Baseball: Ohtani mentor Kuriyama to become new Japan manager

Former Nippon Ham Fighters skipper Hideki Kuriyama, the one-time mentor of American League MVP Shohei Ohtani, will be the new manager of the Japan national team, sources close to the matter said Tuesday. Kuriyama’s appointment was reportedly approved during a Samurai Japan committee meeting after he was tapped to succeed Atsunori Inaba, who stepped down in September following the team’s gold medal-winning performance at the Tokyo Olympics. Japan’s next major tournament will be the fifth World Baseball Classic, scheduled to take place in 2023. Kuriyama will be tasked with steering the two-time …

もっと読む