Collecting and Translating the 1973 Calbee Bat-Backs (Part 17)

This will likely be the final entry of my Calbee bat-back translation series, covering the last of the cards I currently own. I need six more cards as of this posting, five of which are Block 2 high numbers that are very hard to come by. It is not unreasonable to assume that if I am lucky I may get my hands on these cards at a rate of one or two per year going forward. Given this, I will probably just add the remaining cards to the master archive directly as I get them. I do plan to continue on in a way by translating flag-backs I pick up from the expanded ‘73 set as well (just not all of them—that’s an undertaking that is more or less impossible)! For now though I’ll probably take a break from ‘73 Calbee. This project has dominated my blog’s content since its inception and there are other great topics that deserve attention too.

Circling back around then, I finish up with a few cards from the first twelve in the set, all of which feature Giants immortals Shigeo Nagashima (#1-6) and Sadaharu Oh (#7-12). It’s hard to overstate just how big of a deal “ON” were in their day—two of the top five players in NPB history playing together during the same era for fifteen years on the same team, a team that won 9 consecutive championships.  While Oh, the World Home Run King, was unquestionably the superior hitter, Nagashima was an all-rounder who played a more taxing defensive position and stole more bases. Oh is more known and celebrated worldwide, but Nagashima was the bigger star in their home country. This is likely due mainly to his more outgoing and showman-like personality as well as his penchant for clutch plays, but probably also for his full Japanese ancestry (Oh is half Chinese). There is an adage in Japanese that goes something like:  記録の王、記憶の長嶋。 “Kiroku no Oh, Kioku no Nagashima.” Basically, “Oh for records, Nagashima for memories.”

 #1  Nagashima - Third Baseman (Giants)

The Origin of Mister

The team calls Nagashima “Mister.” That is, “Mister Giants” or even “Mister Pro Baseball.” Mister, an honorific bestowed on the one who is always an exemplar for other players, who strives to conduct himself earnestly as a role model on and off the field. You too should try to be a person who, like Nagashima, is worthy of being called “Mister.”

The first Calbee card ever, Nagashima’s 1973 #1 is closest thing there is to a “1952 Topps Mickey Mantle of Japan.” Although nowhere near as pricey as the Mick’s first Topps card, it holds a similarly singular place as an icon—the face of Japanese baseball cards. Nagashima was, in some ways, like Mantle: a five tool player who was undoubtedly great—but not quite the greatest. A player whose impressive numbers were still surpassed by numerous others, but whose place within the Zeitgeist was basically unmatched.

 #2  Nagashima - Third Baseman (Giants)

Nagashima's Major Records

#3  Nagashima - Third Baseman (Giants)

Nagashima’s In-Game Quirks

 

1. Forgotten items...... Anytime he forgets something, he has a good game.

1. He twirls his bat, and continues to rotate it during an at-bat until the pitch.

1. Exaggerated gestures.

1. When going around the horn for an out, he has been known to toss it to Kuroe with his back still turned.

1. He kicks up dirt when he stops after rushing to first.

 

#6  Nagashima - Third Baseman (Giants)

Nagashima’s Powers of Concentration

Nagashima is a real competitor. When it matters most he can truly be depended on. What could be the secret to this strength of his? He enters the batter’s box and hits the ball. On defense, he catches the ball and throws it. When it’s time, Nagashima forgets everything else and concentrates only on the ball. It is said that he has animal-like instincts, but instinct is born out of a focused mind. You too should focus your mind and hone your intuition.

#7  Oh - First Baseman (Giants)

The Monster

Oh is often described as a “monster.” It has nothing to do with his face but rather the fear he rouses as the home run king, hammering away with his unique one-legged stance. It’s the superhuman distance of the balls he hits. The velocity. The multi-hit games. Without a doubt the name “monster” is fitting. From September 11th, 1972, Oh hit 9 homers in seven games. What’s more, he achieved the record for most consecutive games with a homer with that span. A monster indeed.

Oh would go on to appear on several hundred Calbee cards in the 70s alone, but his very first has to rank among the top aesthetically.

#12  Oh - First Baseman (Giants)

Revolutionary One-Legged Batting Style

Oh’s batting style is commonly called the “flamingo stance” due to his resemblance to that bird when he stands at the ready on one leg. Normal players hit by timing the pitch while shifting their center of gravity on both legs. In Oh’s case, he simply couldn’t generate any carry on both legs no matter what. So, after giving it some thought he tried hitting on one leg and found his home run swing. The result of taking the plunge on this stance was a brilliant 55 home runs, the new Japanese record for most hit in a year.