“You know what I mean, right?” Rakuten Manager Hajime Miki on the “words Owner Mikitani spoke” just before his leave of absence, and the next manager candidate

A Sudden “Invasion”

On June 10, the Rakuten Eagles announced that Manager Hajime Miki (49) would be taking a leave of absence, and Head Coach Tatsuya Shiokawa (43) is currently serving as interim manager. Players and staff were stunned and speechless by the de facto “dismissal” of the manager mid-season. The dugout was thrown into chaos.

“I am deeply disappointed that things have turned out this way in the middle of the season…”

Regret was evident in the comments from former manager Miki, which were released by the team.

“After the game against the Giants on the 9th, former manager Miki didn’t come out of the room where the team executives were for quite a while, and there was a tense atmosphere.The players, management, and support staff didn’t receive official notification until just before 1:00 a.m. on the 10th, when the team released a press statement to the media. It was so sudden that everyone was speechless,” said a team staff member.

However, another team staff member said, “There were signs that he was planning to take a break.”

“Before the game against the Chunichi Dragons on May 28, owner Hiroshi Mikitani (61) suddenly appeared at the Bantoryu Dome Nagoya, where the game was to be held.It was reported that he gathered the entire team in front of the dugout with General Manager Kazuhisa Ishii (52) to give a pep talk and inspire the players to break out of their slump, but it’s said that was just a public performance.

In reality, he likely came to imply that former manager Miki would be fired mid-season, saying, ‘You understand that you must turn the team around by going on a winning streak in the Interleague games, don’t you?’ From that point on, the manager’s motivation clearly declined.”

Former manager Miki, who once served as the first-team manager but was later reassigned to the second team, has been moving around within the organization like a corporate employee. Some within the club have even commented, “It’s a pity he’s being tossed around by the parent company.”

“But this isn’t the end of it with Rakuten. Actually, on June 2, Daichi Suzuki (36), the team’s oldest active player, was suddenly named captain. At the time, he said in his remarks, ‘I’ll do my best as a player, and when I can’t play, I hope to really push and support the other players from the sidelines.’

Officially, his appointment was made at Manager Miki’s instruction, but in reality, it seems the team gave him the title to begin his training as a coach. Having Interim Manager Shiokawa, who has almost no track record as a player, lead the team is weak from a business perspective.”The parent company, which values numbers above all else, seems to be plotting a plan to have Suzuki hang up his uniform within a few years and immediately install him as the ‘new manager,'” said a former team official.

Rakuten is currently in such chaos that rebuilding the team is the least of their concerns.