The baseball world has been rocked by the arrest of Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe on suspicion of assaulting his daughter. The next day, Manager Abe held a press conference. Former Yakult Swallows manager Atsuya Furuta spoke about his feelings towards Manager Abe.
Shinnosuke Abe, manager of the Yomiuri Giants professional baseball team, has abruptly resigned after being arrested and released on suspicion of assaulting his daughter.
What did he say tearfully at the press conference, saying, “I have tarnished the name of the Giants, a team with a long tradition”? Abe Shinnosuke (47), manager of the Yomiuri Giants, appeared before many cameras just before noon on the 26th, dressed in a black suit and black tie, with a solemn expression. He began by saying, “My family troubles have caused great concern and trouble to many baseball fans, people involved in professional baseball, and the company. I have also tarnished the name of the Giants, a team with a long tradition, and I am filled with the desire to apologize deeply. I am grateful that I can apologize to everyone in this way. I am truly sorry,” and bowed his head for about five seconds.
He then added, “My daughter is a teenager in her third year of high school, so I would appreciate it if everyone would watch over her warmly.”
During the professional baseball season, Shinnosuke Abe, manager of the Yomiuri Giants, was arrested in the act on suspicion of assaulting his daughter. “The Giants must always be gentlemen,” and this is the first time in the team’s history that the manager of this traditional and historic club has resigned in the middle of the season.
Giants fans have expressed their surprise, with comments such as, “I was shocked when I saw the news this morning. Of course, violence is not good, so I’m glad he resigned as a way of taking responsibility,” and “I’ve been supporting Manager Abe since he was an active player, so I’m sad, and I think he also has to protect the team’s image, but I honestly wonder if it was necessary to go that far.”
At the press conference, his agent read a letter from his daughter, revealing the situation at home at the time of his arrest.
The letter from his daughter read, “Regarding the violence, there was no punching or kicking. This was the first time my father and I had such a big fight, and after consulting with ChatGPT, I was given an explanation that there is a child welfare center where I can consult anonymously, so I called them. My own wishes, such as ‘what should I do?’ were not asked, and it ended up with the police being notified. I was the most surprised when the police came, and when I saw my father being taken away by the police, I broke down crying in front of him.”
The daughter consulted the conversational AI “ChatGPT.” ChatGPT responded by suggesting that the child welfare center be contacted, and the Metropolitan Police Department, after being contacted by the child welfare center, arrested Manager Abe red-handed at his home. The daughter’s letter continued, “My father is always cheerful, and we laugh together while telling each other puns, and we go out to eat together, so we interact like a normal family. Also, please rest assured that I have already made up with my father.”
Manager Abe, unable to hold back his tears, said, “…I’m sorry. Leaving in this way…I really feel like I’m causing a lot of trouble. I was able to talk to Acting Manager Hashigami, but I didn’t know what to say. I’m sorry.” W
ith the interleague games starting on the 26th, how did the fans heading to Tokyo Dome react to Manager Abe’s press conference? Giants fan: “The team is all about being a gentleman, so beards and dyed hair are not allowed, isn’t that because it’s the Yomiuri Giants?” In the early hours of the 26th, manager Abe was seen in a black car that emerged from the Shibuya Police Station in Tokyo.
Fans heading to Tokyo Dome expressed their shock and bewilderment at the unusual situation of a manager resigning mid-season due to a scandal, saying things like, “It’s a bit disappointing. The sadness of losing a Giants star was greater,” and “These days, if you criticize someone, it becomes a problem. Back in our day, it was normal to be criticized. It was a time when we even criticized other people’s kids.”
The Giants’ interleague series against SoftBank begins on the 26th. They are currently in 3rd place in the Central League. This past weekend, they suffered their third straight loss in the traditional rivalry against Hanshin at their home stadium, Tokyo Dome. After the game, Manager Abe said in a press conference, “It was a three-game series that showed us the difference in strength. I’m sorry to the fans.” Fans commented, “He’s unfit to be a manager. He might have been angry because they kept losing.” Manager Abe, currently 47 years old, joined the Giants in 2000 as the first overall draft pick. He is one of the legends that symbolizes the Giants, having achieved 400 home runs and 2000 hits, and playing as the cleanup hitter and “hitting catcher.” After retiring as a player, he became the Giants’ manager in 2024 and led them to the Central League championship in his first year as manager.
On the other hand, Giants fans have said things like, “I wonder if it started when (Manager Abe) was a catcher and hit pitcher Sawamura,” and “He’s definitely a Showa-era guy. Was it pitcher Sawamura that got the sharp blow? The manager himself grew up in the Showa era, so I guess that’s how he was raised.” In Game 2 of the 2012 Japan Series, Manager Abe walked over to the pitcher on the mound and, in front of the crowd, “slapped him on the head” and reprimanded him.
Following Manager Abe’s resignation, the impact is spreading, with some merchandise sales being canceled or postponed around the dome. FNN Prime Online
Japan’s popular long-standing baseball team Yomiuri Giants manager Abe Shinnosuke quits following an alleged domestic incident involving his adult daughter at the family’s home in Shibuya Ward. Investigators say the daughter reportedly consulted the AI chatbot ChatGPT before contacting child welfare authorities.
Child welfare authorities typically intervene in cases involving severe violence, but the Giants organization states that there had been no previous incidents of violence.
