(Central League, Chunichi 8-4 Hanshin, 21st game, Hanshin 11 wins, 7 losses and 3 draws, 18th, Vantelin Dome) It’s not just frustration and anger. The only emotion that remained after the crushing defeat was one of loneliness, as the team seemed to lack spirit. Hanshin Tigers manager Akihiro Okada (66), who had been leading the team on the path to consecutive championships, couldn’t help but express his dissatisfaction. The cause of the “lonely rage” is Nine’s incompetence, as he shows no will to resist when he is at a disadvantage. “I don’t really get it, it seems like I’m the only one who’s angry. There’s nothing there.” Sitting on the bench, he searched intently for a solution and racked his brains for a way to regain control. However, they were unable to create an exciting moment that would stir up the fighting spirit. Immediately after Chikamoto’s timely double down the left field line gave them the lead, Nakano and Morishita struck out in succession with one out and a runner on second base in the third inning. They were unable to press forward and allowed the other team to easily turn the tables. In the fourth inning, with the score at 1-3 and the bases loaded and no outs, they only managed one run on a sacrifice fly, but the defense immediately followed and they gave up four runs, putting them behind. They scored points and then lost them, and were constantly overwhelmed by the spirit of Tatsunami Ryu. They fought back with a solo homer from Oyama and a timely hit from Maekawa, but they were unable to turn the game around. The Tiger General told reporters, “Nothing. That’s why I said there’s nothing. Is there anything you’d like to ask?” The game turned out to be so lackluster in terms of pitching and batting that I asked, They wanted to rack up wins, but they ended up with two losses and one draw against the lower-ranked Chunichi Dragons. With four consecutive losses, their lead has now been reduced to three, the lowest since the game against Chunichi on July 27th (Koushien). The gap between Hiroshima and the top two teams, the Giants, is gradually widening. Now is the time for the team to come together as one, but as manager Okada himself revealed when Sato Teru made a bad throw to first base in the game against the Giants on the 12th (at Tokyo Dome), “I was the only one who shouted, ’One bang!’” the team is not united as one. If things continue as they are, with the manager being the one with the most ambition, winning consecutive championships will only become more distant. “Well, that kind of situation (scoring and conceding points) just keeps repeating, so it’s inevitable that we’ll lose,” said Okada, looking back with a complicated expression. With the sole aim of coming back to win the championship, everyone will have to change starting from the game against Yakult on the 20th (Kyocera). (Niisato Kimiaki) Sanspo.
Both Hara and Donden have become quite stubborn. I think they were more flexible until they were in their 50s. On the other hand, Nomura and Hoshino have mellowed out as they’ve gotten older.
A perennial favorite to win suddenly won in his first year in office, so I think he’s feeling a bit anxious and thinks he needs to be strong all the time.
>>16 What are you talking about? He hasn’t even spoken to the coaches. He always makes nasty remarks about the decisions of players and coaches to the media without giving any prior instructions. That’s why he was rejected by everyone involved at Orix and kicked out.
Nowadays, the main focus is on being cheerful and fun, but I guess he needs to be a little strict or the players won’t follow him. From the beginning, he was said to be a go-between for younger managers, and he fulfilled his role well enough by winning the championship last year.
Gendai reported that the relationship between Coach Ando and Okada has deteriorated since the Jingu incident. I guess the same is true for the other coaches.
Arai-san has a gentle expression, but he makes the players practice hard. But he doesn’t blame the players when they can’t hit in the game. That’s how a manager should be these days. He overworks his winning relief pitchers and crushes them, and openly scolds players who make mistakes in front of the media. It’s only natural that players and coaches would be alienated by a manager like Okada.
>>48 That’s because you only saw the hype-pooper opinions. “The team will fall apart under Okada” “Okada will just squander the legacy of Kanemoto and Yano again” If you look at the original thread, you’ll see that there are a lot of people who have been consistent in their opinions since he took office.
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