Hiroozu Ibata, 48, the current head coach of Japan’s U-12 national team, has been named the new head coach of the national baseball team.
Japanese media reported on Nov. 3 that Ibata has been approved by the Japan Enhancement Committee as the next head coach of the national team. Ibata will take the helm starting with the Asia Pro Championship 2023, which kicks off on Nov. 16 at Tokyo Dome.
Japan’s national team has been searching for a new manager since Hideki Kuriyama, 62, stepped down in March after leading them to the WBC title. Inaba, who has extensive experience representing Japan as both a player and a coach, was finally selected, Japanese media reported.
Inaba is a former Junichi shortstop who led the club’s golden era in the 2000s with his solid defense, precise hitting, and mobility. In his 17-year career, Ibata batted .281 with 1,912 hits, 56 home runs and 510 RBIs.온라인카지노
He was selected to represent Japan at the 2013 WBC, where he batted 5-for-5 and led the team to victory. He moved to Yomiuri in 2014 and retired in 2015. After coaching at Yomiuri, he went on to coach the youth and collegiate national teams before being named head coach of the U-12 national team in 2022.
The fact that he has never been a professional coach before is a testament to his leadership skills.
0 Comments