Retired Softbank Hawks player Hiroki Kokubo has been tapped by Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to coach the Japanese national baseball team, also known as “Samurai Japan”. The next World Baseball Classic is scheduled for 2017, and until now national team coaches had been selected before each tourney. NPB has decided to make “Samurai Japan” a standing team with a full-time coach, and Kokubo, who the just turned 42, was chosen from among several candidates. During his pro career, Kokubo had 2,041 hits, including 413 home runs, and was the captain of the two teams he played for, the Hawks and the Yomuiri Giants. He remained based in Fukuoka after retiring and has been working as a baseball commentator. (He is also a sports advisor for Nishinippon Shimbun). His first job as coach will likely be the national team’s expedition game in Taiwan in November, followed by the International Baseball Federation’s Premier 12 (a tournament involving the 12 best teams of the world) in 2015. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 10/3
