As Tsuyoshi Shinjo flashed a “hang ten” sign and preened for the cameras wearing a red suit with a white shirt that had the collar popped to the heavens, one thing was immediately clear: The flashiest star in the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters universe can still effortlessly own a room.
Less clear, however, was whether or not the Fighters’ new manager — or “Big Boss” as he asked to be called — can actually manage, or if it even matters.
Shinjo’s official return to NPB and the Fighters on Thursday was everything anyone could have hoped for when the club announced last week he would be its new manager. The former star outfielder is as much of a rock star as he ever was, and he dressed the part at his introductory news conference.
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