Hiroshima Carp manager Koji Yamamoto has announced he will be stepping down at the end of this season, and press reports have indicated the leading candidate to replace him is former Carp infielder-outfielder Marty Brown.
Currently the field boss of the Buffalo Bisons, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, Brown played for Hiroshima from 1992 to 1994 and was well-liked by the fans and team management in that city.
It is no secret the Carp ownership would really like Kenjiro Nomura to succeed Yamamoto and lead the team in 2006. However, the retiring veteran player is only 39 and has said he does not want to step directly from the playing field to the manager's hot seat.