<figure id="attachment_454804" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-454804" style="width: 2770px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="d0d60b16"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/01/26d189380bcc5c20a85e8000fbfc0eb1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-454804" class="wp-caption-text">Manager Abe hitting a tee shot</figcaption></figure>
<h2> He appears with a batting glove.</h2>
 Shinnosuke Abe, 46, the Giants manager in his third season in charge and under strict orders from the team to win the championship, was a lonely sight at his &#8220;place of relaxation.
 Last season, the Giants finished third in the league and were eliminated early in the CS. At a fan appreciation event, I was yelled at to &#8216;Quit Abe! In October of last year, Kazuma Okamoto, 29, an infielder who had long held the No. 4 position, announced that he would challenge for a major league contract through the posting system. The outlook for the next season is not at all bright, despite the FA reinforcements. &#8230;&#8230;
 Perhaps due to a combination of hardships, Abe&#8217;s expression has become more grim since he took over as manager.
 However, he is only worried during the season and during the games. Off-season, he often shows a softer face and is back to his usual &#8220;big brother&#8221; self. However, for young players who have just joined the team and for those behind the scenes who do not have much contact with him, the impression that &#8220;Mr. Abe is intimidating&#8221; has not changed. The &#8220;golf competition incident&#8221; symbolizes this. &#8230;&#8230;
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 What exactly is the &#8220;golf competition incident&#8221;? Another source close to the baseball team spoke in a hushed voice.
 Another source close to the Giants held a year-end party in Atami every year after the season ended. As an annual event, a golf competition is held. However, the manager was in a great hurry because he could not decide on a pair to play with Manager Abe. Normally, it is customary to play in foursomes with the leaders, backstage staff, and players who know each other well, but a number of people complained, saying, &#8216;Please don&#8217;t play with the director alone.
 After much deliberation, the manager selected Taishi Ota (35), the second team hitting coach, and Hiroki Sanada (41), the scorer, to accompany Manager Abe.
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 I wanted one more player who could be a mood-maker. That&#8217;s when we turned to infielder Richard Sunagawa (26), known for his fast-paced personality, for the white feather.
 Richard appeared in the first hole with a baseball hitting glove on his left hand! （The press who came to cover the event burst into laughter. Director Abe is very fond of Richard, and Richard is not at all concerned about the behind-the-scenes details of the golf competition, so it was a perfect match.
 The golf tournament ended in a friendly mood from start to finish. That was a fine play by Richard. He was the savior of the team, responding well to the manager&#8217;s arrangement,&#8221; said a member of the baseball team who participated in the golf competition.
 Richard, who has blown away the worries of those around him with a golf ball, may be the key man in Abe&#8217;s bid to regain the Giants&#8217; title.

 Kyodo News

 Shinnosuke Abe, 46, the Giants manager who is under strict orders from the team to win the championship in his third season in charge, was a lonely sight at his "place of relaxation.

Richard the Messiah&#8221; at the Giants&#8217; last round of golf, &#8220;No one wanted to team up with Manager Abe&#8230;&#8221; Unexpectedly, &#8220;Richard the Messiah&#8221; in a loneliness crisis.

Richard the Messiah” at the Giants’ last round of golf, “No one wanted to team up with Manager Abe…” Unexpectedly, “Richard the Messiah” in a loneliness crisis.

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