Posted at 6:01 a.m., Saturday, September 8, 2007
Baseball: Hillman to leave as manager of Japan champs
Advertiser Staff
SAPPORO, Japan — Trey Hillman, the manager of the Japan Series champion Nippon Ham Fighters, said today he will step down at the end of this season."I will not be returning after this season," Hillman said. "This is strictly for personal reasons. The dynamics have changed here, the needs of my family have changed in the past five years."
Hillman made the announcement following todays 5-1 loss to the Seibu Lions at Sapporo Dome.
After leading the Fighters to their first Japan Series title in 44 years last season, Hillman interviewed with the Texas Rangers, Oakland A's and San Diego Padres in the offseason, but ended up back in Japan for another year with Nippon Ham.
After a successful career as a minor league manager in the Yankees organization, Hillman is in his fifth season with the Fighters.
The 44-year-old manager was also a director of player development for the Rangers before coming to Japan.
The Fighters are currently in first place in the Pacific League standings with a 67-51-4 record, two games ahead of the Softbank Hawks.
A fan favorite in Japan, Hillman played a big role in helping the Fighters gain popularity on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, where the team moved to in 2004 after sharing the Tokyo Dome with the Yomiuri Giants.
