Nippon-Ham's Shinjo bans on-field greetings from next season in Japan's NPB
Fighters manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo says players will stop greeting umpires and familiar faces during games from next year, breaking a long-standing NPB habit.
Tsuyoshi Shinjo, manager of the Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan's NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball), wants to scrap one of the league's quietest traditions: greetings during games.
Japanese outlet Sports Nippon reported on November 9 that Shinjo will abolish the practice from next year. Players will no longer exchange greetings while a game is under way.
In NPB, just like in South Korea's KBO League, batters usually greet umpires or people they know when they step into the batter's box or reach base. Japanese baseball is also known for a senior-junior culture that is even stricter than the KBO's, so the habit runs deep.
Not his first surprise
Shinjo, nicknamed "BIGBOSS," was named manager of the Hokkaido-based club in November 2021 and took charge for the 2022 season. He has built a reputation as an unconventional boss, and this announcement fits the pattern.
For now, the change is a declaration for next season. How it will work on the field remains to be seen.
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