A unprecedented crisis in Japanese baseball! A current manager arrested as a caught offender, late repentance: "Even bought anger management books → Quit drinking"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"A sitting manager was arrested in an unprecedented incident. I deeply regret even now that I tarnished our honor."

Shinnosuke Abe (47), former Yomiuri Giants manager, who was arrested on the spot for domestic violence allegations and sent shockwaves across Japan, has spoken out about his feelings for the first time in nearly three months since stepping down from his managerial duties.

In an exclusive interview published on the 7th by Japanese baseball specialty media 'Full Count', former Manager Abe revealed the full details of the incident on that day and his decision to quit drinking after losing everything.

According to the report, the incident occurred on the evening of May 25, a day without games. It was an ordinary holiday morning when he was trying to finish eating early ahead of the next day's schedule. An argument started between his two daughters at the dining table, and former Manager Abe stepped in to mediate.

He confessed, "I tried to stop my eldest daughter from lashing out at her younger sister, but she seemed displeased and got angry with me. In a moment, I couldn't hold back my sudden anger and grabbed her by the collar to pull her up." A physical struggle ensued as his wife and second daughter hurriedly intervened, eventually escalating to him pushing his eldest daughter down.

Less than an hour after the commotion subsided, the intercom at their home rang. Shocked by her first confrontation with her father, the eldest daughter called a child counseling center. Police arrived after receiving a report from the center. In the living room where the family watched, police officers informed them of the on-the-spot arrest, and handcuffs were placed directly on former Manager Abe's wrists.

At the moment his hands were cuffed in front of his family, it is said that only one thought crossed Abe's mind: "I must resign as manager." He tried calling a club executive just before being taken away but couldn't reach them, so he left a text message saying, "Going to the police. I need to step down as manager." Immediately after being released following late-night interrogation, he went straight to the Yomiuri Giants owner to convey his intention to resign.

Following the arrest, rumors of intoxication and sensational media coverage deeply hurt his family, especially his eldest daughter. Although the Prosecution Service issued a final decision not to prosecute on June 15, by then both his position as manager and his honor had already been lost.

To manage the situation, he first quit drinking. Former Manager Abe said, "When we talked a lot with my eldest daughter and the topic of alcohol came up, she told me, 'You don't have to quit if you don't want to,' but I still promised to completely stop drinking."

Since the inability to control his momentary anger led to the destruction of his career, he is also attempting fundamental changes. He stated, "I must ask myself why such a thing happened," and added, "I have bought books on anger management, read them, sought advice from experts, and am facing my own weaknesses."

Currently, former Manager Abe is staying at home in self-reflection while watching Yomiuri games via broadcast. Whenever he sees the young players he nurtured since his time as a minor league manager performing brilliantly, he bows his head, saying, "I feel deeply sorry that I couldn't be there with them."

While expressing overwhelming gratitude for news that nearly 130,000 fans launched a petition to bring him back and delivered it to the club, he apologized again. Finally, Abe said, "It is an undeniable fact that I have become someone who betrayed the fans. I continue to hold sincere feelings of apology even now. It was a position I accepted with the intention of repaying my debt to Yomiuri, where I had served for over 20 years, but I am leaving with a heavy burden on my heart. I don't know when or in what form it will happen, but I will live thinking that I must repay that debt someday."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original