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The story
On October 1, 2026, a 5ch thread about the Yomiuri Giants–Hanshin Tigers game blew up. With Hanshin’s magic number lighting up at “2,” a posted image was taken as confirmation that the Giants’ hopes of a comeback pennant were effectively dead. Fans piled on with questions about the decision to keep Kobayashi behind the plate the whole game without ever sending in a pinch hitter, along with frustration over the young position players’ lack of pop at the plate. At the same time, some praised the team’s effort this season, with comments like “I figured we’d finish in the bottom half before the season even started, but now I’m a little excited for next year” — making for a thread where disappointment and hope for next season mixed together.
What people said
Acting Giants Manager Thread #159
If we can't lock down the 3-4-5 spots in the lineup next year, we're never gonna be any good.
If that's the plan, send in Kai instead and keep Kobayashi in reserve.
What's the point of even carrying a backup catcher?
Somebody throw a raw egg at him.
Is the real out machine gonna come over to NPB next year?
Guess he got stuck sitting through a game like that.
though yeah, even if they had, it probably still ends in a tie.
Probably because if anything happened to Basama, there'd be no pitcher left who could take the mound.
Guy probably doesn't even understand the situation.
Because he got the honor of being Yomiuri HQ's No. 1 draft pick.
Aoyagi went through a phase like that too —
kept airmailing throws to first
on comebacker plays.
The distance's so short it messes with his arm.
That walk-off loss at Mazda Stadium killed the whole comeback-title mood.
To be fair, if it had actually been Oshima himself, he wouldn't have gone to third.
Before the season started I figured they'd finish in the bottom half.
Looking forward to next year a little now.
Well, it's a new manager, so the front office will probably reinforce the roster quite a bit.
Otherwise they wouldn't be cutting 9 developmental players.
And Reyes, Yoshida, and Seiya too.
With the Hanshin–Giants game ending in a tie, Hanshin's magic number drops to 2!!!
The earliest possible clinch date is now Saturday the 3rd; clinching on a travel day is no longer possible.
If Hanshin goes .500 (3-2) over their remaining games…
🐰 The Giants cannot win the pennant
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HTjMlHCaQAApJw9.jpg
Yano at least seems like he's shown some remorse, so he'd be fine, but Kozono's a hard no.
What our team needs right now is hitting power, full stop.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/debfc9358919304ff1b899bcfc64b414db534d29
"Kozono won the batting title and led the league in on-base percentage in 2025 — a genuine 'batting double crown.' He was also picked for Japan's WBC roster this year, so his talent is the real deal. Given this incident, teams may find it awkward to openly pursue him, but among fans, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Yomiuri Giants are being named as the two 'forgiving' clubs when it comes to taking on players with past scandals."
Please, Lord Kozono, do come join our team.
He's leaving a lot of pitches up and his breaking balls keep missing the zone, no wonder it's rough.
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
The Giants-Tigers game that day ended in a tie, pushing Hanshin’s magic number down to 2 and putting them firmly in control of the Central League pennant race. The thread’s criticism of the in-game decisions centered on two calls: keeping Kobayashi in as catcher for the entire game without using the backup catcher, and not sending in a pinch hitter late in the game. Some pushed back on this, arguing that the team kept a catcher who could also pitch in an emergency in reserve, so it isn’t simply a right-or-wrong issue. The thread also mixes in discussion of Hiroshima’s Kaito Kozono and his contract termination, but that’s drawn from a separate news article and has no direct connection to the outcome of this particular game — an easy point for readers to conflate. The way frustration over the managing decisions coexists with praise for the team’s overall effort within the same thread also captures the complicated mood typical of a pennant race heading into its final stretch.
※This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary from the 5ch (Halpro) thread “Acting Giants Manager Thread #160.”
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