Former Yomiuri Giants general manager Jitsuo Hasegawa died at his residence in Tokyo of pneumonia early Wednesday, family sources said. He was 90. His funeral will be held on Friday in Tokyo.
Hasegawa reigned as general manager of the Giants for more than 12 years beginning in 1975, the first year of Shigeo Nagashima's first stint as Yomiuri skipper. Hasegawa was well known for his involvement in bringing Hosei University star pitcher Suguru Egawa to the Giants through a loophole that allowed Yomiuri to sign the coveted pitcher a day before the 1978 draft.
Hasegawa resigned as general manager at the end of the 1987 season.