was working to have the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognize baseball as an official sport of the Olympics, Nagashima became interested and they discussed how they could persuade the IOC to recognize baseball as an official sport of the Olympics. In the end, their wish was granted, and baseball was adopted as an official sport from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
When Mr. O'Malley was wondering which Korean professional baseball team to partner with, it was also Mr. Nagashima whom he consulted. (His) advice was to work with Samsung, so he (O’Malley) invited the Samsung Lions to Florida, where the team’s relationship with the Lions was established. His relationship with Samsung has been long-lasting, and he is grateful that “his advice was really sound,” O’Malley said, “Mr. Nagashima had a wonderful personality, attitude, friendliness, and ability to connect with anyone as much as he had outstanding talent. His popularity was not limited to the baseball world; he was a ‘national’ figure. He was respected and loved by everyone.”