Kazuki Inoue, the manager of Chunichi, is being “dismissed mid-season”… The team is “hoping” for Motohiro Shima, the head of the team, who is “feeling isolated”?

The ultimate weapon, Ochiai.

Chunichi, which had been in the B class for five consecutive years but was expected to enter the A class due to the new “home run wing” outfield terrace seats to be installed from 2026, is now in an emergency situation, suffering its 10th loss, the fastest in the 12-team field.

The starting pieces are in place, but the relay lineup is just too fragile, and the good things they have done so far have completely disappeared. The team’s home ballpark has become too small for them to swing their arms boldly, and manager Kazuki Inoue (54) has been slow to recognize signs of player illness or injury, giving the strong impression that his leadership has taken a back seat. Behind the bench, I hear discouraged voices saying, ‘He took over in October ’24, and it’s already his third year as manager of the first team, and he still doesn’t have a grasp of the players. ……

A scorer for a rival Central League team said.

The scorer for a rival Central League team said, “There is no consistency in the selection of players, such as relay pitching, defensive stalemate, and so on. Perhaps there is no leadership team that can correct Inoue’s mistakes.

In fact, the decision to use a player is often made by only a few members of the team, including Inoue.

I often see Inoue talking with his hometown coach Nobuhiko Matsunaka (52) and Masaaki Koike (45), but there is a clear lack of communication with the other members of the leadership team. What concerns me most is that head coach Motohiro Shima (41), who moved from Yakult, is not functioning. As the chief strategist, he is supposed to support manager Inoue in everything from organization and tactics to listening to his complaints, regardless of whether the pitcher or fielder is involved, but he has not been able to step in due to his reticence,” said a team staff member.

In contrast to coaches Matsunaka and Koike, who were brought in at the request of manager Inoue, Shima was the team’s initiative in acquiring the head coach.

Inoue had no knowledge of Shima’s arrival until just before he joined the team, and had almost no contact with him. Inoue is concerned that the baseball team may have brought in Shima, who is from Gifu, his hometown, as a candidate for the next manager.

Masahiro Araki, 48, assistant general manager of the team, is also a candidate for the next manager, but he has no intention of leaving the front office, saying, “I want to be involved with the team on a long-term basis. Some of the nine members of the team have begun to appeal to Mr. Shima to prepare for next year. The situation is almost like a “class collapse,” and there are even calls for Inoue’s dismissal mid-season. It is true that there is no one in the current team who has the “arm strength” to make such a decision, but some on the ground are saying, “The team will not change unless we do something like that! The team is now starting to hear the opinion, “If we don’t do that, the team won’t change!

On April 13, the team announced that Eiji Ochiai, 56, pitching coordinator for the second team, would be joining the first team.

Mr. Ochiai was originally scheduled to continue as the second team manager, but he adamantly refused to do so. He was on the verge of leaving the team, but the team insisted on keeping him on, so he agreed to stay on as the team coordinator.

The reason why Mr. Ochiai was “promoted” this time was that Daisuke Yamai (47) and Takuya Asao (41), the pitching coaches, had been unable to manage the pitching rotation as expected, and manager Inoue had been making decisions on his own about how to use the players, which were backfiring one after another.

Mr. Ochiai’s skills are highly regarded, and the baseball team is hoping that he can change that situation. He is also trusted by Manager Inoue. However, Mr. Ochiai is a theoretical person who speaks out of turn, so there is a high risk that he will clash with the other leaders. Normally, Shima should be the mediator, but can he fulfill that role?

Chunichi has already played the “ultimate weapon, Ochiai” card. Will this be the gospel of the team’s revival or a stepping stone to Inoue’s dismissal? ……