Yuko Minamimura

2.1. Childhood and Education

Born in Osaka Prefecture, Yuko Minamimura attended Ichikoka Middle School, where he played as a pitcher. During this period, he famously had a pitching match against Eiji Sawamura of Kyoto Commercial High School. Upon entering Waseda University, Minamimura shifted his focus entirely to batting. He became known for using a bat painted black, which led to his popular nickname 'Black Bat Minamimura' (黒バットの南村_{Kuro Batto no Minamimura}^Japanese). In the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League, he appeared in 69 games, recording 51 hits in 197 at-bats, achieving a .259 batting average. He secured the batting title twice, during the spring seasons of 1938 and 1939.

2.2. Amateur Baseball Career

After graduating from Waseda University, Minamimura embarked on an amateur baseball career while employed. He joined Mitsui Trust Bank and continued to play baseball as a member of the Yokohama Kinko Club, an amateur baseball club located in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture.

3.1. Nishinippon Pirates Era (1950)

In 1950, at the age of 32, Yuko Minamimura made an unconventional transition from a bank employee to a professional baseball player. He was recruited by Toshio Kojima, his former senior at Waseda University and the manager of the newly formed Nishinippon Pirates. Reportedly, Minamimura's recruitment came with a condition that he would eventually be considered for a managerial role. Despite being a rookie among many seasoned professional players, Minamimura quickly established himself as the team's cleanup hitter. In his rookie season, he recorded an impressive .300 batting average, along with 11 home runs and 59 runs batted in. His first career home run occurred in the third game of the season, on March 14, against Hiroshi Nakao of the Yomiuri Giants at Kumamoto Suizenji Baseball Stadium. Although his season was interrupted by an illness-related absence, he ultimately earned the title of rookie batting champion in the Central League.

3.2. Yomiuri Giants Era (1951-1957)

Following the dissolution of the Nishinippon Pirates in 1951, Yuko Minamimura transferred to the Yomiuri Giants. His transfer was complicated by a dispute within the baseball world: the Central League asserted its retention of player rights from the Nishinippon Pirates after the team merged with the Pacific League's Nishitetsu Clippers. Minamimura, known for his amiable character, reportedly agreed to join both the Giants and the Nishitetsu Clippers, leading to multiple contract signings. He eventually sought temporary refuge in Atami before officially signing with the Giants. His contract with the Giants included a signing bonus of 1.00 M JPY and a monthly salary of 80.00 K JPY.

With the Giants, Minamimura quickly became a regular player, primarily serving as the team's right fielder and often batting sixth. He posted a .283 batting average and 62 runs batted in, playing a crucial role in the Giants' first league championship after the establishment of the two-league system in Japanese professional baseball. Manager Shigeru Mizuhara later credited Minamimura's performance, alongside that of fellow former Nishinippon player Masaaki Hirai, with significantly motivating key Giants players like Tetsuharu Kawakami and Shigeru Chiba. In the 1951 Japan Series, Minamimura delivered an exceptional performance. He hit a go-ahead double in Game 1 and recorded an impressive 6 hits in 6 at-bats during the first two games. Throughout the series, he maintained an outstanding .563 batting average, achieving 9 hits in 16 at-bats, which earned him the Japan Series MVP award. This batting average stood as a Japan Series record until it was surpassed by Isao Shibata in 1966.

Minamimura continued his strong performance in 1952 and 1953, primarily batting fifth or sixth alongside Mitsuo Uno. He received back-to-back Best Nine selections as an outfielder in both years. In 1952, he finished fourth in the league with a .315 batting average. In 1954, he officially changed his registered name from Fukashi (不可止_Fukashi^Japanese) to Yuko (侑広_Yuko^Japanese). From 1954 to 1955, he frequently batted third in the lineup. However, by 1956, his playing opportunities began to diminish with the rise of younger players like Toshio Miyamoto. He eventually retired from active play in 1957 at the age of 40.

3.3. Playing Style and Characteristics

Yuko Minamimura developed a distinctive batting style characterized by holding the bat short and positioning himself at the front of the batter's box with an open stance. He was highly effective at hitting to all fields, particularly excelling against pitches like the shoot. He had a unique ability to hit inside pitches, swinging from the waist with his elbow tucked in to drive the ball cleanly into right-center field. His proficiency in hitting the shoot was often compared to that of slugger Kazuhiro Yamauchi.

Defensively, Minamimura was not as renowned as he was for his hitting. Observers noted that when chasing fly balls, he would run with his arms held rigidly, with his left arm forward and right arm back, rather than swinging them naturally.

Minamimura was also known for his spirited personality and motivational presence on the team. During Giants games when the team found themselves trailing in the seventh inning, he would often utter a sharp, resonant phrase: "Time to go!" (時間だよ、行こうぜ_{Jikan da yo, ikō ze}^Japanese). This declaration frequently served as a catalyst for the Giants, often leading to a comeback and victory.

4.1. Coaching and Commentary Career

From 1958 to 1963, Minamimura transitioned into a career as a baseball commentator for Nippon Television and Radio Kanto. It was said that in January 1958, shortly after beginning his commentary work, he would practice his vocalizations by singing the "Sado Okesa" folk song while taking a bath at his home in Zaimokuza, Kamakura. He also notably provided commentary for Nippon TV during the historic 1959 Imperial presence game.

He returned to his former team, the Yomiuri Giants, taking on a role as a first-team coach in 1964. He was then promoted to head coach from 1965 to 1966, before serving as a minor league hitting coach in 1967. After his coaching tenure, Minamimura resumed his work as a commentator for Nippon TV and Radio Kanto, continuing in this capacity from 1968 to 1973.

4.2. Front Office Career

In 1974, Yuko Minamimura joined the front office of the Nippon-Ham Fighters under the leadership of team president Osamu Mihara. During his time with the Fighters, he held several important positions, including public relations manager, dorm manager, and scouting official. He remained with the organization until his departure in 1984.

7.1. Major Awards and Honors

• Best Nine: 2 times (Outfielder: 1952, 1953)
• Japan Series MVP: 1 time (1951)

7.2. Career Records

• All-Star Game appearances: 3 times (1952, 1953, 1954)

7.3. Jersey Numbers

• 1 (1950-1957) - As a player
• 75 (1964-1967) - As a coach

7.4. Registered Names

• Minamimura Fukashi (南村 不可止_{Minamimura Fukashi}^Japanese) (1950-1953)
• Minamimura Yuko (南村 侑広_{Minamimura Yukō}^Japanese) (1954-1967)

8.1. Batting Statistics by Year