Hanshin Tigers team owner Shinya Sakai said Saturday that the next manager of the Central League team will likely be appointed for the long haul.
Hanshin aims to narrow down its choices for manager Akinobu Mayumi's successor to one by the end of the season and batting coach Yutaka Wada appears to be the top candidate for the job.
"I don't think we'll be looking for a replacement in one year. It depends on how the person feels but normally it would be three years," Sakai said.
Asked about his plans to recruit coaching staff from outside the organization, Sakai said, "Coaches have a specialist job. If the person has achievements and the desire to coach for the team, that's possible."