OSAKA (Kyodo) Haruo Wakimura, who has promoted reforms in Japanese amateur baseball as president of the Japan High School Baseball Federation, said Wednesday he plans to step down from his post before the expiration of his tenure next May.
Wakimura, 76, has helped improve the long-strained relationship between amateur and professional baseball in Japan since taking over from his predecessor Naotaka Makino in November 2002.
Most notably in his efforts to lower the wall hindering exchanges within Japanese baseball circles, Wakimura allowed active professional players to coach high school players at their alma maters during the offseason.