Japanese Version in Daily Sports Here / トレバーの虎場はこちら
Everyone has a story of how they became a fan of a team or player. Could be a father’s influence, as written about in a previous column. Could be team colors. Could be a cap or shirt one received as a child. (I still remember the 1980s Houston Astros shirt I got when I was 6… still like the team for some reason I can’t put my finger on…)
I know when it comes to players, my reasons for liking guys have changed over the years. It used to be simple things like “we have the same birthday” or “he runs fast.” The other day my son declared that his favorite player was Koji Chikamoto. Whoa, son, way to get behind the new rookie like that! But then as we talked about him, he said to me, “Daddy? When I turn six, I don’t know who my favorite player will be any more, because Chikamoto will still be #5.” Got it. So it’s age, is it?
So be it. I’m 43 years old, and so my favorite player will be… Koki Moriya? Until my birthday tomorrow, anyway, right? Nah, actually I have an even better reason to like him, and it might be as eyebrow-raising as my son’s logic.
Get this. My colleague once worked at a junior high school in Kurashiki, Okayama, and one of his students was – you guessed it – Koki-kun. And it got me thinking, “You know what, I used to wonder why that bum was still even employed by the Tigers. I mean, drafted in 2014, and barely more than a handful of mound appearances on the top squad in his first four seasons. What’s to like about him?” (Keep in mind we had this conversation in 2018, before Moriya started pitching like a boss.)
But there’s something interesting about following baseball in Japan. It seems like a lot of people know a lot of people who know someone who knows a particular player. The closer the connection between you and professional greatness, the more likely you are to be a fan of that player, regardless of what team he’s on or what his performance on the field looks like.
So now, I can’t help but cheer for Koki. And two pro ballers who went to a high school where *I* was teaching a decade ago: Nao Higashihama (SoftBank Hawks) and Hiroki Minei (Yokohama DeNA BayStars). They were students at Okinawa Shogaku High School when I was on staff there, and so now, I almost feel obliged to cheer for them. (Except when they’re playing the Tigers, of course!)
And how about you – do *you* have some connection to a player that has turned you into a sentimental fan of the man? Do share your story with us!