Takeshi Magori: As a Unique Presence in the Region

2023/06/07

In April 2005, the Shikoku Island League (now Shikoku Island League plus), an independent baseball league for which I currently serve as representative, was born. Since then, it has welcomed its 19th season this year, based on three pillars: "human resource development," "expanding the base of the sports world including baseball," and "regional revitalization and contribution." To date, more than 1,000 players have moved on from the league, and 77 players have stepped up to the 12 NPB teams, the top league. Current active players from this league include pitcher Katsuki Matayoshi and pitcher Koya Fujii of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Katsuya Kakunaka of the Chiba Lotte Marines, pitcher Daichi Ishii of the Hanshin Tigers, and pitcher Satoshi Miyamori of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Furthermore, Tokumasa Chano of the Orix Buffaloes is particularly noteworthy; although he was the fourth developmental draft pick in the NPB draft last autumn, he maintained good form from the exhibition games and made the opening day starting lineup. He has since established himself as a regular and is now a candidate for Rookie of the Year. Last year, he was with the Tokushima Indigo Socks of our league, but at the beginning of the season, he was a reserve player. He gradually rose to prominence and became the leading hitter. He carved out his own path by performing well, including hitting a home run in an interleague game against the Orix second team.

Players with various backgrounds gather in this league from all over the country. The reasons are diverse: their school did not have a baseball club, they could not gather enough members, they could not continue baseball due to family circumstances, or they simply could not give up on baseball. Although the salary is not sufficient, they are accepted into the community as professional baseball players. They train under managers, coaches, and staff, playing with all their might to be noticed by NPB scouts while competing with one another. While some players enter the NPB as star candidates after active roles in high school and university baseball, we discover and develop talent that has been buried due to a lack of environment or coaching. This contribution to human resource development in the baseball world is one of our major pillars.

In addition, the role required by the region is growing every year. According to the 2005 census, the total population of the four prefectures in Shikoku was 4.09 million, but it decreased to 3.70 million in the latest 2020 survey. Since the Shikoku Island League was founded, the population has decreased by more than 10%, and the impact of a shrinking productive population due to a declining birthrate and aging population has been added. If nothing is done, regional vitality will decline. Supported by regional sponsors, the Shikoku Island League plus and its member teams gather more than 100 young players from all over the country to Shikoku every year and sign them as professional baseball players. While training their minds and bodies through league games, they also play a role in regional revitalization through children's baseball clinics, participation in local events and festivals, and PR activities for local products.

Only about 5% of players step up to the NPB. The remaining 95% choose a second career path, but many of them settle in the four prefectures of Shikoku and remain active as valuable young local talent. This season, it also became a topic of conversation that a second-generation player, whose father was a former player for the same team, joined the Ehime Mandarin Pirates.

We often receive comments such as, "The number of spectators is small despite claiming regional revitalization." In the case of our league, we play approximately 140 games a year, and the total attendance for all games before the COVID-19 pandemic was 60,000 (we expect about 60,000 this season as well), which is small compared to the NPB. However, to put it another way, as an organization that holds 140 events in the Shikoku region with an average attendance of 400 to 500 people, we are a unique presence in Shikoku. Furthermore, we are featured daily by NHK, commercial broadcasters, and local newspapers, and we believe we are playing a part in revitalizing the region.

Each team is managed in cooperation with prefectures and municipalities, supported by local companies and influential figures in each prefecture. Stadium operations are supported by local volunteers and student interns. On holidays, the stadium is used as a venue for junior dance and cheerleading team performances, and being a ball boy has become a rite of passage for boys aiming to become professional baseball players in the future.

On the other hand, on weekdays when there are no games, we actively give back to the community through activities such as conveying the joy of throwing a ball at kindergartens and nursery schools in the prefecture (Tokushima Prefecture) and school commute monitoring activities (Ehime Prefecture). It can be said that we operate the league and teams by consolidating all regional resources. Although there have been some fluctuations after overcoming the difficult COVID-19 pandemic, basically both the league and the team management corporations are breaking even, and after 19 years since our founding, we have evolved into a sustainable management model.

Since last year, we have begun verifying the economic and social impacts created by the existence of Shikoku Island League plus by measuring qualitative and quantitative data under the title "Social Value Created by the League." We will look at mid- to long-term transitions in how "fostering regional communities" affects the construction of social capital and civic pride, and how the activities of Shikoku Island League plus function. The purpose is to quantify non-financial value that is not in financial statements and create new value indicators.

I believe the current challenge is "how to scale while maintaining a sustainable form." The population decline, falling birthrate, and aging population cannot be stopped. Through the media of the region and baseball, I want to continue searching for clues to solve the issues of Japan's future microcosm 50 years from now.