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Hideki Matsui Named New Giants Manager

On October 23, 2026, the Yomiuri Giants announced that Hideki Matsui would become their new manager. A press conference was held the same day at a hotel in Tokyo. TBS Radio Diet correspondent Daiju Sawada attended and reported back to the Ogishima Chiki Session studio with a full account of what was said.

Matsui joined the Giants as the top draft pick in 1993. He moved to the New York Yankees in 2003, won the World Series MVP in 2009, and retired in 2012 with 507 combined home runs in Japan and the United States. Since then he had spent more than a decade working in Major League Baseball as a special advisor attached to the Yankees' front office.

Background and the Road to Appointment

This season had been turbulent for the Giants. In May, then-manager Shin-nosuke Abe was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his eldest daughter and subsequently resigned. Bench coach Hideki Hashigami had been managing the team on an interim basis ever since, making the search for a new permanent manager all the more pressing.

As for how Matsui came to accept the role, he said that the late Shigeo Nagashima had hinted at him becoming manager every time the two met. At Nagashima's funeral last year, Matsui's eulogy also contained remarks that implied as much, and a reporter at the conference asked him directly whether he had made a promise to Nagashima. Matsui acknowledged that Nagashima had repeatedly suggested it, but pulled back slightly from his eulogy: "That was going too far—I've retracted it in my own mind." In the end, with his family's encouragement, he said he felt he had no choice but to take the job. The contract runs for three years, and he is scheduled to join the team on the ground starting October 30.

The Three Meanings Behind Number 90

Uniform number 90 was the first question reporters asked, and Matsui took care to explain it fully. He offered three distinct reasons.

First, 90 was the number Shigeo Nagashima wore when he became manager for the first time after retiring as a player. Given that Matsui and Nagashima received the People's Honor Award together, Nagashima held a uniquely special place in Matsui's life, and the choice reflects that bond. Second, Nagashima passed away last year at the age of 89, and by wearing 90 the year after, Matsui wanted to signal a new start in the year that follows. Third, 55—his playing number with the Giants—plus 35—the number he wore when he retired with the Yankees—equals 90.

As for why he did not simply reclaim his iconic number 55, Matsui said he deliberately avoided it because wearing it again would cause him to "get lost in nostalgia."

"A New Golden Age"—Matsui's Goals and Philosophy

Opening the conference, Matsui was direct: "Since the V9 era, the Giants have not had a true golden age." He followed that with a clear declaration of intent: "I want to start building a new golden age, and today is where that begins." He also said he hoped to stand beside both young players and veterans as they work together.

Drawing on his years as an advisor in Major League Baseball, Matsui mentioned watching coaches in the minor leagues walk alongside each individual player through the development process. "The scale is completely different between America and Japan," he said, "but that is something I want to keep in mind." Owner Yamaguchi opened the formal announcement by pledging that "the organization will put its full strength behind reviving a powerful Giants."

"Everyone Applauded on the Way Out"—A Political Reporter's Surprise

Sawada, who normally covers the National Diet, was candid about how different this press conference felt from the ones he is used to. A large number of reporters packed the room. The conference ran about 30 minutes, and roughly 45 minutes when the photo session was included.

The moment that left the biggest impression on Sawada was what happened after it ended: every reporter in the room applauded as they walked out. "It's a bit different from a political press conference," he said. "You just don't see that." He also admitted there were things he had wanted to ask—such as how Matsui planned to balance the traditionally hierarchical team culture with evidence-based player development—but the question period was short and he never got the floor.