Former coach Hillman, Vanden Hulk Sands, who appeared as the first pitchman for the Blue and White match, is an invited coach and has a long-lasting good relationship

Feb 16, 2025

Former coach Hillman, Vanden Hulk Sands, who appeared as the first pitchman for the Blue and White match, is an invited coach and has a long-lasting good relationship
Former coach Hillman, who threw the first pitch before the Blue and White match against Nippon Ham on the 15th. He led Nippon Ham to the Japan Series as head coach in 2006. Photo capture = Nippon-Ham Fighters SNS



Former coach Hillman, Vanden Hulk Sands, who appeared as the first pitchman for the Blue and White match, is an invited coach and has a long-lasting good relationship
Former coaches Matt Winters and Trey Hillman, who played as central hitters for Nippon Ham in 1990. Photo capture = Nippon-Ham Fighters SNS
On the 15th, Nago Nippon Ham Fighters Spring Camp in Okinawa. Prior to the Blue and White match, welcome faces appeared to Nippon Ham fans. Two foreigners with prominent white beards threw the first pitch and hit the first pitch. They were former coach Trey Hillman (62) and Matt Winters (65), who was a home run hitter.

However, the ball thrown by former coach Hillman flew behind Winters. An angry Winters ran toward the mound and seemed to be fighting. Of course, it was a performance directed by the two. Fans who watched the two hug near the mound applauded and cheered. It was a kind of fan service prepared by the Nippon Ham club for those who visited the stadium on the weekend.

Former coach Hillman led Nippon Ham to the Japan Series in 2006. In 2003, he took the helm at the age of 40 and led the team for five years. During this period, Nippon Ham coach Tsuyoshi Shinjo also played as a player. Hillman led Nippon Ham to the top of the league for the second consecutive year from 2006 to 2007. He was called by Major League Baseball in recognition of his outstanding leadership. In 2008, he moved to the Kansas City Royals.




Since then, the relationship with Asian baseball has continued again. This is a story that all KBO League fans know. In 2017, he took over as the head coach of the SK Wyverns. The following year, he led SK to the Korean Series championship in 2017. The following year, he left as first base coach for the Miami Marlins.

Winters is considered the strongest foreign hitter in the history of Nippon Ham. He joined Nippon Ham in 1990 and hit more than 30 home runs for four consecutive years. While playing for five seasons, he recorded a career batting average of 267-612 hits, 160 home runs, and 428 RBIs. He retired at the end of the 1994 season.

Former coach Hillman, Vanden Hulk Sands, who appeared as the first pitchman for the Blue and White match, is an invited coach and has a long-lasting good relationship
Sands, who played as the Hanshin center hitter through the Heroes. He worked as a scout for the U.S. and joined Hanshin camp as an invited coach this year. Sports Chosun DB
The two continue their relationship with Nippon-Ham. Hillman returned as a consultant for the Nippon Ham club in 2023. He returned to the Fighters after 16 years. When he was a coach, he wore No. 88. Winters serves as the jumi scout for Nippon Ham.




This year's Japanese professional baseball spring camp shows familiar people to Korean fans. Jerry Sands (38), who played for the Kiwoom Heroes, participated in the Hanshin Tigers and right-hander Rick Vanden-Hulk (40), a former Samsung Lions, as an invited coach at the Softbank Hawks Cam.

Sands coached third baseman Teruaki Sato (26) and others, who had devoted their affection to Hanshin. With Sato, he will become the best hitter in Japan" he complimented. Sands became the RBI king for the Heroes in 2019. The following year, he moved to Hanshin and played for two years. He played in 230 games and posted a batting average of 252-39 home runs and 129 RBIs.

Vanden Hulk contributed to Samsung's victory as a main pitcher from 2013 to 2014. After that, he moved to Softbank and won 43 games in six seasons. SoftBank almost every year
Former coach Hillman, Vanden Hulk Sands, who appeared as the first pitchman for the Blue and White match, is an invited coach and has a long-lasting good relationship
Vanden Hulk won 20 games for Samsung between 2013 and 2014. He played well in the Korean Series for two consecutive years. Reporter Jung Jae-geun
He played as the main pitcher during the winning period. Vanden Hulk joined the first team after going through softbank 2nd and 3rd division camps and joined the foreign players.

Good relationships continue.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.