Sources: Daily Sports / Daily Sports / Daily Sports
Current Hanshin Tigers manager Akihiro Yano will be former manager by the end of 2022. The skipper made the announcement to the team at their pre-camp meeting on January 31 in Okinawa. This is how part of the press conference went after that meeting.
How are you feeling?
Yano: I’m excited but nervous. I wonder what kind of season it’s going to be. I’m excited more than anything.
What did you talk to the players about at the meeting?
Yano: The big hole that was left in the bullpen when Robert Suarez left. The team lost a big piece. But for the young players and the pitching staff, a spot has opened up. This is a big chance for someone, including the young pitchers. Even if one person cannot fill the void, maybe two or three can. Maybe the hitters can score an extra run and make things a little easier on the pitchers. If they play good defense, that will also help fill the void. On the whole, we may look weaker on paper, but hopefully by the end of camp, we will be better than ever. I told them that we want this camp to be a time of growth and trying to fill the hole in the lineup. That, and…
(he continued)
One more thing. As far as I’m concerned, I will be stepping down as manager at season’s end. I told the players. But I am not asking anything extra from the players just because I said I am quitting. I want the players to walk a path that will lead them to have no regrets at the end of their playing days… I want them to be better than they were yesterday. And for myself, as I decided to step down, I realized that today’s pep talk at the pre-camp meeting is my last such “today.” And that was the feeling inside of me as I talked to them. Tomorrow, February 1, is one day and it will never come back. And I want to experience the first day of camp with the feeling in mind that next year, I will not be back here at spring training as the team manager. I want to challenge myself. I think this is what is best for the team, for the players, and I’m sorry to say this, but even for myself. And that was what I told the players today, too.
When did you decide this?
Yano: I started thinking about a lot of things back when the front office approached me about staying on for 2022. Of course, I decided after the season ended, but I was thinking about what was best for the team and the players, and kind of made the decision at the end of the season.
How did the players react when you told them?
Yano: I’m not sure, to be honest. I was pretty caught up in myself when I was talking and the players were all wearing masks. I do not know about their facial expressions, but something was swelling up inside of me, that is for sure. But this is the start of our season. But I didn’t make this announcement so that anyone would feel down or start facing backwards. And I’m not saying that the players should work harder just because I’m leaving. I want to lead by example and I want the players to do the same. And I told them to squeeze everything they can out of themselves every single day… Hmmm… I don’t know anything for sure, but I do know that I said what I needed to say.
As for player reactions, newly appointed team captain Seishiro Sakamoto had this to say: “The biggest thing is that I am surprised. But the manager surely had a good reason for announcing this when he did. Our jobs do not change. We still have to play baseball and we will just leave everything we have out there on the field.”