阿部神話も崩壊! 原巨人が交流戦に入ってから大失速の理由

26日のオリックス戦では、原監督がエラーのあと3球三振を喫した主砲・村田修一を1回で交代させるなど荒療治を行なったものの、その効果も結びつかず、引き分け。次戦のソフトバンク戦から、村田は即スタメンに復帰したものの、2試合で8打数1安打と打てず。28日には、阿部慎之助が東京ドームで本塁打を打てば負けないという不敗神話も37連勝でストップした。
雲行きが怪しくなっている。この原因をあるスポーツライターはこう読む。
「シーズン中なのに、松井秀喜さんが次期監督になるという報道が頻繁に行なわれたことと無関係ではないでしょう。概して新監督の話が出ると、チームは低迷します。出ている選手にとっては、『今の監督が辞めたら俺はどうなるんだ?』と不安になりますし、選手以上に来年が保障されず、監督次第でコロコロ代わるコーチ陣は特に浮き足立ちますよ。
古くは94年、巨人対西武の日本シリーズ第6戦前に「西武・森監督、退任」のニュースが流れ、西武が敗れた。03年の阪神は日本シリーズ直前に、週刊誌に『星野監督、今季限り』とスクープされ、ダイエーに3勝4敗で敗れ、実際に星野監督は退任しました。記憶に新しいところでは一昨年のシーズン終盤、日本ハムが梨田監督の退任を発表すると急失速。シーズン中に次期監督の話が出ることは、チームの下降をもたらす傾向があります」
たしかに、松井秀喜氏の監督就任が現実味を帯び始めた5月5日の国民栄誉賞表彰式までは22勝8敗1分で、巨人は首位を独走。阪神に5.5ゲーム差をつけていた。しかし、それ以降7勝10敗1分と波に乗れず、2位・阪神とのゲーム差は1.5にまで縮まった。
「松井さんが悪いわけでも何でもないですし、むしろ松井さんが一番危惧していたことだと思います。だからこそ、渡邊恒雄氏や安倍首相との会食後、報道陣に聞かれても、監督就任について明言しなかったわけです」(同前)
チームに走った動揺は収まるだろうか。
■関連リンク
巨人の新外国人は「来日1打席目で活躍するか分かる」説
「いいね!」信者のネット民は長嶋茂雄と松井秀喜を見習え!「頑張る私」は見せなくていい
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