Hideki Kuriyama, who led the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters to their first Japan Series championship in 10 years this season, will continue as manager of the Pacific League club next year, the team announced Wednesday.
Nippon Ham offered Kuriyama an extension of his contract when the skipper visited the company's Tokyo office to report to club owner Juichi Suezawa about the team's performance this season, and the 55-year-old accepted.
"There are many things left to do," said Kuriyama, who will be in his sixth season in the Fighters dugout next year. He pledged to guide the team to the top spot in Japan for the second consecutive year.
"This job is very rewarding. I will continue to do my best," he added.
This past season, the Fighters overcame a deficit as big as 11½ games to clinch the PL pennant for the first time in four years. The club went on to win the Pacific League Climax Series for a berth in the Japan Series, where it defeated the Hiroshima Carp four games to two.