Outgoing Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters manager Hideki Kuriyama believes there could have been star two-way players like Shohei Ohtani from previous generations but they were not given the opportunity to fulfill their potential.
The 60-year-old, who stepped down from his role on Monday having won one Japan Series title in 10 years, masterminded the development of the Los Angeles Angels star when many initially questioned the decision to give him the chance to both pitch and bat.
"I saw the possibility in him of becoming a top world player, and I had a strong belief that I had to send him off to the majors as early as I could in order to achieve that," Kuriyama said at a news conference.