Five new managers are in place to lead Central and Pacific League teams in 2015 after an unusually big turnover of field bosses. Here is a look at who they are, their backgrounds, what kind of leaders they may turn out to be and what issues they will face with their respective clubs.
Kimiyasu Kudo, Fukuoka Softbank Hawks — Kudo, 52, will finally get his chance to manage after blowing the opportunity to take over as skipper of the Yokohama Baystars in 2012. He was about to be introduced into that job when he made a demand unacceptable to general manager Shigeru Takada two days before the official announcement.
An All-Star, 224-game-winning left-handed pitcher with the Seibu Lions, Fukuoka Daiei Hawks, Yomiuri Giants and Yokohama and a two-time Pacific League MVP, Kudo played 30 seasons (1982-2011), retiring reluctantly at age 49. He succeeds outgoing skipper Koji Akiyama, who surprisingly resigned last month.