A Former Ace Has Second Thoughts as the Giants Face Upheaval—Top OB Names the Next Managerial Favorite

An unprecedented arrest

“People are saying AI was at fault or that the police acted too hastily, but if you grab your own daughter and throw her to the ground, that’s crossing the line. If he sincerely reflects on what happened and lives responsibly from here on out, the Giants will surely give him another chance someday. Even I returned after causing an assault incident while serving as a coach. I believe Shinnosuke will one day once again become a man who carries the Giants on his shoulders.”

— Former Giants player Dave Okubo

It was an arrest unlike anything the team had experienced before.

Former Yomiuri Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe (47) was arrested in the act by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police on May 25 on suspicion of assault, and the following day, May 26, he offered his resignation to the club.

According to reports, on the night of May 25, at his home in Shibuya, Tokyo, Abe intervened in a fight between his two daughters, aged 18 and 15. During the altercation, he allegedly grabbed his eldest daughter by the collar and shoved her.

After being released at around 12:20 a.m. on May 26, Abe left Shibuya Police Station in what was believed to be a chauffeured car arranged by the Giants organization.

Later that morning, he held a press conference at the team’s offices inside the Yomiuri Shimbun Building in Otemachi, Tokyo, where he tearfully apologized.

“I have tarnished the name of the Giants, a team with such a proud tradition.”

“Because of a family matter, I have caused tremendous concern and inconvenience to baseball fans, everyone involved in professional baseball, and the company.”

A person connected to the Giants commented:

“He probably never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would actually be arrested.”

According to the source:

“After his arrest, Mr. Abe personally contacted several companies with which he has close relationships, explained what had happened, and apologized, saying, ‘I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused.’

These companies have been associated with him since his playing days and have very deep ties with him. It was likely an expression of his sense of responsibility as a leader.

However, since he’ll probably have to stay away from baseball-related work for some time, some people have coldly speculated that he may also have been laying the groundwork for a second career.”

It is said that Abe personally informed team owner Juichi Yamaguchi (69) of his intention to resign.

While some have argued that, given the circumstances, the organization could have tried to persuade him to stay, sources say the Giants had likely already decided to dismiss him before he offered to step down.

“There have been arrests involving active players and team personnel in the past. In those cases, the club’s parent company, being a media organization, was able to manage the situation in its own way.

This time, however, the head office reportedly made it clear that ‘this cannot be defended,’ and Owner Yamaguchi consequently decided on dismissal.

Presenting it as ‘Manager Abe’s own decision to resign’ may have been the organization’s final gesture of consideration toward someone who had contributed so much to the team.”

A falling-out comes back to haunt him

According to a source at a major television network, while monitoring public reaction, Nippon TV has begun preparing to support Abe from next year onward.

“Although public sympathy is relatively strong, it would be difficult to feature him on television this year. However, many executives in Nippon TV’s sports division have a close relationship with Abe and are saying, ‘Now is the time to repay him.’ Nothing has been finalized, but the plan appears to be to let Abe take the rest of the year off and gradually offer him sports commentary roles around the start of next season.”

A Giants staff member said that at this point, owner Toshikazu Yamaguchi is not considering bringing Manager Abe back, and continued:

“Now that the organization has decided to finish this season under acting manager Hideki Hashigami (60), the club’s priority is finding a manager for next season and beyond. The names being mentioned are Yoshinobu Takahashi (51) and special adviser Tatsunori Hara (67). However, Takahashi became manager immediately after retiring as a player, and many former Giants members say, ‘It would be unfair unless the team is in a position to win first.’ As for the long-desired Hideki Matsui (51), the club hopes he will take over as manager when the new stadium opens around 2030.”

Some media outlets have also reported a plan similar to Takahashi’s case: having Hayato Sakamoto (37) become manager immediately after retirement.

Within the Giants organization, there is an unwritten rule that the manager should be either a homegrown ace pitcher or cleanup hitter. If that tradition continues, Masumi Kuwata (58), who managed the farm team through last season, would naturally be considered a candidate.

However,

“Last year, Kuwata disagreed with then-manager Abe’s player management philosophy. Abe exercised strong leadership—for better or worse—and the club offered Kuwata a front-office position. But Kuwata, who found his purpose on the field, declined and made a surprise departure. He is currently serving as CBO of Oisix Niigata Albirex BC and manager of Japan’s U-12 national team, but he still has lingering feelings about returning to the Giants dugout.

Had he remained with the club this year, there’s a very good chance he would have served as interim manager and become the leading candidate for next season’s managerial position. But because he left after what was effectively a bitter split, it’s difficult to imagine him being appointed manager so soon. Ironically, the decision he made out of devotion to working on the field may have pushed the managerial job further out of reach. He’s reportedly told close friends, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have left the Giants after all.'”

(A different club staff member from the previous source.)

Dave Okubo, who is familiar with the Giants’ internal dynamics and knows the leading candidates personally, was asked whom he would recommend.

“The only person capable of uniting the team amid this chaos is Hara. He has the experience and the managerial ability. I met him recently, and he looked to be in excellent health, so I don’t think stamina is an issue. Let Hara take over as manager while bringing in younger future managerial candidates like Yoshinobu as coaches. If Yoshinobu eventually becomes manager, he could even bring Abe back as battery coach. I think Hara would initially decline the offer, but if the club seriously persuades him, he’d accept. That’s the kind of person he is.”

The question now is whether the Giants can turn the shocking resignation of their manager into the catalyst for a revival. The true strength of Japanese baseball’s flagship franchise is being put to the test.

From the June 19, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”