Chunichi Manager Tatsunami: “The atmosphere on the bench is tense at the bottom of the standings” and rumored to be “the next candidate

Tatsunami said, “I don’t know what to make of the fact that it’s a day game. We have to win. ……”

That’s what Kazuyoshi Tachinami, 54, the manager of Chunichi, told the press after the 1-3 loss to Hiroshima at Mazda Stadium on September 2 with a stern expression on his face. No wonder Tatsunami’s brow furrowed. The visitors were now 0-13-1 in day games. (The next game against Hiroshima on March 3 finally put an end to the losing streak.)

The team’s record was not only in the area of day games in hostile territory; as of September 4, they were 25 games in debt, close to the team record of 31, and a second straight year in last place would be a disgrace for the first time in their history. At the losing games, even the visitors were yelled at by the fans, “Quit Tachinami! even in the losing games,” a team official said.

Demoted to the farm in the middle of a game

The atmosphere on the bench is said to be tense because of the lack of results.

When he took over as manager two years ago in the fall, I warned him that I would remove any player who played with a goofy grin on his face. Last season, Yota Kyota, who made an error in a key spot, was not only demoted to the farm during a game, but was released to DeNA in the off-season.

It is not only the players who are subjected to harsh measures. Norihiro Nakamura, the hitting coach of the first team, was suddenly reassigned to the second team in May of last year. It is rumored that a difference in coaching policy between him and manager Tatsunami was a factor. Recently, the August 31 issue of “Shukan Bunshun” (weekly magazine) reported that a feud has been brewing between Tatsunami and Atsushi Kataoka, a former classmate of Tatsunami’s at PL Gakuen and a close ally of Tatsunami’s. Tatsunami’s attitude toward Tatsunami is feared and necessary. Fearing Tatsunami’s attitude, few people talk to him about anything other than the bare minimum.

Tatsunami is said to have signed a multi-year contract for three years or more. Tatsunami is said to have signed a multi-year contract for at least the next season, but with the team showing no signs of improvement, fans are already calling for the “next manager. What is the most promising candidate for the right wing?

Hirokazu Ibata (48), who led Chunichi as a great manager from the late 1990s to the 1998s. He also played for the Giants in his later years and trained Kazuma Okamoto and others as an infield defense and base coach. His mild-mannered yet earnest personality makes him an instantly recognizable member of any team.

He is a commentator for Chunichi Sports and local Tokai TV, and has a deep connection with the Dragons. Unlike manager Tatsunami, who is known as “Mr. Dragons” and has a glamorous career, he is a hard worker who entered the team as the fifth overall pick in the draft and won a regular spot as a substitute runner and defensive back-up. There are growing expectations that he can be a coach who is attuned to the feelings of the players.

The Tatsunami Dragons have a tough attitude, but the team is unable to come together as one. The stress of the Chunichi fans is growing by the day.