The league’s fastest 10 losses and the bottom of the standings crisis turned around… The Giants’ miraculous comeback to the top of Japan, and “the surprising departure of manager Tatsunori Hara, who is rumored to be leaving the team.

The Giants have improved to the point where they can challenge for the championship.

As of July 11, they are in fourth place with three games in reserve, 4.5 games behind the leader, Hanshin. They are threatening the top half of the standings with their destructive power of 90 home runs, the most in both leagues.

When you consider the team’s situation in April and May, there is a huge difference. As of May 8, we were in danger of finishing in fifth place, a game behind sixth-place Chunichi and in danger of finishing in last place for the first time in 48 years. The core of the batting lineup, such as Hayato Sakamoto and Yoshihiro Maru, was in the doldrums. In the pitching staff, the relay team was unable to protect the lead, and there were many instances of back-to-back losses,” said a baseball team official.

The Giants, who had hit rock bottom, did not come back to life until late May, just prior to the interleague series.

The batting lineup was revitalized, and third-year gunner Masato Akihiro, who was promoted to the first team, broke through. Sho Nakata, whom Akihiro calls his “master,” has also continued to do well. The most significant is the explosion of Kazuma Okamoto, the No. 4 player. He leads the team in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. His performance is reminiscent of last year’s Yakult’s Munetaka Murakami, and a triple crown is no longer a pipe dream.

In the pitching lineup, ace Tomoyuki Sugano has returned to form, and the mainstay of the starting lineup has been solidified with Shoyuki Togo. Although the departure of guardian god Tamotsu is painful, relievers Yuhei Takanashi, Kota Nakagawa, Hiroki Kikuchi, and Beede are all ready to step up to the plate. The team finally has a full strength lineup and is starting to gain momentum.

Humiliating defeat in the Japan Series for the second year in a row

Manager Tatsunori Hara, who has full authority over the team, is also optimistic.

In the early part of the season, he was complaining about the disappointing players, but recently, even after a loss, he often makes positive comments such as, “The pitchers did a good job,” and “They are taking full swings. Naturally, he is aiming for a come-from-behind victory.

What Hara will never forget is that he failed to win a single game against SoftBank in the Japan Series two years in a row, in 1919 and 2008. His long-cherished wish is to get revenge against the Pacific League champion team. They must have a strong desire to make up for the loss and become the number one team in Japan.

Hara’s team was in a slump right after the season opener, and there were rumors that he might resign in the middle of his three-year contract if they were in the “B” class again as they were last year. If the team can pull off a miraculous comeback and win the championship, his position as the all-powerful manager will be secure. However, …….

I think it’s possible that he will retire after all is said and done. Hara is a man who thinks about the aesthetics of retirement. If he fulfills his major role of leading the team to the No. 1 position in Japan, there is a possibility that he will voluntarily step down. Several names have been mentioned for his successor, including Shinnosuke Abe and Yoshinobu Takahashi.

On the other hand, if the team is in the B class, I think he will continue as manager next season, the last year of his tenure. Resigning after leaving a stain on the team would not fit Hara’s philosophy. I think it is Hara’s idea to leave with results.

This will be Hara’s 17th year at the helm of the Giants. It would not be surprising if the famous general, who has left his mark on the history of the Giants, is conscious of his “time to leave.