Eiji Kanamori

1. Early Life and Amateur Career

Eiji Kanamori was born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. He attended PL Gakuen High School where, in 1974 during his third year, he played as the third batter and second baseman in the 56th National High School Baseball Championship. His team was defeated in the second round by Choshi Shogyo High School, led by ace Masakatsu Tsuchiya, who went on to win the tournament.

Following high school, Kanamori enrolled at Waseda University in 1975, where he transitioned to playing as a catcher. For his first three years, he served as a backup to Kazuhiro Yamakura. After Yamakura's graduation, Kanamori began to distinguish himself, earning the batting title in the spring season of the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League in his fourth year (1978). He formed a battery with pitchers Yoshimoto Mukaida and Katsuhisa Kitaguchi (who later joined Panasonic Baseball Club) and was selected for the Best Nine as a catcher during that spring season. In the autumn season, batting fifth after Akinobu Okada, he contributed to Waseda's first league championship in nine seasons. However, they were defeated by Doshisha University Baseball Club in the semi-finals of the subsequent Meiji Jingu Baseball Tournament. Over his university career, Kanamori played 32 games in the league, recording 39 hits in 97 at-bats, a batting average of .402, with 2 home runs and 25 RBIs.

In 1979, after graduating from university, Kanamori joined the newly formed Prince Hotel Baseball Club along with team captain Ekuo Nakaya. In 1980, he helped lead the team to its first appearance in the Intercity Baseball Tournament, playing alongside future professional stars such as Hiromoto Ishige and Takayoshi Nakao. They were narrowly defeated in a 13-inning game by Nippon Steel Kamaishi in the second round. In 1981, he participated in the tournament as a reinforcement player for Tokyo Gas Baseball Club, contributing to their advancement to the semi-finals, where they lost to NTT East Baseball Club. During this tournament, he also secured the batting title. Later that year, he was selected for the Japanese national team for the IBAF Intercontinental Cup and was named to the Social Baseball Best Nine as an outfielder. In the 1981 Nippon Professional Baseball draft, Kanamori was selected in the second round by the Saitama Seibu Lions and officially joined the team.

2. Professional Playing Career

Eiji Kanamori's professional career spanned from 1982 to 1996, during which he played for three different teams, showcasing his versatility and unique offensive approach.

3. Playing Style

Eiji Kanamori was widely known for his unique playing style, particularly his reputation as a "hit-by-pitch artist," often seeking to get hit by pitches, which would energize fans with his dramatic reactions. Following his trade to the Hanshin Tigers, when he was first hit by a pitch, the crowd reportedly cheered, "Congratulations!" There were also instances where he would stick his leg out and get hit, but if the umpire did not call a dead ball, he would then hit a home run on the retry.

Despite the perception of his actions as performance, Kanamori genuinely experienced pain from the dead balls. His characteristic loud shout of "Ah!" when hit was to alleviate the pain. One explanation for his high frequency of being hit by pitches is his batting style: he would pull the ball close to his body before swinging, which often left him insufficient time to evade pitches coming inside.

4. Post-Retirement Career

After retiring as a player, Eiji Kanamori dedicated himself to various roles within the baseball world, primarily as a coach and manager, and also as a baseball commentator.

5. Coaching Philosophy

Eiji Kanamori is regarded as a theoretically-minded hitting coach. His fundamental coaching approach emphasizes pulling the ball close to the body, tucking the elbows, and using hip rotation for the swing. Taira Fujita criticized this theory, arguing that Kanamori applied it even to less powerful hitters like Norihiro Akahoshi and Atsushi Fujimoto. Kanamori countered, stating that "it's precisely less powerful hitters who should do it" and that "it's easier to control the bat and transfer power when swinging close to the body with tucked elbows, rather than with extended arms."

However, Takao Ise held a different perspective, suggesting that "this swing is suitable for average hitters, but I don't think it's right for long-ball hitters." This indicates that while Kanamori's philosophy aimed for consistent contact and efficient power transfer, its applicability to various types of hitters was a subject of debate within the baseball community.

6. Personal Life

Eiji Kanamori maintained a close friendship with Hisashi Kato, a former member of the Waseda University soccer team, even after their university days. Kanamori has written in his books that because Kato was a diligent student in his athletic club, he would often copy Kato's reports and exam answers.

Kanamori is known to be an abstainer from alcohol. He would become flushed after just one glass of beer and feel nauseous after a single bottle. During his time with the Seibu Lions, where players were subject to strict curfews and bans on drinking out, some players accumulated stress. However, Kanamori, having no interest in alcohol and finding the dormitory food delicious, considered himself fortunate. During his tenure with the Hanshin Tigers, Akinobu Okada, a year his junior at Waseda and a naturally convivial leader, knew Kanamori's aversion to alcohol and would skillfully handle situations on his behalf during drinking gatherings.

Kanamori's wife was a woman who worked as a relief car driver at Hankyu Nishinomiya Stadium. Their courtship was notably depicted in Shinji Mizushima's popular baseball manga, Abu-san. Kanamori also had nicknames given during his student and professional days, including ドンちゃん_Don-chan^Japanese and ドンガメ_Dongame^Japanese, the latter translating to "slow turtle," a moniker from his student days. From 1985 to 1992, his registered name was `金森 永時`, which used different kanji but had the same pronunciation as `金森 栄治`.

7. Assessment and Legacy

Eiji Kanamori's impact on Japanese baseball is multifaceted, stemming from his distinctive playing career and his extensive contributions as a coach and manager. As a player, he was recognized not only for his offensive contributions, including a Best Nine and Golden Glove award, but also for his unconventional "hit-by-pitch artist" persona, which added a unique dynamic to his game and entertained fans. His ability to adapt from catcher to outfielder and his clutch hitting, exemplified by his walk-off hit in the 1983 Japan Series, showcased his versatility and competitive spirit.

In his post-retirement coaching career, Kanamori earned a reputation as a highly influential hitting coach. He played a significant role in the development and improvement of numerous key players across several professional teams, including Kazuhiro Wada, Alex Cabrera, Kenji Johjima, and Toshihito Iguchi. His theoretical approach to hitting, while at times debated, demonstrated a thoughtful commitment to player development. His leadership extended to the independent league, where he managed the Ishikawa Million Stars to a championship, and to high school and university levels, underscoring his dedication to fostering talent at all stages of the sport. Kanamori's enduring presence in the Japanese baseball landscape, from the field to the dugout and broadcast booth, highlights his lasting influence and respected legacy within the sport.

8. Detailed Information

9. External links

• [https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=kanamo000eij Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference.com (Minors & Japanese Leagues)]
• [https://npb.jp/bis/players/01303865.html Career statistics from Nippon Professional Baseball]
• [https://sp.baseball.findfriends.jp/player/19570020/ Player information from Weekly Baseball Online]