Baseball: Former star shortstop Ibata named to manage Samurai Japan

Hirokazu Ibata, who was five times named his league’s best overall shortstop, has been hired to manage Japan’s senior men’s national baseball team, Samurai Japan, through the 2024 Premier 12 tournament, NPB Enterprises Inc. announced Wednesday.

Ibata was an offensive and defensive cornerstone for the Chunichi Dragons with whom he won seven Central League Golden Gloves, before spending his final two seasons with the Yomiuri Giants, for whom he later coached.

The 48-year-old also coached for Japan’s Tokyo Olympic gold medal-winning team, but his sole managing experience has been guiding the nati...