“I’m Here to Mix Things Up” — Saburō on Bringing Back Showa-Era Hard Practice to Chiba Lotte
Special Interview
Saburō / Born June 1976 in Okayama Prefecture. At PL Gakuen, he was one year junior to Kazuo Matsui and one year senior to Kosuke Fukudome. Drafted first overall by Chiba Lotte Marines in 1995, he played 22 professional seasons with a .265 batting average, 127 home runs, and 655 RBIs.His motto: “Intense Showa-era practice”
“Quality comes from quantity. Nowadays, people say quality matters more than quantity, but I wanted my players to experience swinging the bat to exhaustion at least once.”
Last season, Lotte finished in last place. The team turned to the newly appointed manager Saburō (49) as a key figure for rebuilding. His motto is intense Showa-era practice.
“There are a few reasons for this. I spent the last two and a half years as second-team manager. Recently, it’s common to let players manage their own training like in Major League Baseball, but many players end up not knowing what to do. When the season starts after light training, injuries happen frequently. So last spring, we increased the intensity of the second-team camp drastically and focused on quantity. As a result, almost no injuries occurred.”
The first team struggled from the start of last season. Saburō was promoted to first-team head coach in June to help turn things around, and after the season, he was appointed manager. He says:
“Sometimes ‘Showa’ is used negatively, but people also say the Showa era was good. It’s easy to understand, and the word ‘Showa’ caught on, which really changed how the players approached training.”
Covering the Showa-style camp revealed it wasn’t just harsh drills. Showa-era intensity and Reiwa-era science are blended skillfully.
“Rest when needed. Sleep is important. I’m not against efficiency. For example, weight training is done in the morning. Previously, training would be done first and weights at the end, but after intense practice, players don’t have the stamina or motivation left. Doing it first thing in the morning is scientifically more effective.”
A top leader shouldn’t fear being disliked. Yet, in the Reiwa era, harshness alone can’t lead young players.
“My ideal manager style is also a blend. I’ve worked under many great managers: Bobby Valentine and Koji Yamamoto at Lotte, Tatsunori Hara with the Giants, and Senichi Hoshino with the Japan national team. I want to inherit the best parts of each.”
This year, Lotte plays gritty baseball, but the Showa-era nostalgia is also comforting. Saburō smiled confidently and gave a preview:
“Last year we finished last. There’s no lower place, so we can take risks. I want to do a few things that might surprise opponents. I’m usually orthodox, but this year, I plan to shake things up.”
Saburō’s baseball is set to stir the Pacific League.
The March 6 issue of “FRIDAY” (on sale February 19) and the paid edition “FRIDAY GOLD” feature stories of Saburō’s respected mentors, specific players he’s watching, and rare photos of him on the field.
For more details and multiple photos, see here ↓
From the March 6, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”
Interview and text by Kotaro Tajiri： Kotaro Tajiri PHOTO： Hiroyuki Komatsu