Shinjo was born in Nagasaki and played for the Hanshin Tigers for a decade before signing with the New York Mets.
He once declared: ‘What I want from life is to drive a really cool sports car and dress nice.’ Although talented, the outfielder was undisciplined, unable to capitalize on his physical gifts. Tsuyoshi Shinjo was the first Japanese transfer to play in the World Series, a distinction that remains his signal achievement.
