Senichi Hoshino, the last Japanese manager of New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka and a Hall of Famer, has died, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles said Saturday. He was 70.

Hoshino, the vice chairman of the Pacific League's Eagles and a former star pitcher of the Central League's Chunichi Dragons, died Thursday after battling pancreatic cancer, the Eagles said.

He joined the Dragons out of Meiji University in 1969 and won a Sawamura Award as the most impressive starting pitcher in 1974, posting a 146-121 record with 34 saves in his 14-year career with the team.