Yakult’s Tetsuto Yamada responds to “new manager Miyamoto’s” plan with a hint of “sudden retirement”: “If it’s Shinya, I’ll quit.

A joke that is not funny

After 85 games this season, Yakult has finally reached 30 wins. Manager Shingo Takatsu (56) has taken responsibility for the team’s slump, and it has become definite that he will step down at the end of the season.

It is said that the team’s front office, including GM Junji Ogawa (67), already has their eyes set on a replacement manager.

Former head coach Shinya Miyamoto, 54, is a strong candidate to be the next first-team manager. A passionate leader and a stalwart defender since his days in the game, Miyamoto is famous for his strict coaching of both hitting and defense. He is a perfect candidate for Yakult, which has been in the doldrums in recent years. If he receives an offer, it is believed that he will consider it very positively.

If Miyamoto, who is known for his spartan approach to coaching, is named manager, next season’s camp will be a lot tougher than the lax camps of the past, but “problems are likely to arise,” according to an alumnus of the team.

However, “There may be a problem,” said an alumnus of the team. “Tetsuto Yamada, 33, an infielder who clashed with Shinya Yamada during his last stint as head coach because of his overly strict coaching, is reportedly telling people that he would rather quit than be crushed by Shinya-san. Of course, this is probably a joke, but he must be that afraid of Mr. Miyamoto. Yamada is the face of the team, so it is not funny to hear him say the word “retire. ……

Yamada is currently under a seven-year contract with the team that runs through 2027, but he has not been able to live up to his estimated 500 million yen salary. He has been suffering from a number of injuries in recent years, and even he feels that his body is deteriorating, so the road to recovery is difficult.

Munetaka Murakami (25), who also fears the harsh coaching he has received, is expected to be eligible to move to the major leagues this offseason, as approved by the baseball team. New manager Miyamoto will need to acquire or develop a new starter to fill the hole left by the team’s main gun, while maintaining a good relationship with Yamada, the team’s star. Failure to do so will result in further stagnation.

Nevertheless, in order to evolve into an evergreen team like it once was, it is essential to build a team that does not rely on the presence of stars. It is true that there is a sense of hope that Mr. Miyamoto will raise the level of the young players.

Yakult is in last place due to a string of injuries and departures of its mainstay players. In order to rise to the top, a little conflict may be unavoidable.