Hall of Famer Junzo Sekine, a two-way player and manager who went on to become a popular baseball analyst, died Thursday of natural causes. He was 93.
Sekine served stints as manager of the Yokohama Taiyo Whales (now the Yokohama DeNA BayStars) and the Yakult Swallows and made a name for himself for his ability to nurture young players.
"Even if you strike out, don't come back with your head down," former Yakult star Takahiro Ikeyama, now the Swallows' farm team manager, recalls being told by Sekine.
As a player, Sekine spent all but the last year of his 16-year career with Kintetsu (now the Orix Buffaloes), and made history by being named an All-Star as both a pitcher and a position player.
A Tokyo native, Sekine shone in the Tokyo Big 6 League as the ace pitcher for Hosei University and joined Kintetsu in 1950.
In 1954, he won 16 games, then made a full-fledged switch to the outfield in 1957 and established himself with his skillful batting. He joined the Yomiuri Giants in 1965 and retired after the season.
On the mound, he compiled a record of 65-94, while at the plate, he had 1,137 career hits and a batting average of .279.
He became a manager for the first time with the Whales in 1982 and served for three years, then had another three-year stint with the Swallows from 1987. His ability to get the most out of his young players at Yakult helped contribute to an increase in fans.
He later became a familiar voice as a baseball analyst on TV, with his soft tones and easy-to-follow commentary.
In 2003, he was voted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.
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