"Our Giants Will Live Forever!" - Shigeo Nagashima's Retirement Speech (In English!)

 

 

1974 Calbee #430 - One of several cards commemorating the ceremony

Giants superstar Shigeo Nagashima retired on October 14th, 1974, after a 17 year career that saw him win 9 consecutive championships and reach apotheosis as an icon of not just the game, but of an era and a country. Nagashima was bigger than baseball. Much like how Ruth personified the Roaring Twenties in America, Nagashima, with his gritty “fighting spirit” and smiling optimism, was the man for Japan’s latter Shōwa Period— the postwar stretch of Emperor Hirohito’s reign that saw the nation rise from the ruin of militarism into an economic and soft power juggernaut. I don’t think any player will ever quite match what Nagashima was in his day, and that includes Shohei Ohtani. The retirement speech itself has been likened to Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man” speech. It is definitely a stirring scene. Against the fading daylight, Nagashima addresses the crowd from the field before being met by the team as the solemn brass of “Hotaru no Hikari” begins to play. (This song, meaning “The Fireflies’ Light,” is set to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne” but with different lyrics). As the coaches and teammates greet him one by one, Nagashima begins to weep openly.

Here is the speech as best as I could translate it. Notably, it’s pretty self-effacing, as Nagashima devotes a large part of the brief address lamenting the team’s failure to achieve “V10” and downplaying any future contributions to the team.  As far as I know this is the very first time this speech has actually been made available fully in translation, which kind of surprised me. I did look for another English version before translating it myself but could find nothing beyond various iterations of its most famous line, “Our Giants will live forever.”

 

From the time I first came to this glorious Giants team in 1958 until this very day, I thank you so very much for all the tremendous support you have given me these past 17 years.  

(Applause)

Because of this passionate support and the backing I have received from everyone I have been able to lead a life in baseball on my own terms. Now, at this juncture, I find that my physical strength has reached its limit and so I have made the decision to retire.

Looking back on my 17 years as an active player, many things have happened. I remember each game. How, during the good times, your enthusiastic applause stirred in old Number 3 here the will to fight all the more.

(Applause)

At the same time, your warm words of encouragement kept me going during slumps. You’ve been with me every step of the way. Unfortunately, though our Giants had been aiming for 10 straight titles, though everyone from the manager to the players did their best and fought until the very end, it was not enough. The dream of 10 consecutive championships is over.

(Bursts of impassioned shouting from spectators)

Today I retire, but our Giants will live forever!

(Applause and cheers)

From here on out, in whatever way I can, small though it may be, I’d like to help write new history for the Giants—tomorrow’s victories for our glorious Giants. I will take all the support and encouragement I have received up to this day as preparation to keep moving forward. After all this time, I thank you for everything from the bottom of my heart.

(Applause)