Late translator Ushigome served with pride, distinction during long career

The Baseball Bullet-In this week would like to remember Tadahiro Ushigome, long-time baseball personality who died in Tokyo last month of a blood disorder at age 79. Although the date of his death was April 9, it was not announced until May 4.

"Tad" or "Ushi," as he liked to be called, worked for the Taiyo Whales, beginning in 1964. He stayed with the team after it became the Yokohama BayStars, serving a total of 37 years with the organization. He began his career in baseball as an interpreter and later advanced into the team's front office as a scout and executive. He was well known and respected in baseball circles in Japan as well as internationally.

I met him in 1976 at Kawasaki Stadium, that bandbox of a ballpark that was home to the Taiyo club at the time.