'Samsung-born nurturing expert' Ochiai urgently returns → 3 wins and 11 losses 'great crisis' 日주 Junichi, 1st team call-up to escape the bottom

*This content was translated by AI.

The Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB) Chunichi Dragons called up former Samsung Lions coach Aki Ochiai (56), who was a pitching coordinator in the second division as a "cultivation expert" to overcome the worst slump at the beginning of the season. He has been in the second division since 2025 to foster players, but he urgently came up to the first division due to the plummeting team performance.

Chunichi announced on the NPB's official website on the 13th that it would convert the Ochiai Age second-tier pitching coordinator into a first-tier pitching coordinator and coach. It seems to be a "special measure" at a time when the mound collapsed as it sank to the bottom of the Central League with 3 wins and 11 losses (0.214 winning rate) as of the 13th.

The Chunichi mound is currently in a serious slump this season. The team's ERA soared to 4.29 after losing all games against strong teams such as Hiroshima and Hanshin. It is the highest of the only four points among the six Central League clubs. Starting resources Yuya Yanagi and Yudai Ono are struggling, but bullpen pitchers have not been able to break the three-game losing streak.

The reason why this personnel appointment is overwhelmingly supported by local fans is because of coach Ochiai's proven performance. In the past, he was a pitcher coach and second-tier manager with the KBO League Samsung Lions and made a name for himself as a "jihan faction leader" and led him to a league championship in 14 years by serving as the Chunichi second-tier manager in the 2025 season.

In particular, he received the trust of fans in an interview at the time of his victory with a humble speech saying, "Please believe in the future of the players." The club expects coach Ochiai's ability to analyze precise data and control of the team to be the key key to rebuilding the first-team mound.

Chunichi coach Inoue Kazuki (55) also told Chunichi Sports, "It is not yet the time to cancel any coach. But the team is in a crisis. I asked Ochiai myself," he said, expressing his trust. Junichi will now play two consecutive home games against Hiroshima.

Coach Ochiai has been involved with Samsung since October 2009 ahead of the 2010 season. He mainly served as the first-team pitching coach, and served as the second-team manager of the Samsung Lions in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Major pitchers such as Won Tae-in (26) and Yang Chang-seop (27) who are currently in Samsung were coached by Ochi-I when they were rookies.

Ochiai Age, who has returned from a nurturing expert who laid the foundation for the "Samsung Dynasty" to a "firefighter" who now has to save his former team in crisis. Attention is focusing on whether the Dragons, who are on the brink, can write a reversal drama of the bottom flight with his joining.

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*This content was translated by AI.