is a Japanese former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Moder ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

. He played in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) from 1987 to 2015 for the Hankyu Braves/Orix Braves/Orix BlueWave,

Seibu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Railway, ...

Yokohama BayStars The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its current ...

, and

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters The are a Japanese professional Baseball in Japan, baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō, in the Sapporo metropolitan area. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the major ...

Career

Nakajima became the manager for the Buffaloes in 2020, replacing

Norifumi Nishimura is a former Nippon Professional Baseball player and current manager. Nishimura spent the entirety of his 16-year playing career with the Chiba Lotte Marines. After retiring, he coached for the team until being named the successor to former Marine ...

, and led the team to two consecutive Pacific League pennants and two Japan Series appearances, before winning in 2022. His efforts to help turn around the Buffaloes from an low-rated team to a Japan Series champion gave him the

Matsutaro Shoriki Award Matsutaro Shoriki Award is named in honor of Matsutarō Shōriki, the owner of the Yomiuri Shimbun, whose achievements earned him the label of the real parent of present day Japanese professional baseball. The prize was founded in 1977. It is pr ...

in 2022. However, he stepped down October 6, 2024, he announced he was stepping down as manager after he failed to lead the Buffaloes to a 4th straight pennant and a 5th place finish.

Awards

Best Nine Award The Best Nine Award is awarded annually to the best player at each position in both the Central League and Pacific League of Japanese professional baseball as determined by a pool of journalists. History While the Best Nine Award was first prese ...

: (1995) * Golden Glove Award: (1989) * Shoriki Award: (2022) *Monthly MVP: (June 1991) *Best Battery Award: 1 time (1995) *Pacific League Association Special Award:(B2021, 2022, 2023)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nakajima, Satoshi 1969 births Baseball people from Akita Prefecture Hankyu Braves players Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters players Japanese baseball players Living people Managers of baseball teams in Japan Nippon Professional Baseball catchers Orix BlueWave players Orix Braves players Orix Buffaloes managers People from Kitaakita Seibu Lions players Yokohama BayStars players