On the 20th, Softbank Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo chaired a meeting of managers from the 12 professional baseball teams for the first time.

The first and second team managers from 12 teams attended the meeting and discussed for about two hours, confirming rule changes for this season, including the advantages of the Climax Series, whether to introduce tiebreakers, and the use of a unified base (expanded base).

The Hawks' manager, who chaired the meeting for the first time in his third year as first-team manager, smiled as he recalled the roughly two-hour meeting, saying, "I talk too much... I'm not good at getting people to talk, so that was a learning experience for me." He also revealed that he shared the same understanding with the managers of each team, saying, "The WBC is a highly anticipated tournament. The pennant race that follows is a chance for us to create new excitement. But if we don't play well there, we'll be in trouble."

"Our goal is the development and prosperity of the 12 teams. This is at the core of our goal, and we want to continue to make the professional baseball world a place that our fans can enjoy," he said, vowing to work together to liven things up.