A former ace who quipped, “Maybe I shouldn’t have quit…” The Giants are in a state of shock! A leading alumnus reveals the name of a “candidate” for the next manager.

Unprecedented Arrests

Mr. Abe was arrested for grabbing his own daughter and throwing her to the ground. If you reflect on what happened this time and lead your life with sincerity, the Giants will surely give you another chance. Even I, who caused an injury during my tenure as coach, was able to return. I believe that Shinnosuke will eventually become a man who can lead the Giants again,” said Dave Okubo, a Giants alumnus.

This was an unprecedented arrest. Former Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe, 47, was caught red-handed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on May 25 on suspicion of assault, and on the following day, May 26, he tendered his resignation to the team. On the evening of May 25, Abe allegedly grabbed his eldest daughter by the chest and pushed her away when he broke up a fight between two sisters, ages 18 and 15, at his home in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.

After being released at around 0:20 a.m. on the 26th, Mr. Abe left the Shibuya police station in a hired car apparently prepared by the baseball team. He also held an apology press conference at the team’s office in the Yomiuri Shimbun building in Otemachi, Tokyo, before noon on the same day, shedding tears, saying that he had “disgraced the name of a traditional Giants manager” and “caused a lot of worry and trouble to many baseball fans, people involved in professional baseball, and my company because of my family troubles.

He probably never dreamed that he would be arrested,” said a Giants official.

After his arrest, Mr. Abe personally contacted several companies with which he was in close contact, explained the circumstances, and apologized, saying, ‘I apologize for the trouble I caused you. These companies have known Mr. Abe since his working days and have a very close relationship with him. He probably contacted them out of a sense of responsibility as a conductor. However, since Mr. Abe will have to refrain from baseball-related work for a while, some people in the know are coldly wondering if he is considering a “second life” for himself.

Some have said that Abe personally informed owner Juichi Yamaguchi (69) of his intention to resign and that he could have been consoled because of the circumstances, but it is highly likely that the Giants had already made the decision to dismiss Abe even before he tendered his resignation.

There have been cases of arrests of current players and related personnel in the past,” he said. In those cases, we took advantage of the fact that the team’s parent company is a media company and handled the case. This time, however, the head office has expressed its intention to say, ‘We cannot cover for this,’ and it is believed that owner Yamaguchi has decided to dismiss him. The fact that he made the request himself may have been a gesture of goodwill toward a man who had done so much for the company.

The “quarrelsome breakup” has become an adder.

According to a key station official, “NTV is beginning to prepare to support Mr. Abe from next year onward, although we are still waiting to see how the public reacts.

Even though there is strong sympathy for him, it would be difficult to appoint him to a program this year.” However, Nippon TV’s sports bureau is a close friend of Mr. Abe’s, and there are many executives who are eager to ‘repay Mr. Abe now. Although it is not confirmed yet, it seems that they plan to let Mr. Abe take a rest for the rest of this year and gradually offer him commentary on sports programs before the start of next year’s season.

Another Giants staff member said, “At this point, owner Yamaguchi is not considering Abe’s return to the team,” he continued.

Now that the Giants have decided to let Hashigami-san (Hideki, 60) get through this season, the team is hurrying to find a manager for next season and beyond. The two names that have been mentioned are Yoshinobu Takahashi (51) and Tatsunori Hara (67), a special advisor to the owner. However, Takahashi was appointed manager immediately after his retirement, and many alumni say, “It would be a pity if they don’t build a winning team next time. The baseball team hopes that Hideki Matsui (51), who has been long in the wings, will take over as manager when the new stadium opens in 1930 or later.

Some media outlets have reported plans to have Hayato Sakamoto (37), as well as Takahashi, move into the manager’s position immediately after his retirement.

The Giants have an unwritten rule that the manager must be a fresh ace or No. 4 hitter. If that continues to be the case, Masumi Kuwata, 58, who was manager of the second team until last season, would be a candidate. ……

Kuwata was asked by the team to join the front office last year because he did not agree with former manager Abe, who showed strong leadership, both good and bad, in his policy of appointing players. Mr. Kuwata, whose life’s ambition was to work hard on the field, refused and left the team in a blitz. He is now the CBO of Oisix Niigata Albirex BC and the manager of the U-12 Japan national team, but he still has lingering feelings for the Giants’ field.

If he had remained with the team this year, there is a good chance that Kuwata would have been the acting manager, and he would have been the most likely candidate to be the first team manager next season. However, it is difficult to imagine Mr. Kuwata taking over as manager right away, since they had a “falling out” once. It is …… that his decision to leave the field because of his commitment to the field will keep him from being appointed as a manager. It seems that he is koboing to his close associates, saying, ‘I wonder if I shouldn’t have quit (the Giants)'” (another staff member of the baseball team).

Okubo, who is well versed in the Giants’ unique situation and has interacted with the leading candidates whose names have been mentioned, is wondering who he is going to recommend.

Mr. Hara is the only one who can lead the team in this chaotic situation. He has the experience and the skills. When I met him the other day, he seemed to be in perfect physical condition, so I am not worried about his stamina. We can entrust Mr. Hara to be the manager and bring in a new candidate for manager, such as Yoshinobu, as a coach. If Yushin becomes manager, he should be able to bring in Shinnosuke as battery coach. I think Mr. Hara will be adamant at first, but if the team can persuade him, he will accept the job. He is that kind of person.

Will the Giants be able to use the sudden resignation of their manager as a catalyst for their revival? The fundamental strength of the Giants’ leader is being put to the test.

From the June 19, 2026 issue of FRIDAY