Will external appointment bring about change? Expectations for rebuilding from Mr. Kudo - Chunichi new manager of professional baseball

Chunichi, which is suffering from a slump, has decided to entrust its fate to Mr. Kudo, who has a rich track record as the manager of Softbank. He is the first coach, either as a player or a coach, to have never played for Chunichi since Kazuhiro Yamauchi from 1984 to 1986. In order to rebuild the team and make a comeback, the decision was made to hire someone from outside.

Mr. Kudo, who knows the taste of victory enough to be called the ``winning contractor,'' can be said to be the perfect candidate. The team has rebounded in the final stages of the past two seasons, but stalled at key points. Team president Kato explained, ``The best person is someone who has experience and knowledge and can inject that into the team.''

Kudo once said, ``My ideal is a coach who can do everything for his players.'' His strengths include teaching that utilizes the sports medicine and training theory he learned at the University of Tsukuba Graduate School. This season, Chunichi has had a number of come-from-behind losses due to poor performance in the relay team, and expectations are high for their development and strengthening with an eye on the future.

The timing of joining the team is currently being adjusted. While he already has personal plans, he is also considering attending fall training camps. Although this is his first team, his home base is in his hometown of Aichi Prefecture. The team, which consults with the new manager and takes the lead in organizing and coaching personnel, must also be prepared to make changes.