Former Second Army Manager Masumi Kuwata’s Regret” Stands Out after Former Giants Manager Shinnosuke Abe’s Arrest and Resignation

I want to sweat with the players. ……

Former Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe, 47, was caught red-handed on May 25 for allegedly assaulting his 18-year-old eldest daughter, and announced his resignation on May 26. The team appointed Hideki Hashigami, 60, chief offensive coach, as acting manager, and the team has managed to play the interchange games.

Hashigami is a graduate of Yasuda Gakuen High School, the same school as Abe, and has experience not only as a coach in both the Central and Pacific League, but also as a manager with the Niigata Albirex. He was under the tutelage of the late Katsuya Nomura, who developed a data-based baseball style. He also coached under former manager Tatsunori Hara (67), but later left the team due to incompatibility of policies. Former manager Abe went to great lengths to persuade the team’s front office to bring him back.

Acting manager Hashigami will lead the team until the end of the season, but there is a prominent alumnus who is frustrated by this situation. Former second team manager Masumi Kuwata (58) is said to be frustrated by the situation.

Kuwata returned to the Giants as a leader in the 2021 season at the invitation of Mr. Hara, and served as chief pitching coach and manager of the second team, which won the Eastern League (now Farm League) championship in 2025. His coaching based on awareness and close relationship with young players was well received, but he was asked by the team to join the front office in 2026 because he did not agree with former manager Abe, who showed strong leadership, both good and bad.

Mr. Kuwata found that he would be removed from coaching young players, which had been his raison d’etre, and he left the team in a blitz. Starting this year, he became the CBO (Chief Baseball Officer) of the Niigata Albirex” (see above).

Currently, his main job is to show up at games in Niigata and the Kanto area where his home is located, help with practice, and exchange opinions with the front office on team organization. ……

“He still has some lingering regrets about wanting to continue working as a field manager, and he misses ‘sweating it out with the players,……'” he said. In April this year, he was selected as the manager of the Japanese national team consisting of the under-12 members of Samurai Japan, and will make his first appearance at the tournament scheduled to be held in August, but behind the scenes, he regrets leaving his old job in the middle of his ambition” (baseball team staff).

In the meantime, former manager Abe, whose coaching policies did not fit with the team’s philosophy, unexpectedly lost his job and left the team.

If Mr. Kuwata had remained with the team, there is a great possibility that he would have been named as the acting manager. There was no doubt that he would have been the most promising candidate to be the first team manager next season. However, it is very difficult for Kuwata to be promoted to the next manager of the first team under the circumstances in which he has practically “fallen out” with the baseball team.

Both he and the team leaders have their pride. …… The timing is too bad. I hear that Mr. Kuwata is koboing to his close associates, saying, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have quit (the Giants)…….'”

There must be many fans who would like to see Mr. Kuwata commanding the first team in the traditional Giants uniform.