There has been a certain amount of pizazz associated with Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters center fielders the last several seasons.

First there was Tsuyoshi Shinjo, who was all perfect white teeth and style. Shinjo was over the top in just about everything he did; accenting his uniform with colorful wristbands and shoes, and sometimes collared undershirts; wearing costumes during warmups; donning a belt with a scrolling LED message on the field during an All-Star game and using wires to descend from the Sapporo Dome ceiling before a game in 2006.

Maybe more amazing than his various exploits is that Shinjo somehow also found the time to be a really good player.