Hoshino says he won't manage WBC national team

Tuesday 09th September, 02:25 PM JST

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Latest 15 of 17 Total Comments Show All

some14some at 02:59 PM JST - 9th September

"Once burned, twice shy" also losing ad contracts. But, he will be making good money as Baseball commentator/expert.
chibaman at 03:11 PM JST - 9th September

He just jumped ship before he was thrown overboard.

Yep. Just like Kitanoumi yesterday. Look you're getting the shove mate, go and tell everybody you're resigning and spare yourself further shame.
pathat at 10:29 PM JST - 9th September

"He just jumped ship before he was thrown overboard."

If the prime minister can do it, then a part-time baseball manager should not be particularly big news.
helloklitty at 11:43 PM JST - 9th September

He doesn't want to have anything to do with a group that has rejected him.
northlondon at 12:48 AM JST - 10th September

Why not play a mixture of first year rookies from the Japanese pro leagues and any High School players who look good enough (Matsuzaka, Darvish and Tanaka were good enough in their senior High School years). Forget the pro Allstars. They are too tired from the regular season and they just want the gold, but want it the easy way. Japan will have nothing to lose and the rookies may be good enough to cause a few shocks. Most of the senior pros earn far too much money to have any desire or fight, as we saw how they folded so easily in the Olympics.
jimmystone at 01:59 AM JST - 10th September

hoshino is a loser and he is overated, he never even won anything when he was a manager...
Blue_Tiger at 07:08 AM JST - 10th September

I agree, northlondon: go with the amateurs, who actualyl play because they love the game and enjoy being on the field, rather than pros who think of it as a part of their job.

Good to see Hoshino not wanting the national team job again.
romulus3 at 01:57 PM JST - 10th September

jimmystone,

hoshino is a loser and he is overated, he never even won anything when he was a manager...

what?
northlondon at 03:29 PM JST - 10th September

hoshino is a loser and he is overated, he never even won anything when he was a manager...

1988: C League Pennant with Chunichi 1999: C League Pennant with Chunichi 2003: C League Pennant with Hanshin 2007: Asian Championship winners with Japan (beating Korea as part of the Olympic qualifiers) Managerial Career: 1744 Games/ 920 Wins/ 791 Losses
hoserfella at 04:37 PM JST - 10th September

northlondon, how many Japan Series-winning teams has he skippered? As for the Asian Championships, well, thats like ManU bragging about winning their derby with Man City. they could win those with 2nd stringers
boobug at 04:58 PM JST - 10th September

"Why not play a mixture of first year rookies from the Japanese pro leagues and any High School players who look good enough"

Because wants to win this ! Unfortunately the talent pool from Japan has been just about drained. Ichiro is slowing down, the Matsuis have the injury bug, and MLB players have figured out Matsuzaka. You saw that mess Japan fielded for the Olympics, and thats about their best. Time to face some cold hard truths, the influence of soccer in Japan is starting to have an impact on it's baseball leagues. Japan must admit that it has probably lost dozens of possible JPB payers to soccer. i don't expect this trend, weak Japanese baseball teams, to change any time soon.
northlondon at 06:43 PM JST - 10th September

horse,

I'm not saying that Hoshino was a great manager, but like rom just responding to someone who said that he had won nothing at all. As for the Asian Championships, well, Korea went on to win Olympic gold undefeated.

the influence of soccer in Japan is starting to have an impact on it's baseball leagues. Japan must admit that it has probably lost dozens of possible JPB payers to soccer. i don't expect this trend, weak Japanese baseball teams, to change any time soon.

I'll have to disagree with that one. Apart from Nakamura Shunsuke and Tanaka Marcos (who happens to be half Brazilian), Japan have not replaced the likes of Kazu, Nakata Hide (they never will replace Hide) or their 2002 World Cup side which was half decent. However, Japan continues to, and will continue to, produce very decent baseball players from their High School championships every year (recently Darvish/ Tanaka/ Saito/ Nakata). Japanese little league and high school baseball is strong and will continue to produce really good players who will go on to become Japanese pros and some will earn Major League spots.
romulus3 at 07:15 PM JST - 10th September

northlondon,

who do you think will get the job?
northlondon at 11:55 AM JST - 11th September

I hope it will be Ochiai. However I am scared that the establishment will choose Hara.
isthistheend at 10:25 PM JST - 12th September

He had a fiery spirit to fight. That's what they wanted. They thought that would take the day. Unfortunately, they have to play the games to find out. "Nothing but Gold will do" he boasted before the games. They didn't even win bronze, correct? I saw the Korean homerun that beat Japan as it happened on TV. It was just after Hoshino went out to the mound to tallk to the pitcher. He probably said something like, "don't throw that guy a fast ball down and away." which is exactly what the pitcher threw on the next pitch. The exact same story is said to have happened to Tommy LaSorda, the legendary manager of the LA Dodgers, so it happens to the best of them. Anyways, Hoshino had his chances. He was faulted for his player selection, among other things. Maybe they just got beat by better teams on the days they competed.