On the 25th, Softbank Hawks owner Masayoshi Son (68) received a report from manager Hiroki Kokubo (54) at the company's headquarters in Tokyo about the end of the season, and encouraged the team not to be satisfied with their second consecutive league championship and their first Japan Series title in five years. "We must not become complacent or satisfied with being number one in Japan. There are still many great teams in the world," he said, calling for tireless efforts to improve the team.
He has just signed a new three-year contract with manager Kokubo, which will take him through 2028. His hopes for his long-term reign include making the team's slogan "Aim to be number one in the world!" While he didn't mention the team by name, he sees the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have been world champions for two consecutive years, as his rival. "We need to train the team with high goals and ambitions, so that we can compete at their level," he said emphatically. With Yuya Arihara's transfer now confirmed, he wants to beat rival Nippon-Ham and live up to his boss's expectations.
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・ [Softbank Hawks] win by one point in front of owner Masayoshi Son, with the winning margin at 16 points. Manager Kokubo: "We won a tense and good game."
・ [Softbank Hawks] Manager Hiroki Kokubo: "I'm proud to be the two teams that made the game exciting." In the final match against Shinjo-Ham, "I won't be surprised no matter what they do."
・ Softbank Hawks asks manager Hiroki Kokubo to continue in his role, team president says, "Of course. There's no way we're going to replace him."
