The real nature of Nippon-Ham 's reserve power: "Turnover use" that Manager Shinjo has created over the past four years | Pacific League

初回無死、先制の満塁本塁打を放ったレイエス（左）を迎える新庄監督（カメラ・越川　亙）

◆ Pacific League Lotte 1-13 Nippon-Ham (9th, Zozo Marine)

Nippon-Ham scored a season-high 13 points in 17 hit to win the game against Lotte. Yamazaki started the game with a 1-runs complete game win for his fourth win. The team’s season-high five straight wins increased their saves to a season-high 16 and remained in first place. In 80 games this season, he has scored a league-leading 295 runs in 80 starting line-up and batting daily. The aim of the “Shinjo-ryu turnover” that fights while resting main players such as Reyes and Sachi Kiyomiya Nippon-Ham Haruki Kawakami, the reporter in charge, “saw”.

The momentum of the batting line, which changed every day, did not stop until the end. They hit the Lotte pitcher with 17 hit and won the game with a season-high 13 runs. After the game, Manager Shinjo said, “Ask the players about the batting line. I don’t remember anymore.” He paid the highest praise to the offensive line, which has been in top form, scoring 65 hit and 45 runs in the last five games.

The reason for their success is Shinjo’s “turnover” style. Turnover is a management style in soccer where the starting members are changed drastically to keep them fresh. This season, they will use 80 different starting starting line-up in 80 games to maintain their lead. The manager said, “Over the past four years, I wanted to create two teams that can win on their own. Now, whoever I send out is a force to be reckoned with.” He is confident in the outstanding player pool he has built up over the past four years, and at times has even removed Reyes, who holds the double crown Home Run and RBI, from starting line-up.

This season, from the spring training camp, he declared, “If I get injured, I’ll leave it. I’ll heal it before it becomes a serious injury,” and he took thorough measures to prevent injury. In the final week of the interleague games, which consisted of six consecutive games, on June 19th, in the game The Giants (Tokyo Dome), he replaced seven starting line-up from the day before, and even win the game against Yamazaki, who has the highest ERA Central League.

Serizawa, the S&C (strength and conditioning) manager who provides guidance on injury prevention, testified about the importance of rest, saying, “The level of fatigue in the body is completely different when fighting six consecutive games.” Thanks to the results, this season, only Nomura was out for a month due to pain in his left flank, and there are almost no players who have been out for a long period of time.

The manager’s thinking has also permeated the players. Mizutani, who has hit eight home runs this season, said, “Of course I want to play in the game, but the current The Fighters can win no matter who plays.” Gunji, who has experience as starting line-up in catcher, infielder, and outfielder said, “I’ll do anything. Kiyomiya and Nomura get injured easily, so we need to give them some rest,” and he places the highest priority on the team’s win.

In his fourth year in office, the Shinjo Ham Fighters have the strength to win the league championship for the first time in nine years and become Japan’s top team. (Haruki Kawakami)