The saga of Japan's most storied pro baseball team took a new twist on Tuesday, when former Tatsunori Hara rejoined the Yomiuri Giants as skipper for the third time.
The 60-year-old Hara, the skipper of Japan's second World Baseball Classic championship team in 2009, guided the Giants to seven Central League pennants and three Japan Series championships in two stints — from 2002 to 2003 and again from 2006 to 2015.
"Today, manager Yoshinobu Takahashi officially leaves his post and will become a special adviser to the team," Giants owner Toshikazu Yamaguchi said at a news conference.