New Japan manager Yamamoto pressed to win at WBC
TOKYO, Oct. 10 (19:02) Kyodo
Koji Yamamoto admitted he feels a ton of pressure having to lead
two-time defending champion Japan into the World Baseball Classic in
March after he was named its new manager on Wednesday.
The 65-year-old Yamamoto, the former Carp slugger who managed
the team over two different spells from 1989-1993 and 2001-2005, said
he was asked to manage Japan late last month and simply saw no reason
not to take the job.
Japan's first game under Yamamoto will be on Nov. 18, when it
plays Cuba in an exhibition in a rematch of the 2006 WBC final at
Sapporo Dome.
"I feel the weight just like anyone in my position would,"
Yamamoto said, seated in between Nippon Professional Baseball
Commissioner Ryozo Kato and team adviser Sadaharu Oh, who led Japan
to its first title.
"It was an honor and privilege to be asked, and I just had no
reason to turn it down. The way I see it, I won't need to do a whole
lot of coaching because the players I pick will be the best players
in the country."
"My job will be to communicate well with the players and get
everyone on the same page."
World home run king Oh, who had the commissioner's ear as NPB
narrowed down the list of candidates, said Yamamoto is suited for the
job because communication is one of his strengths.
"I think he'll bring out the best in the team," Oh said. "He's
got a bright personality and understands how to work with the
players."
"It's a relatively short competition and we needed someone who
communicates well with the players, someone who can tell them what
the coaching staff wants but also hear out what they have to say."
"That's what Yamamoto is good at. I think he'll be able to bring
the team close in the short amount of time we have."
Kato had wanted an active manager, putting the Softbank Hawks'
Koji Akiyama at the top of the list. Akiyama, however, felt it was
too strenuous to juggle the Japan and Hawks jobs, removing himself
from consideration.
The Yomiuri Giants' Tatsunori Hara, the manager at the 2009 WBC,
was also mentioned but settled on an advisory role alongside Oh for
the March 2-19 tournament.
Kato said he was at peace with Yamamoto's selection.
"It's tough to win the WBC once, let alone win it three times in
a row," the former Japanese ambassador to the United States said. "We
talked to all 12 teams during the process, and Mr. Oh and I feel
fortunate to have landed a manager of Yamamoto's caliber."
"We're in the business of making a good national team an even
better one. It will not be easy to get through three rounds at the
WBC but we owe it to the 20 million-plus baseball fans in the country
to do it."
"I'm very satisfied with who we came up with in the end."
Yamamoto will be joined in the dugout by fellow All-Stars of
Japanese baseball's yesteryears.
Former Seibu Lions skipper Osamu Higashio and former Nippon Ham
Fighters manager Masataka Nashida were named as the two head coaches.
Former Chunichi Dragons fireballer Tsuyoshi Yoda will be the pitching
coach, with another former Dragon, shortstop Kazuyoshi Tatsunami,
looking after the hitting.
Nobuhiro Takashiro, who was head coach for the Orix Buffaloes
this season, and former Carp outfielder Koichi Ogata are the fielding
and base running coaches.
Yamamoto's Japan has been grouped in the first round at Fukuoka
Dome with Cuba, China and a qualifier yet to be decided. The second
round shifts to Tokyo Dome with the finals set to be held at AT&T
Park in San Francisco.
"There were a lot of fans behind Japan for the first two
competitions and I was one of them," said Yamamoto. "It will be tough
to three-peat but we have to do everything we can to win it again."
