Hideki Kuriyama, who was the director of Nippon-Ham until this season, was appointed as the new coach of the Japanese national team for the WBC = World Baseball Classic of baseball scheduled for 2023, and at the meeting, "Unity Japanese baseball I will do my best to let you win the championship. "
The first match will be against Taiwan scheduled for March next year.
The "Samurai Japan Strengthening Committee" of the Japan Baseball Council, which is made up of professional and amateur representatives, held a meeting in Tokyo on the 2nd, and Mr. Kuriyama was appointed as the new director of the Japanese national team for the WBC scheduled for 2023. Officially announced that it was done.
Coach Kuriyama has led Nippon Ham for 10 years from the 2012 season, leading the team to two league championships and the third time in Japan's history of the team.
At the press conference, Kuriyama said, "I truly feel the meaning, weight, and responsibility of putting on the Hinomaru. I will do my best to unite Japanese baseball and win the WBC." rice field.
Also, looking back at the time when he was first requested to take office as a director, he said, "I was really surprised, I didn't even imagine it, so I felt like I stopped thinking once. I knew it was a tough job, so I thought about it. As a result, I thought that I had to do my best. I love baseball more than anyone else, I love players and I want to do my best. "
Then, when asked about the convocation of Shohei Ohtani, who was trained by Nippon-Ham Fighters with the "dual wield" and is currently playing in the Angels of the Major League Baseball, he said, "I want to make a team like a dream that fans want to see. We just select the players who can win by considering all the factors, not just the players. There is no special idea. "
Coach Kuriyama will be in command for the first time in a warm-up game against Taiwan scheduled at Tokyo Dome next March.
Mr. Kuriyama Directed by Nippon-Ham for 10 years Raised Otani is also the best in Japan
Hideki Kuriyama is 60 years old from Tokyo.
He joined Yakult from Tokyo Gakugei University in 1984 and was active as an outfielder and won the Golden Glove Award.
After retiring from active duty in 1990, after working as a baseball commentator and sports caster, he served as the director of Nippon-Ham for 10 years from the 2012 season.
Although he had no experience as a leader, he won the league title in 2012, the first year.
In addition, at the draft meeting of this year, Shohei Ohtani, who had clearly stated that he would challenge the major leagues directly from high school at that time, was nominated, and he showed a policy of training with two swords of throwing and realized the joining.
Manager Kuriyama prepared an environment to improve Otani's ability and raised him to be a first-class player in both throwing and hitting, overturning the common sense of the ball world, and in 2016, he won the league championship centered on Otani and became the third in Japan in the history of the team. I played.
And I retired after the end of this season of the 10th year.