Our reluctant hero. Second year High School student at Kohnan High School. Since his name is the same as a famous ballplayer, they gave him the third base postion. He likes to play baseball, practising 1,000 swings a day, but still is not a very good player at the beginning, with a 50 at-bat no hit slump. Tends to hit a lot of foul balls.

He improves greatly after receving "The Bat of God", which he powers by placing money in his back pants pocket before coming up to bat. The money vanishes after getting a hit. The more money put in his pocket, the more powerful the swing. He does an impressive amount of property damage during his homeruns. (Clocks, flagpoles, etc.)

To pay for the bat and to get to Koushien, he takes up a part-time job at the Kagetora Coffee Shop.

In 'Demon at Koushien', he still hits a lot of foul balls. They just fly farther now.

Named after 'Nagashima "Mr. Baseball" Shigeo'.

Our main rival. Second year High School student at Ohgane High, in Osaka. When we first meet him, he believes he can carry his team to winning Koushein through his power alone. In 'Demon at Koushien', he has since started playing as a team player, cheering up and leading his teammates.

He received the 'Glove of God' from the same old man who gave Nagashima the bat. Praised for his 'Cannonball Arm' pitching, he has an incredibly powerful fastball.

He pays for the glove through a credit card he carries in his back pocket. He is the wealthy son of the Inao Finanical Corperation, so his spending limit is very high.

Named after the Nishitetsu Lions pitcher 'Inao "Iron Man" Kazuhisa'

The old man who told Nagashima about the 'Bat of God', Babe Ruth's old bat, which is later given to Nagashima in front of the Nazono Sports Shop by Sawamura Eiji, wearing a Giant's uniform with the number 14 on the back.

He also gave Inao 'The Glove of God', Sawamura Eiji old glove. Sawamura struck out Babe Ruth when he visted Japan in 1934.

Everytime one either Inao or Nagashima use their bat or glove, the money from their back pockets appears in a large glass jar he carries around. He watches their game at Koushien with much glee.

Seen at the end of the book giving a soccer ball to a small boy with a bandage on his nose.

Yukata's father, a major Hanshin Tiger's fan. He runs the Kage Tora, a coffeeshop decorated with Hanshin Tiger's memorablia. He pays Nagashima 800 yen an hour to work as a bus boy.

He doesn't appear to like Nagashima much, grumbles about him at games, but shows up to watch him play.

First Basemen for the Kohnen Baseball Team, he's a senior. He wears #5 on his jersey instead of #3, giving Nagashima the #3 jersey.

He's the team's power hitter, known for hitting the ball so hard that it flies until it hits the moon. He gets a little jealous when Nagashima starts hitting farther than him, going so far as to try the bat, but the two remain friends.

A very large, cheerful, loud character, he sets the mood for the rest of the team.