The Yomiuri Giants have notified the Hanshin Tigers of their intention to offer Hanshin senior director Senichi Hoshino the job of manager at the Central League rival, former Tigers owner Shunjiro Kuma said Tuesday.
According to Kuma, Yomiuri officials said they plan to let Hoshino steer the Giants next season when they visited his home in Kobe late last month. Kuma added he has informed incumbent Hanshin owner Masatoshi Tezuka.
Tezuka, however, said that Hanshin has yet to be approached by Yomiuri and he will continue asking Hoshino to stay in his front-office position as senior director.
"Mr. Kuma must have thought he met people sent by the Giants, but what I understand is that it wasn't so," Tezuka said.