Era of American managers in NPB finished for now

Flash back to 2007. One-third of the teams in Japanese pro baseball (including half the Pacific League clubs) had American managers. There was Marty Brown with the Hiroshima Carp, Terry Collins leading the Orix Buffaloes, Trey Hillman guiding the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and Bobby Valentine at the helm of the Chiba Lotte Marines.

In 2011, all 12 teams in Japan will have Japanese managers for the first time since 2002, and the "era" of American managers is over — at least for now.

All four will remain in baseball, but in the United States. They have jobs and will be fine but missed here in Japan. Each checked in with an e-mail comment as they embark on their new assignments.