Japan U-12 National Team manager Toshihisa Nishi takes NPB minor league job

Toshihisa Nishi, who managed Japan's U-12 National Team in the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup and qualifiers, will take over as manger of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Yokohama DeNA BayStars' minor league team.

It will be the first NPB coaching job for Nishi, who has a reputation for developing young players. He will replace former star pitcher Daisuke Miura, who is reportedly stepping in for Venezuelan skipper Alex Ramirez as the manager of the rebuilding BayStars.

Nishi, born in 1971, had an impressive NPB career as a player. He was a five-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glove second baseman. He was named the 1996 Rookie of the Year while playing for the Yomiuri Giants and helped the Giants win the 2000 and 2002 Japan Series. He also played (2007-2009) for the Yokohama BayStars and spent his final season (2010) in the United States, playing for the Lancaster Barnstormers of the independent Atlantic League.

He led Japan's U-12 squad to its highest-ever finish at the 2019 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup, a silver medal.