Hiroki Kokubo

Hiroki Kokubo is a former professional baseball player and the current manager of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Known for his playing career as a versatile infielder, Kokubo represented Japan in international competitions, including the World Baseball Classic. After transitioning to coaching, he took the helm of the Hawks, leading the team to success, including a championship title. Under his management, Kokubo is recognized for his strategic thinking and ability to develop players, and he has recently praised Taiwanese pitcher Hsu Jo-hsi for his strong performance in an exhibition game.