In the professional baseball calendar, autumn, not spring, is the season for farewells and encounters. For players, there are retirements and notifications that they are no longer active, while new players are nominated for professional baseball at draft meetings. This is also the time when managers and coaches retire or are appointed, and the shape of the team changes significantly. This time, only two teams in the Central League and three teams in the Pacific League have had manager changes announced.
What surprised me most was the change in director Toshiaki Imae from Rakuten. Although Rakuten finished in 4th place this season, there were signs that the team was heading in the right direction, and I felt that they were playing baseball that would lead to the future. Until last season, the team had to rely on veterans in terms of strength, but young pitchers have become pillars and the batting lineup has become connected to some extent. That was probably a big part of what Director Imae was able to do.
It’s very sad to see a change in manager after just one year, and I wonder if there’s a need to change the way things are going in the right direction. Of course, there may be team circumstances that are unknown to outsiders, so I don’t want to go out of my way to say that, but it made me realize that it’s a harsh world.
I was also surprised by the resignation of Orix manager Satoshi Nakajima, who had won three consecutive Pacific League titles until last year. We finished in 5th place this season, but there were unfortunate circumstances in which we had a number of injuries, and it’s really unfortunate that I had to quit based on just the results of this past year. However, according to reports, at the final press conference, he explained why, saying, “When something is missing, when starting something new, a new person should start it.” I felt that this was a decision that was typical of Nakajima. .
I made the decision that I could continue to work as a coach and make the team better, but there were some things I couldn’t do because I was the only one. I think a coach’s job is always to objectively assess the team, but I’m impressed that Mr. Nakajima takes a broader view and thinks about the team, including himself. In that sense, the decision was truly made with the future of the team in mind.
