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The story
Regarding the search for the Chunichi Dragons’ next manager, former Hanshin Tigers manager and Dragons alum Yano Akihiro shared his personal take on a TV program. The show floated names including team alumni Ibata Hirokazu and Araki Masahiro, as well as outsiders Kuwata Masumi and Kudo Kimiyasu, and among them Yano named Kudo as the favorite, saying “someone with experience is probably the right fit.” In the thread, opinions split between skepticism over whether a proven outsider would really take on a long-struggling team, and speculation that Yano himself might secretly be the real candidate.
Dragons alum and former Hanshin Tigers manager Yano Akihiro (57) appeared on Nagoya TV’s “Dodesuka!” (weekdays, 6 a.m.) on the 6th. Asked about the closely watched race for the Dragons’ next manager, he named his top pick outright.
The show listed team alumni Ibata Hirokazu and Araki Masahiro, plus outside candidates Kuwata Masumi and Kudo Kimiyasu.
Asked who his “top pick” was, Yano began, “Given the Dragons’ current situation, I think someone with experience might be the right fit.”
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
That's not a hopeful prediction, that's a confession.
"actually, it's me"?
No way he'd ever do that, idiot, moron.
let him lock down a GM role after his managing days too.
They went out of their way to bring in Shima this season — a guy from Gifu with zero ties to Chunichi — and made him head coach.
This team sends love calls to local natives even when they're outsiders.
Don't worry.
No matter who becomes manager, the last-place battle isn't changing.
Exactly this.
Can't see Kudo pulling chestnuts out of the fire for this team.
He's never even played pro ball there, either.
His only connection is high school, so I doubt that alone brings him in.
Was Yoda-san a legendary manager?
Back then there was probably still some leftover legacy from the Ochiai era, though I'm not totally sure.
The fewer games during COVID had some effect, but among post-Ochiai managers he's actually one of the better performers results-wise.
I don't think he's even interested in this team.
Kudo flat-out said even as an active player that he had no attachment to Nagoya — the guy's just got zero hometown love lol.
He started his pro career with Chunichi, after all,
and he's been on Nagoya TV shows too.
Yoda's a Hanshin alum too lol.
Most of Hanshin's current core players are guys from Yano's era.
He's not really the type who wins pennants though…
Yano's the one who took a last-place team to the brink of a championship.
With the eye for talent to land guys like Murakami and Nakano,
and winning the lottery draft for Sato Teruaki, I honestly figured Yano would end up as Hanshin's GM.
The Samurai Japan manager role calls for a "motivator" type (like Hara or Kuriyama), but isn't Kudo different from that?
Isn't Kudo more the Ibata type?
Nagoya.
But Chunichi brings in outsiders even less than Hanshin does.
Nagoya Denki (his old high school), huh.
Yoda, Hashigami, Yamaoki…
Technically Hanshin alumni, but all three had long passed their peak by the time they moved to Hanshin — none of them played a single first-team game there.
Totally forgot about Hashigami.
He came over through his connection to Nomura-san, huh.
He never seems to make the candidate list.
Ben-chan?
RC cars aren't just a hobby for him —
the reason he could keep pitching until age 50 is thanks to RC cars.
Kudo's managerial track record is already solid enough that even bombing at Chunichi wouldn't dent it — it's basically a free roll for him.
Well, that was with SoftBank though.
If he fails at Chunichi, people might just say he was winning off roster talent before.
Personally I'd love to see him try it, though.
Don't get that twisted.
Exactly this.
And the alumni network too.
Background and Key Points of This Story
The Dragons have slipped out of the A-class (top half of the standings) in recent years, and the team has gone through repeated manager changes since Yoda Tsuyoshi. Kudo Kimiyasu never played for Chunichi during his playing career, but he has a track record of winning the Japan Series multiple times as SoftBank’s manager — so the dominant reaction in the thread was skepticism along the lines of “his experience and résumé are beyond question, but there’s no obvious upside in deliberately taking on a struggling team.” At the same time, Yano himself has experience rebuilding a last-place Hanshin team, and some in the thread speculated that “the real favorite might actually be Yano.” Worth noting: this is purely a TV guest’s personal opinion and the thread’s speculation, not an official team announcement or a statement of intent from either man — as of now, nothing has actually been decided about Kudo’s or Yano’s future.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou Sports Breaking News+) thread “[Baseball] Chunichi alum Yano Akihiro on the Dragons’ next manager: “I think Kudo might be the favorite, personally” — “He’d be the best fit”.”
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