A Culture of Silence - When Mental Health Was Taboo
In Japanese professional baseball, showing mental weakness was long considered taboo. Issues were dismissed with phrases like 'lacking fighting spirit' or 'no guts,' and mental health problems were treated as personal weakness. Even when players suffered from depression or panic disorders, teams avoided disclosure, using vague terms like 'poor condition' or 'conditioning adjustment.' This culture of silence made it difficult for players to seek help and exacerbated problems.
Active Player Pressure - Days Driven by Numbers
Professional baseball players are constantly evaluated by statistical numbers. Metrics like batting average, ERA, and home runs directly affect salary, and poor performance immediately leads to demotion or release. This constant pressure seriously affects players' mental states. Players drafted in high rounds particularly often struggle with the gap between surrounding expectations and their actual performance. Testimonies of slumping players becoming unable to sleep, eat, or even face going to the stadium are not uncommon.
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The Chain of Injury and Mental Suffering
Physical injuries deal serious blows to players' mental health. Players forced into long-term absence are tormented by anxiety about returning, fear of losing their position, and guilt about not contributing to the team. Loneliness during rehabilitation is also severe, as spending days training alone while teammates play games is mentally grueling. When injuries recur, despair that 'maybe I'll never be the same' can develop, with some players falling into depression.
Post-Retirement Loss - Identity Collapse
The average retirement age for NPB players is around 29, with many beginning second careers in their early 30s. However, for players who have lived solely for baseball since their teens, retirement means not just the end of a career but the collapse of identity. Unable to answer 'who am I without being a baseball player,' many former players develop depression after retirement. Kazuhiro Kiyohara's drug addiction is said to have been rooted in post-retirement loss. The image of former players losing social connections and becoming isolated represents a serious problem behind professional baseball's glamorous facade.
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Current Support Systems and Challenges
In recent years, NPB has been developing mental health support infrastructure. Counseling services in cooperation with the players' union, placement of sports psychologists at teams, and pre-retirement career counseling have been implemented. However, support systems are still insufficient. Stigma around receiving counseling remains strong, and many players hesitate to seek help for fear of being seen as 'weak.' In MLB, mental health professionals are stationed at all teams, creating environments where players can easily consult. NPB needs to build similar systems and urgently cultivate a culture that views mental health issues not as 'weakness' but as 'health concerns requiring care.'