Akira Ogi, who led both the Kintetsu Buffaloes and the Orix BlueWave to the Pacific League pennant, was inducted into the Japanese Hall of Fame on Friday along with the late former Taiyo Whales (now Yokohama BayStars) pitcher Noboru Akiyama.
The baseball Hall of Fame selection committee chose Ogi, 68, for his achievements after he guided Kintetsu to the PL pennant in 1989, a year after taking over as skipper of the team, and repeated the feat back-to-back as manager of the BlueWave.
A former infielder with the Nishitestu (now Seibu) Lions, Ogi joined Orix as manager in 1994 and won the PL title in 1995 and in 1996, the year the team also clinched the Japan Series.
Akiyama, who died four years ago, joined Taiyo in 1956 and played a pivotal role in helping the team win its first Japan Series in 1960.
Voted Rookie of the Year in 1956 and Most Valuable Player four years later, he posted 193 wins in his 12-year playing career. Akiyama also managed the Whales in 1975 and 1976. He died at the age of 66 in 2000.
Kawashima to quit
Hiromori Kawashima will step down as commissioner of Japanese professional baseball when his current term finishes in March, baseball sources said Friday.