Japanese baseball will have at least one American manager for the eighth consecutive year in 2010, as Marty Brown takes over as field boss of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles after four years managing the Hiroshima Carp.

Trey Hillman began the string when he became skipper of the Nippon Ham Fighters in 2003, and the trend reached its peak in 2007 when there were four U.S. managers: Brown, Hillman, Bobby Valentine with the Chiba Lotte Marines and Terry Collins on the Orix Buffaloes.

When he assumes the Eagles post, Brown will become the third manager in the history of the Eagles and the second foreigner to manage two Japanese teams.

Can you name the first Rakuten skipper and the other American who managed two Japanese clubs? (See the answers at the end of the column).

Brown accepted his new job last week when Rakuten team officials traveled to St. Louis on Oct. 30 to offer him the position. He is expected to return to Japan Tuesday to run the Eagles fall practices and attend a news conference in Sendai. He spoke with us by phone from his home in Missouri and offered his thoughts on leaving the Carp and about leading Rakuten into its sixth season.

Summarizing his four years as the Hiroshima manager, Brown said, "It was a positive experience for me and several (Carp) players who got opportunities." He mentioned particularly outfielder Soichiro Amaya and second baseman and leadoff hitter Akihiro Higashide, who became regulars under Brown.

"Higashide had been a lost soul," he said.

As for failing to make the Central League Climax Series and with the highest finish only in fourth place in the CL standings, Brown said, "It was disappointing, but we did the best we could."

Talking about his new team which he faced four times this season in interleague play and Rakuten's second-place standing in the Pacific League, Brown said, "The Eagles are a talented group of players, and things fell into place for them this year."

He is excited about managing two of the best starting pitchers in Japanese baseball in Hisashi Iwakuma and Masahiro "Ma-kun" Tanaka and indicated he thinks Satoshi Nagai is also a good pitcher. "There were some inconsistencies in the bullpen," Brown said. "But we hope to clean that up."

Regarding the Eagles' offense, he cited 2009 Pacific League batting champion Teppei Tsuchiya and cleanup hitter Takeshi Yamasaki, who hit 39 home runs and drove in 107 RBIs, as the kingpins of the lineup.

"Teppei came on as a star the past two years, and I like what I see in him as a hitter. Yamasaki does not hit like he's 40 years old. He's a presence," Brown said. "(Shortstop) Naoto Watanabe is a tough out and (third baseman) Daisuke Kusano had a great season."

Brown also had praise for his predecessor, Katsuya Nomura, saying, "Nomura did a good job and did not let the team fall during the season. I have to give credit where it is due, and the players have now experienced the atmosphere of the playoffs."

Asked about the fact Nomura will retain a connection with the team under a special title of "honorary manager," and if that might be a problem, Brown responded, "I expect it to be a positive situation. I'm not going to be looking over my shoulder, and I think Nomura-san wants nothing but the best for the players and the team, and that's what I want, so we have the same goal."

Jeff Livesey, Brown's bench coach with the Carp, is listed as the Eagles' head coach, and one newspaper report said former Hiroshima first baseman and current Rakuten scout Luis Lopez would join the coaching staff.

"I know Louie and would love to have him," said Brown. "The front office is putting together a coaching staff based on how they expect me to manage, and I will have faith in the guys they choose to work with me."

How about the foreign players? In 2009, the Eagles employed pitchers Matt Childers, Marcus Gwyn and Darrell Rasner and position players Fernando Seguignol, Rick Short and Todd Linden, the outfielder who had trouble with Nomura at the end of the regular season.

Brown expects he will have a lot of input in deciding which foreign players will be cut and who will be retained, but "the final decision will be made by the front office," he said.

"My contract is for two years, with my option for the third," he said, adding he is very satisfied with the terms of the deal.

Asked if he expects to feel a lot of pressure to make the playoffs, in taking over a team that finished in second place this season, Brown said, "The Eagles are coming off a great year. Pressure is something you put on yourself when you have a situation that is not positive, but this is positive."

Brown said he can't wait for the 2010 season to begin and looks forward to working in Sendai and Kleenex Stadium Miyagi.

"I love the city and the ballpark," he said. "The town has good shopping and restaurants, and the atmosphere at the stadium is great. It is really fan-friendly and family-oriented. I know it will be a little cold there in the spring but, in summer, it is not smoking hot."

Now, let's see if the Rakuten Eagles can have a smoking hot season in 2010 under new manager Marty Brown.

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Answer to trivia questions: Yasushi Tao was the first Rakuten manager, and Don Blasingame managed the Hanshin Tigers in 1979-80, then led the Nankai Hawks in 1981-82.

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Contact Wayne Graczyk at [email protected]