Хидэки Шигэно

Шигэхару's best friend since high school. Pitcher for the Yokohama Blue Oceans team. Some time after Shigeharu's death, he married his widow Momoko and became Goro's stepfather. Later, he retired from professional baseball due to his age, but returned as a coach and several years later became one of the coaches for the Japanese national baseball team representing Japan in the World Baseball Championship.