A Toast to Our Alumni :
Mr. Minoru Izumi, manager of the Waseda Jitsugyo High School Baseball Team, making its first appearance in the Koshien Spring Tournament in 18 years.

"Living for baseball" is not just for professional baseball players. Our alumni guest this time is Mr. Minoru Izumi, who has devoted himself to baseball both as a player and a manager. This spring, at the age of 44, he went to Koshien Stadium as the manager of the Waseda Jitsugyo High School baseball team, where a miracle happened ? although the game ran into 15 innings and looked like ending in a tie, the team snatched a dramatic victory in the bottom of the last inning. So let's take a closer look at Mr. Izumi and his lifelong devotion to baseball.

The baseball kid who dreamed of becoming a manager

Izumi Minoru Born Tokyo 1961. Started playing Little League baseball in elementary school, entered Waseda Jitsugyo High School. In his 2nd year, played in both spring and summer tournaments in Koshien Stadium as catcher. Entered the School of Education in 1979, and joined the Waseda University Baseball Club. After graduation, while working as a part-time employee at a food company, managed the Nanyo Technical High School baseball team in Yamaguchi Prefecture. In 1992, became manager of the Waseda Jitsugyo High School baseball team. This year's appearance at Koshien Stadium was his second since the summer of 1996. Works in the General Affairs Section of the High school. A family man, he values communication with his family more than anything.

A typical member of the baseball generation, he began playing baseball in elementary school. In sixth grade, when his team lost a game in the Asian Tournament, he envied the managers because they didn't have to quit after graduating, or for other reasons. After playing in the senior league, he joined the baseball team in Waseda Jitsugyo High School. In those days, the team was enjoying its Golden Age, appearing at Koshien Stadium no less than 9 times in 8 years. He was selected to play at Koshien when he was in his second year, but not in his third year. "I didn't cry when we lost. Win or lose is just a result. I believe that people cry because they are not satisfied with how they play the game." At that time, he already had a dream of becoming a manager.

After entering Waseda University, he failed to get a regular place on the baseball team, which he described as "full of famous players I'd seen on TV", but he experienced playing in almost every position except pitcher in order to develop his skill at managing a team. He also took a teacher's training course. "I met a lot of people who were far more talented than me, and got to thinking about my place in the team, and how I could best help the regular players."

Job priority No. 1: being involved in baseball

When he was in his third year, he was sent to Nanyoko Technical High School in Yamaguchi Prefecture to help teach baseball. By chance, he was offered the position of manager after graduating from Waseda, because the regular manager of the team was too busy with other duties. Naturally, he promptly accepted the offer. "Even if I became a full-time teacher, there was no guarantee that I could also be a manager of a baseball team. Being involved in baseball was more important to me than drawing a steady salary." He found a job in the company owned by the chairman of the baseball team supporters' association, and worked as a part-time employee. He would go to the office after finishing early morning practice, work until 3 pm, and then go back to the ballpark ? it became his lifestyle for 9 years.

In the autumn of 1992, he was singled out to be the manager of the Waseda Jitsugyo High School baseball team, as a successor to Mr. Wada, who had passed away suddenly. Since then, he has played his part as the manager of the team while working as a member of the school office staff . He experienced hard times after the school moved to Kokubunji because there was no ground for practicing, not until the Oh Sadaharu Memorial Ground was finally built in 2004. This spring, he made it to Koshien Stadium for the second time as manager.

Think simply and solely about what you really want to do

"No matter how good or bad the players are, they all have the same ambition ? to play at Koshien Stadium. That's why I've never thought along the lines of, "Gee, the team won't make it this year." He recalls his third year in university, the year of Waseda's 100th anniversary, when his team gained a victory in Tokyo Big Six Universities League tournament. "That year, there were no outstanding players in Waseda. But each of us thought carefully about what they needed to do in order to win, and then went ahead and did it, so that strengthened our teamwork." His motto is "Players who think about baseball". He watches his students closely, and teaches every single important point. "Every student is different. So it's wrong to teach them my own theory based on just my experience. I always get something in return when I teach my students. I also learn from them, and again, teach what I've learned. My students taught me what I needed to become a manager."

When we asked for a message to his juniors he laughed and said, "I just kept things simple. People sometimes can't take their first step when they think too much about something. I just focused on being involved in what I wanted to do ? baseball. I couldn't quit because there'd be nothing left. Also, there are tons of things you just don't understand unless you actually start living on your own. Firstly, just live on your own. Try your best when things look bleak. If you do that, the people you meet will help to open up your mind.”