Fukuoka Softbank Hawks manager Koji Akiyama, who guided the club to its first Pacific League championship in three years, announced Tuesday that he will step down from his post at the end of the season.
Speaking at a news conference at Yafuoku Dome on the eve of the final stage of the Pacific League Climax Series, Akiyama, however, said he hopes to shut out all of the noise caused by his bombshell announcement ahead of the big series.
Good luck with that.