Kazuhiko Ushijima, manager of the slumping Yokohama BayStars, said Sunday he will resign at the end of the season after two years in charge.
Yokohama BayStars skipper Kazuhiko Ushijima announces at a press conference on Sunday that he will resign at the end of the season. KYODO PHOTO"The team hasn't produced results in the final year of my two-year contract and I feel responsible for that," Ushijima, 45, said in a press conference.
"I made this decision in August. I'll do my best for the rest of the season."
Ushijima lifted the BayStars to third place last season following their last-place finishes for three consecutive seasons. However, Yokohama has been languishing in the bottom half of the six-team Central League in 2006 in a season plagued with injuries to key players such as outfielder Hitoshi Tamura and first baseman Takahiro Saeki.
After Sunday's games, Yokohama is in last place with a 47-68 record. Club President Kuniaki Sasaki said the Yokohama front office has been impressed with Ushijima's skills of developing young talent but has given up on efforts to extend the contract of the former Chunichi Dragons and Lotte Marines pitcher.
"We have received an offer from him to step down. We did our best to keep him with this team but eventually we have decided to respect his decision," Sasaki said.