Japan’s World Baseball Classic manager is stepping down after a disappointing exit from the tournament.
Sports Hochi, a Japanese outlet, reported that Hirokazu Ibata, who had been the national team’s manager since 2023, had an “intention to resign.”
“The result is everything,” Ibata said, per Sports Hochi. “Although we lost this time, I hope Japan will grow stronger and win next time.”
Samurai Japan was upset 8-5 by Venezuela on Saturday night in the quarterfinals of the tournament after coming into the WBC as one of the favorites to win it all.
Japan had led 5-2 in the fifth inning, but things fell apart when Yoshinobu Yamamoto left the game.
Maikel Garcia hit a two-run home run to cut the deficit to one, then Wilyer Abreu crushed a three-run blast to give Venezuela the lead for good.
Two days later, Venezuela took down Italy to set up a date with Team USA in the championship game, which will take place on Tuesday night.
Team Japan was looking to win its second straight WBC after taking down the Americans during a thrilling championship game in 2023 with Ibata as their skipper.
Japan’s superstar, Shohei Ohtani, wasn’t happy with their finish this year.
“It’s extremely disappointing for it to end like this,” Ohtani said in Japanese after the game “But there’s always next time.”
Ohtani penned a heartfelt message on social media in the aftermath of their elimination.
“Dear fans, thank you very much for your support. Your cheers gave us a push in the back every day,” Ohtani wrote in Japanese. “… We didn’t get the results we wanted, and I’m pained by my shortcomings.”
