'KBO has no manager dismissals...' Japan already sees 2 resignations → 2 more face exit! NPB grows harsher

*This content was translated by AI.

While the Korean KBO League has enjoyed a relatively calm first half without changing its manager, Japan's 'neighboring country' Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is grappling with an unprecedented 'manager massacre' before the season even reaches its midpoint.

The traditional Japanese baseball culture of 'waiting,' which once guaranteed managers their full contract terms and rarely saw mid-season dismissals, is now a thing of the past. With two managers already stepping down, and two more facing dismissal due to poor performance, personal scandals, and team controversies, the Japanese baseball world is enduring an unusually harsh season.

This season's NPB manager massacre is a comprehensive crisis mixing 'unexpected disasters' and 'poor performance.' First, Yomiuri Giants manager Shinosuke Abe was arrested on May 25, just before the Central and Pacific League interleague play, on charges of assaulting his eldest daughter—an unprecedented incident. Although he was not prosecuted on June 15, effectively ending the legal investigation, Manager Abe, whose moral standing as the head of a prestigious club suffered a fatal blow, resigned the day after his arrest on May 26. The Giants are currently competing under interim manager Hideki Hashigami.

Meanwhile, Rakuten Golden Eagles manager Hajime Miki (49), whose team plummeted to last place in the Pacific League, was abruptly placed on 'leave' on June 10 during interleague play. In Japanese baseball, 'leave' is a typical euphemism for dismissal. As of the 18th, Rakuten holds a record of 23 wins, 40 losses, and 1 tie (winning percentage 0.365). The club moved swiftly on the 16th by appointing former Chiba Lotte manager Masato Yoshii (61) as its new manager. Even at a time when clubs would traditionally have given a manager a chance until the season's end, teams are now drawing their knives without hesitation.

With two managers already gone, local attention naturally turns to other managers who may face dismissal next. The first to come under scrutiny is Chunichi Dragons manager Kazuki Inoue, whose team sits in last place in the Central League with a record of 22 wins, 41 losses, and 1 tie (winning percentage 0.349).

Chunichi has recently endured five consecutive losing series, resulting in a win-loss differential of -19. The gap between them and the leading Yomiuri Giants has now widened to 12.5 games. Manager Inoue, who was hired on a two-year contract to rebuild the team for the third consecutive year as the worst-performing club, is now in the final season of his deal, with a playoff berth seemingly out of reach. While local media have speculated about his potential dismissal, he appears to have retained his position following meetings with club executives.

The real crisis lies elsewhere. According to a report by Japanese online media News Post Seven, Hiroshima Toyo Carp manager Takahiro Arai, currently in fifth place in the Central League, faces dismissal not only due to poor performance but also because of the fallout from the 'zombie cigarette scandal' that erupted before the season began.

Hiroshima sits in fifth place in the Central League with a record of 23 wins, 36 losses, and 3 ties (winning percentage 0.390), three games ahead of Chunichi. Before the season opened, a shocking incident occurred when player Ryutaro Hatsuki was arrested and convicted for using etomidate (colloquially known as 'zombie cigarettes'), a prescription drug, violating the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Act.

The situation worsened when Hatsuki recently revealed on his personal broadcast that six players on the team, including himself, had purchased 'zombie cigarettes' from the same individual, freezing the team's atmosphere entirely.

Manager Arai of Hiroshima appears unable to escape serious responsibility not only for poor performance but also for neglecting player management. Even Japanese baseball, which once respected managers' contract terms and dignity, is now wielding the knife of harsh performance-based management and risk control. It remains to be seen whether more managers will fall.

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*This content was translated by AI.