Tsuyoshi Shinjo named manager of the Nippon-Ham Fighters for 2022

In November 2021, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, a team in Japan's top professional league (NPB), appointed Tsuyoshi Shinjo as manager for the 2022 season. He succeeded Hideki Kuriyama, who had left the club after the 2021 campaign.

Shinjo was a well-known former outfielder who played for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan and for the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball, before finishing his career with the Fighters in 2006. He had never managed at the professional level, so the choice drew wide attention.

He introduced himself with the nickname 'BIGBOSS' and promised a more open, fan-friendly style of leadership, saying he wanted to bring change to the club. His flamboyant personality and unconventional approach set expectations that his time in charge would differ from the traditional Japanese baseball manager, a theme that later surfaced in his team rules.