It was revealed on the 28th that the Rakuten Eagles will invite Michihiro Ogasawara (53), formerly of The Giants; Toshio Haru (56), who served as head coach for the Orix Buffaloes until this season; Hirotoshi Masui (42), formerly of the Orix Buffaloes; and Motoyuki Akahori (56), manager of Hayate, as coaches for next season.

Rakuten Eagles, aiming to bounce back from last place this season, is looking to revamp its coaching staff. First up is Ogasawara, who hit 378 Home Run in his 19-year professional career. He joined Nippon-Ham in the 1996 draft as the third pick and had a successful career. After joining The Giants as a free agent in the 2006 offseason, he hit 30 Home Run for four consecutive years starting in 2007. After retiring, he gained extensive experience as a coach for Chunichi, Nippon-Ham, and The Giants. This season, the team's batting average of .239 and Home Run of 103 were both fifth in the league. Their 473 runs scored were the worst in the league. The legend, known for his full swing, is expected to bring improvement to the team's offense.

The team will also welcome Mr. Haru, who served as the head coach for the Orix Buffaloes this season. After playing for teams such as Yokohama (now DeNA), he was appointed as the chief development coach for the Orix Buffaloes in 2023. Since then, he has held positions such as minor league manager. He has a reputation for enthusiastic coaching and is expected to be a valuable asset to the Rakuten Eagles, who have many players in their growth phase.

Two individuals with ties to the manager will join the pitcher department. Masui, who played for Nippon-Ham and the Orix Buffaloes, will make his coaching debut. During his time with Nippon-Ham, he studied under Manager Yoshii, who was the pitcher coach at the time. It is also reassuring that he has experienced winning the Japan Series twice and wore the Samurai Japan uniform for the 2015 Premier 12 and the 2017 WBC.

Akahori, who won the Best Relief pitcher award five times with Kintetsu during his playing days, is also highly experienced as a coach. He was teammates with Manager Yoshii during their time at Kintetsu, and there was a period when they were utilized as a 'double stopper' duo; now, they will team up once again as instructors.

Specific job titles are expected to be finalized in the near future. The appointment of former Lotte player Akira Otsuka (51) has also been decided, and Shinya Tsuruoka (45), whose appointment was already announced, will also join. The coaching staff has undergone 'major reinforcements' in an aim for a counterattack.

Michihiro Ogasawara. Born October 25, 1973, in Chiba City. 53 years old. Joined Nippon-Ham as the 3rd draft pick in 1996 from NTT Kanto. In 2006, he was the Pacific League MVP as the leader in Home Runs and RBI. In 2007, after moving to The Giants via free agency, he became the second player in history to win MVP in both leagues. He moved to Chunichi in the 2013 offseason and retired from active play in 2015. He served as the Chunichi farm team manager for four years starting in 2016, and was the head coach for Nippon-Ham in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, he served as the batting coach for The Giants' farm team, and in 2023, he was the batting coach for their third-tier team. Career stats: 1,992 games played, .310 batting average, 2,120 hits, 378 Home Runs, 1,169 RBI. 179 cm, 86 kg. Throws right, bats left.

Hirotoshi Masui. Born June 26, 1984, in Shizuoka Prefecture. 42 years old. After attending Shizuoka High School, Komazawa University, and Toshiba, he joined Nippon-Ham as the 5th draft pick in 2009. He was named the best reliever in 2012. He represented Japan in the 2015 Premier 12 and the 2017 WBC. He exercised his domestic free agent rights in the 2017 off-season and moved to the Orix Buffaloes. He retired from active play at the end of 2022. In 551 career appearances, he recorded 41 wins, 47 losses, 163 saves, 158 holds, and an ERA of 3.08. 181 cm, 77 kg. Right-handed pitcher and batter.

Toshio Haru. Born May 25, 1970, in Kyoto Prefecture. 56 years old. Joined Yokohama (now DeNA) via the 1993 draft from the corporate baseball team Kumagai Gumi. Played for 11 years with Yokohama, Chunichi, and Lotte, appearing in a total of 913 games. After retiring in 2004, he served as a coach for Yokohama, DeNA, Chunichi, and the Orix Buffaloes. This season, he is the head coach for the Orix Buffaloes. 174 cm, 75 kg. Right-handed batter and thrower.

Motoyuki Akahori. Born April 7, 1970, in Fujieda City, Shizuoka. 56 years old. Joined Kintetsu as a 4th round draft pick in 1988 from Shizuoka High School. In 1992, he won two titles: best ERA and best relief pitcher. Career record of 58 wins, 45 losses, and 139 saves. After retiring in 2004, he served as a coach for the Orix Buffaloes, Yakult, Chunichi, and others. Since 2024, he has been the manager for Kufu HAYATE (currently HAYATE). 182 cm, 83 kg. Right-handed pitcher and batter.