Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles manager Senichi Hoshino was voted unanimously Monday the winner of the Matsutaro Shoriki Award after guiding the Pacific League club to its first Japan Series title in its ninth year as a franchise.
The five-man committee, including world home run king Sadaharu Oh, voted in the 66-year-old Hoshino for the accolade. Eagles ace right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, who went a record 24-0 with one save this season, received a special award in his honor.
"This award comes from the pioneer of Japanese baseball, and for a manager I think it is like receiving the Sawamura Award," said Hoshino.