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.

"A sitting manager committed an unprecedented act of being arrested. I am still deeply reflecting on having tarnished my honor."

Shinnosuke Abe (47), former Yomiuri Giants manager, who was arrested as a caught offender on suspicion of domestic violence and caused a major shock across Japan, has for the first time in about three months since stepping down from his managerial post opened up about his feelings.

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

According to the report, the incident occurred on the evening of May 25, a day without any 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," adding, "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 tried to intervene, eventually escalating to the point where he pushed his eldest daughter down.

Less than an hour after the commotion subsided, the intercom at their home rang. Shocked by the first confrontation with her father, the eldest daughter called a child counseling center, and police arrived following a report from the center. In the living room surrounded by family members, officers informed them of the arrest as a caught offender, and handcuffs were immediately placed 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 flashed through Abe's mind: "I must resign." He tried to call 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 questioning, 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.

As he worked to contain the situation, the first thing he did was 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 days 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 immediately after his resignation, no fewer than 130,000 fans launched a petition campaign to have him reinstated and delivered it to the club, he apologized again. Finally, Abe said, "It is an undeniable fact that I became someone who betrayed the fans. I continue to hold sincere feelings of apology even now. It was a position I took with the intention of repaying the Yomiuri Giants, where I had served for over 20 years, but I am leaving with a heavy debt in my heart. I don't know when or in what form it will happen, but I will live with the thought that I must repay that kindness someday."

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*This content was translated by AI.