Latest from Japan

In May, former Yomiuri Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe was arrested on the spot on suspicion of assaulting his eldest daughter and abruptly resigned as manager. Since then, acting manager Hideki Hashigami has steadied the team, rebuilding it into a genuine pennant contender against the Hanshin Tigers — but now some media outlets have begun reporting that Abe could return to the dugout as early as next season. The Giants have long followed an unwritten rule that only a homegrown ace pitcher or cleanup hitter can become manager, meaning that even with Hashigami delivering results, his promotion to full-time manager is considered unlikely. On 5ch, reports of players’ “we don’t want him back” reaction to Abe mixed with voices backing Hashigami and frustration at the team’s homegrown-only doctrine itself.

The possibility that former Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe (47) could return to the dugout is now being reported by multiple media outlets. Abe was arrested on the spot at his Tokyo home on May 25, the eve of interleague play, on suspicion of assaulting his eldest daughter, and abruptly resigned as manager. Acting manager Hideki Hashigami (60), who took the helm on emergency short notice, has calmed the team down and put up a strong fight for the pennant against Hanshin — but under the club’s policy of “Giants managers must be pure-blooded,” his chances of being promoted to full manager next season are seen as slim. Talk of “former manager Abe’s return” is circulating within the team itself, and it has drawn pushback from some players. What decision will the front office ultimately make?

Attended a rally to rouse team spirit

〈”Is the report of former Giants manager Abe’s ‘September return’ true?” — even within the Yomiuri Group there is some sympathy for him, but what’s the sticking point?〉(Nikkan Gendai, September 1 issue), 〈The reality of the Giants’ succession plans: hoped-for return or comeback rumor? What kind of manager can be trusted with the young talent that has grown under the acting regime〉(Full-Count, September 7), 〈”Why not bring Abe (Shinnosuke) back as manager?” — a Giants legend issues an urgent proposal on next season’s managerial appointment〉(RONSPO, September 8)

Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

2AnonymousSep 12, 2026 21:26

7AnonymousSep 12, 2026 21:28

Now that he's got his anger management sorted,
'saintly' Abe makes his return (sarcastic — 仏 means Buddha-like/serene)

*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Former Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe’s ‘return next season’ rumor draws real reactions from the Giants roster: ‘We don’t want him back,’ ‘It’s crazy that Hashigami isn’t getting promoted’ [Ailuropoda melanoleuca★]“.

On 5ch’s News VIP board, a casual live-commentary thread sprang up for the Japan vs. Taiwan game at the U18 Baseball Asia Cup. Posters shared links to a virtual live-score site and rambled on about pitching changes, the cheering squads, and other bits of the game as it unfolded, with early posts also drifting into worries about the Hanshin Tigers’ pennant race standings. The topic that drew the biggest reaction was the news that a pitcher who had been throwing well would be barred from taking the mound the next day because of his pitch count — a tournament rule quite different from what Japanese high school baseball fans are used to, prompting comments like, ‘Even the High School Baseball Federation would be shocked by a rule like this.’

※This article is compiled as excerpts and a summary from the 5ch (News Speed VIP) thread “Monster Koshien: U18 Asia Cup — Japan vs. Taiwan”.