Some of you know that the first fielder that the Hanshin Tigers acquired after Randy Bass‘ release in 1988 (other than a half-season by Ruppert Jones) was none other than Cecil Fielder. (Yes, the man who went on to win two home run titles and three RBI titles in the majors with the Detroit Tigers. Yes, the father of Prince Fielder.) But where is he now, and what does he say about his year with Hanshin?
Former Tigers outfielder Tsutomu Kameyama visited Fielder in his Florida home, and was welcomed in for an interview.
TK: It’s been awhile. How old are you now?
CF: Fifty-four. (Note: Today is his 55th birthday.) I was 25 then. Almost 30 years.
TK: Is that your grandson? (Pointing to the young lad on Fielder’s lap.)
CF: No, my boy! My son! Five! I got 5 sons.
TK: How old is he?
CF: Two! I’m still strong! Gen eki desu ne! (Still mid-career!)
TK: What have you been doing these days?
CF: I’ve been really low key, not doing much. I do a lot of stuff in New York for the Yankees, so I’m there quite a bit, but…
TK: Do you ever reminisce about your Hanshin days?
CF: My career wouldn’t be what it is without me going and playing with Hanshin, you know, I always tell folks, that the time I spent at Koshien Kyujo (Stadium), it made a world of difference for my career. I was young, I was very young. Before I went to Japan, most players’ careers were finished here (in America). When I went to Japan, I had to think. Pitchers are going to do a lot of different things, so I had to try to think with them. So (Akinobu) Okada and (Yasushi) Tao and (Akinobu) Mayumi, those guys really helped me.
(The show does a brief look at how Fielder’s time with the Tigers was cut short. Full story here, but basically he broke a bone in his hand while angry.)
TK: What happened?
CF: I broke my hand. STUPID! You know, if we had been playing on grass, I wouldn’t have gotten hurt. But since we were playing in the (Tokyo) Dome, with the rubber, I threw that bat, BAM! It bounced back, and hit me in the hand. That’s just a freak accident, but it was stupid.
TK: If that hadn’t happened, do you think you might have played 3-5 more years with the Tigers?
CF: Yeah, because maybe they would have given me an extension. (This is likely lip service, as an interview answer in this article indicates otherwise.)
TK: I’m sure a lot of Tigers fans were disappointed in what happened.
Narrator/Subtitles: What advice did you give your son, Prince?
CF: You gotta go out there and take it, because they ain’t gonna give you nothing. I think that’s what happened to me in Japan, I had to go take it, because they were trying with all their power not to let me be successful, you know what I mean?
TK: What is the secret to you and Prince both being successful in the majors?
CF: I just think they get turned on to the game. Kids get turned on to baseball at a young age, and that second generation is usually better than the first. Because it’s our job, right? The fathers have got to take care of their families, right? The kids are having fun. They don’t care, and I think that’s why I think they do so much better.
TK: How old was Prince when you were in Japan?
CF: Five.
TK: Does he remember being in Japan?
CF: Oh yeah, he remembers everything! As a matter of fact, sometimes on his Instagram page, he posts pictures of when he was in Japan. He used to go to the ballpark with me. I wanted my son to see what I do, you know? I think that’s what turned Prince on to baseball. He saw every day what his dad was doing.
TK: Give a message to the fans back in Japan.
CF: Hanshin fans, this is Mr. Fielder coming to you from my house in Tampa, Florida, showing love, I love you all. I’m coming back, see you soon!