The former owner of the Yomiuri Giants, died on Thursday at the age of 98, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun said, proving to me he was not actually a vampire doomed to curse us for eternity.

Joking aside, Watanabe, nicknamed “Nabetsune” was a monumental figure, who because of his quick wit, charisma, and his inability stay away from controversy, made him a constant source of memorable quotes in Japan’s sports dailies. Within the newspaper, he was feared, and people avoided taking chances that might earn his rath, which as a newspaperman at heart, also infuriated him.

Although he didn’t officially become “owner” of the ball club until 1996, Watanabe was by then firmly established as Nippon Professional Baseball’s biggest decision maker.

When pro football in the form of the J-League burst on the scene in 1992 and opened league play in 1993, Watanabe tried to force the league to adopt NPB’s business model. When that failed and when he was unable to get the city of Kawasaki to build his football team, Verdy, an 80,000-seat stadium, Watanabe lost interest.