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| Manager Hirokazu Ibata / Photo: Getty Images |
[Sports Today reporter Kang Tae-gu] Japan national baseball team manager Hirokazu Ibata announced his resignation after his team was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Japan fell 8-5 to Venezuela in the 2026 WBC quarterfinals at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, on March 15 (KST).
The loss ended Japan’s bid for a second consecutive title and a fourth overall, marking the first time the country has failed to reach the WBC semifinals since the tournament began in 2006.
Japan came into the tournament as a favorite after going unbeaten to win the 2023 WBC. One enduring image from that run is Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers) striking out Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels) swinging in the final against the United States.
This year’s roster again featured Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles Dodgers), Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs), Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox), Yusei Kikuchi (Los Angeles Angels), Tomoyuki Sugano (Colorado Rockies), Kazuma Okamoto (Toronto Blue Jays) and Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox), putting Japan among the tournament favorites.
But Venezuela proved a spoiler. Drawn into Group C with South Korea, Australia, Taiwan and the Czech Republic, Japan swept a four-game pool to finish first, only to be stunned by Venezuela in the quarterfinals.
It was the first time Japan failed to reach the WBC semifinals, and Ibata said he would take responsibility and step down.
Sports Hochi reported that Samurai Japan manager Ibata plans to leave the post after the tournament. Speaking to reporters at the team hotel after the Venezuela game, he responded to questions about his future by saying, \”Results are everything.\”
He added, \”We lost this time, but I hope Japan comes back stronger and wins next time.\”
Ibata succeeded Hideki Kuriyama, who led Japan to the 2023 WBC title. After Japan dropped the 2024 Premier12 to Taiwan, Ibata now leaves after overseeing the first-ever failure by Japan to reach the WBC semifinals.
[Sports Today reporter Kang Tae-gu sports@stoo.com]
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