Under new manager Naoyuki Kazeoka, Orix Buffaloes' minor league team is competing with Softbank Hawks for first place in the farm league's western division. While developing young players and supplying talent to the first team, they aim to participate in the "Farm Japan Championship," which determines the best minor league team in Japan, and to win the championship for the first time in 32 years.
"What I always tell the players is, 'Take a positive approach and see how much you can challenge yourself.'" About three months into the season, Coach Kazeoka watched the players' movements with a gentle gaze.
Manager Kazeoka hails from Kasugai City, Aichi Prefecture. He joined Hankyu (now Orix Buffaloes) in 1985 as infielder drafted in the 5th round, after graduating from Chubu University Kasugaioka High School. During his time with Hankyu and Orix Buffaloes, he was highly regarded for his stable shortstop defense and was called "the second coming of Yumioka," as the successor to the renowned short stop Keijiro Yumioka. After transferring to Hanshin Tigers and retiring as a player in 2000, he consistently pursued a coaching career, serving as head coach of the first team and defense base running coach for Hanshin Tigers, Chunichi, and Orix Buffaloes. This season, he was appointed manager after serving as head coach of the second team.
As a coach, what he looks for in his players is optimism. "I don't want them to lose their optimism no matter what. People aren't always in a good mood. Even then, it's important to be able to stay positive. If you keep dwelling on failures, your body won't be able to handle it. The most important thing is to not get carried away by ups and downs, but to stay focused and positive about what needs to be done." To pitcher who have been hit, he says, "The batters are trying to hit the ball, so it's inevitable that you'll get hit sometimes," and to fielder who aren't getting results, he encourages them by saying, "There's no day when the sun doesn't rise. You just have to switch gears and do your best." Orix Buffaloes where the senior-junior hierarchy isn't too strict, smiles and laughter from the players are constant even during monotonous practice sessions. Manager Kazeoka also smiles fondly as he watches roving coach Mizumoto Katsumi "warning" with a smile, "Just be quiet for three minutes." His intention is not to intimidate the players with strictness, but to encourage them to stay optimistic and positive.
Having been a coach for a quarter of a century, he says he sees a lot of his past self from about 40 years ago in today's players. "I made many mistakes (during my playing days), too. But the more mistakes you make, the more you learn how to recover. It's okay to bluff. You can't be happy if you get depressed and mopey."
There are some coaches he will never forget. One of them is Masahiro Nakata, the manager of the minor league team, who coached him from his first year as a professional. As pitcher during his time at Naruo High School (Hyogo), he appeared in Koshien tournament twice. At Keio University, he closer to hitter and won the Home Run hitter in the 1956 autumn league, beating out players like Shigeo Nagashima. After joining Hankyu, he hit 29 total bases in 1961, sharing the home run title with Katsuya Nomura, proving himself to be a powerful hitter. Manager Nakata continued to give rookie players like Kazeoka playing time. "I was at a lower level than the kids today, but he kept using me. I've always wondered why he kept using me. Why?" Now that he is also a minor league manager, he remembers something. There was a time when Manager Nakata told him, "You're only as good as you play in games. There will be times when things don't go well, but be desperate and do your best."
"I feel grateful to be in this position right now, and I'm going to give it my all. If you give it that much effort, the baseball gods will surely be watching over you. In the end, I couldn't become a regular player and only became something like a super-sub, but there are all sorts of possibilities for players," said Coach Kazeoka.
In the farm team's opening game of the season against Softbank Hawks on March 14th (at Sugimoto Shoji Bs), manager Kazeoka started outfielder Yosuke Kubota (4th round draft pick, Sapporo Nichidai High School), a new signing this season, as the "number 6 hitter and center outfielder," Haruto Mikata (1st round developmental draft pick, Tochigi Golden Braves) as the "number 8 hitter and designated hitter." Kubota hit a single to center field in his first at-bat and also made some good plays defense.
"From now on, we have to use new players and create something new. We also have to think about the team two or three years from now and figure out who would be a good fit for it. Creating that kind of space and environment is my job, and developing skills is the coach's job. If we can combine those two things, I think we can supply the first team with talent." There are things that can only be gained in the pressure of winning. While developing players, he is committed to winning and using that to raise the level of play.
*This season's farm team regular season will be held in three divisions: East, Central, and West. The "Farm Japan Championship 2026," featuring the winners of each division and the team with the best winning percentage among the runners-up from each division (a total of four teams), will be held on October 3rd and 4th at Shizutetsu Stadium Kusanagi. As of June 30th, Orix Buffaloes is trailing the leading Softbank Hawks Hawks by 1.0 game in the West division, in which Orix Buffaloes is competing.
Interview and text by Masaki Kitano
