, ▁Ak iko , ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁ ▁Am ateur ▁career ▁Nag ash ima ▁was ▁actually ▁a ▁fan ▁of ▁the ▁Hans hin ▁Tig ers , ▁the ▁rival ▁of ▁the ▁Y omi uri ▁Gi ants , ▁during ▁his ▁child hood . ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁his ▁local ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁Ch iba , ▁he ▁entered ▁R ik ky o ▁University , ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁team ' s ▁regular ▁third ▁bas eman . ▁He ▁won ▁the ▁batt ing ▁title ▁for ▁two ▁consecutive ▁years ▁in ▁the ▁Tokyo ▁Big 6 ▁Baseball ▁League , ▁and ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁Best ▁N ine ▁Award ▁five ▁seasons ▁in ▁a ▁row ▁at ▁third ▁base . ▁By ▁his ▁senior ▁year , ▁sc outs ▁from ▁every ▁professional ▁team ▁wanted ▁to ▁sign ▁Nag ash ima , ▁and ▁the ▁N ank ai ▁Haw ks ▁and ▁H iro sh ima ▁Car p ▁were ▁particularly ▁active ▁in ▁rec ruit ing ▁Nag ash ima . ▁It ▁was ▁almost ▁decided ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁sign ▁with ▁the ▁Haw ks , ▁but ▁he ▁ended ▁up ▁joining ▁the ▁Y omi uri ▁Gi ants ▁in ▁November , ▁ 1 9 5 7 . ▁He ▁signed ▁with ▁the ▁Gi ants ▁for ▁ 1 8 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁y en ; ▁the ▁highest ▁sal ary ▁for ▁a ▁baseball ▁player ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁Professional ▁career ▁ ▁Nag ash ima ▁made ▁his ▁professional ▁debut ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁and ▁struck ▁out ▁in ▁all ▁four ▁of ▁his ▁at -