At his introductory press conference, new Chunichi Dragons manager Kudo Kimiyasu (工藤 公康) expressed a policy of “thinking about the players 24 hours a day, 365 days a year” and the view that “everyone is a key player,” saying he intended to prioritize communication with players and staff.
At his introductory press conference, new manager Kudo said of the president’s comment that he wanted the team to “immediately compete for the championship” that it was important to develop within himself a way to overcome the challenges. He said the manager’s job was to consider what needed to be done to achieve the goal, rather than starting by deciding that it could not be done or was impossible.
As the core of the transformation, he believes it is the players, not the manager himself, who play baseball, and that changing the players’ mindset is most important. He emphasized that he would work with staff other than himself and give his full effort to deliver results.
He indicated a policy of moving forward by communicating with the coaching staff and team officials rather than acting alone, and explicitly stated that there would be no unilateral decision-making. He said he would share appropriate decisions with those around him and seek the best course of action.
He said that the intensity of practice and changes in policy would be pursued after consultation with those around him when judged necessary for the players, emphasizing first the importance of communication with the players and team officials.