“Please Hang In There Somehow”… Behind the Scenes of Hiroshima Manager Takahiro Arai’s “Retention”… Did Owner Matsuda Not Get the Message That He Planned to Resign?

“Sorry for cutting to the chase.”

Hiroshima, where a total of five active players left the team amid the “zombie cigarette” scandal. Manager Takahiro Arai (49), deeply aware of his responsibility, had offered to resign, but his resignation was not accepted, and it has been decided that he will remain in his position for next season, his fifth year at the helm.

“Manager Arai, who has a strong sense of responsibility, was furious as soon as former player Ryutaro Hazuki’s (26) use of ‘zombie cigarettes’ came to light, and declared he would become a ‘drill sergeant.’ He was seething, saying, ‘I’ll beat the crap out of anyone who does something stupid.’

However, the situation continued to spiral out of control, and the team was no longer in a position to focus on games. Taking the situation very seriously, the manager submitted his resignation to Kiyoteru Suzuki (72), the team’s general manager, during the season, but it was put on hold,” said a former team player.

General Manager Suzuki, who had shown some understanding of Manager Arai’s feelings, reportedly held repeated discussions with a prominent former player to explore the possibility of him becoming the next manager.

“It’s said he was desperate to bring in Hiroki Kuroda (51), who had become a team advisor after retiring as a player.It was none other than General Manager Suzuki who brought Mr. Kuroda—who was with the Yankees—back to the Carp during the 2014 offseason. He had taken an interest in Kuroda since his early days as a player, built a strong relationship with him during his Major League career, and brought him back as a legend.

In an effort to win over Kuroda, General Manager Suzuki reportedly entered into negotiations, but the response he received was, ‘It’s difficult right now.’ Kuroda likely judged that taking on the role would not be a wise move given the team’s lack of depth and the negative image that had attached itself to the organization at the time” (ibid.).

Around that time, Manager Arai reportedly realized that his resignation had not reached former owner Matsuda. It is said that General Manager Suzuki had kept the matter to himself.

“Apologizing by saying, ‘I’m sorry for jumping the gun,’ he reportedly went directly to former owner Matsuda to formally submit his resignation. However, the owner’s response was, ‘Please hang in there somehow.’During his playing days, after transferring from the Hiroshima Carp to the Hanshin Tigers via free agency, Manager Arai was allowed to return to the Carp thanks to Owner Matsuda’s intervention. That is likely why he reluctantly accepted the offer to remain in his position,” said a team official.

On September 27, it was widely reported that catcher Tsubasa Aizawa (38), in his 20th professional season, would continue his playing career while also serving as a coach.

“He hasn’t appeared in a single first-team game this year and has played in only 27 second-team games. However, Aizawa was a key player during the team’s three consecutive league championships and possesses strong leadership skills. The team’s front office likely decided to keep him on as a potential successor to Manager Arai,” said the same source.

It’s been a truly chaotic saga surrounding his retention—will Carp fans be satisfied with this outcome?