Former Yomiuri Giants skipper Shigeo Nagashima was named manager of the Japanese national baseball team on Monday in the run-up to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Amateur and professional baseball officials approved the appointment of Nagashima, 66, who takes over from Toshihiko Goto after serving as chief technical director for the national team in the last seven months.

"My goal is very simple -- winning. Hopefully I will form a dream team of professional stars," Nagashima said.

"I was disappointed to see Japan lose at recent international tournaments. Only victory can let the sun in the national flag shine, so I'll choose a unit of the best possible players beginning with the qualifying tournament (for the Olympics)."

Nagashima, a vastly popular figure in Japanese sports, has been entitled to field a star-studded lineup at the Asian qualifiers in Sapporo in fall 2003 under an agreement between amateur and professional baseball leaders.

But at the Athens Game in August 2004, which will be held in the middle of the domestic baseball season, he is allowed to pick up two players from each of 12 professional clubs.

Enter the Ex-Tiger

NAGOYA (Kyodo) The Chunichi Dragons have signed former Hanshin Tigers infielder Ivan Cruz to a one-year contract with an annual salary of $300,000 and a $100,000 signing bonus plus incentives, club officials said Monday.

Hanshin released Cruz after he hit .234 with 14 homers and 34 RBIs in 2001 in his first year in Japan. The 34-year-old Puerto Rican appeared in just 17 games for the St. Louis Cardinals this year but hit 35 homers with 100 RBIs in Triple-A games.