Shinnosuke Abe, manager of the Yomiuri Giants, resigned on Tuesday following his arrest for allegedly assaulting his 18-year-old daughter. The 47-year-old former star catcher was arrested on 25 May for allegedly grabbing his daughter and forcing her to the floor at their Tokyo home.
At a press conference after his release, Abe apologised for “tarnishing the proud tradition of Giants managers”. He said: “I caused tremendous concern and inconvenience to baseball fans, people involved in professional baseball and the organisation because of family-related problems. I sincerely apologise.”
The Giants’ owner, Toshikazu Yamaguchi, stated that the club “determined he cannot remain as manager” and viewed “the act of violence very seriously”. Club president Toru Kunimatsu also apologised and said disciplinary action against Abe would be considered.
Police reported that Abe was “furious” when his daughters, aged 18 and 15, did not quieten down after he asked them to. According to Nikkei Asia, Abe was intoxicated at the time. The 18-year-old contacted a child guidance centre, which made an emergency call to police. No injury was reported, and police said they had no prior reports involving Abe.
In a letter read at the press conference, the daughter denied being physically abused and described the incident as isolated. She said she did not expect her father’s arrest and that they had reconciled. Abe asked the media to be considerate of his daughter, who is “at a sensitive age”.
Abe, a legendary catcher with 2,132 hits and 406 home runs, led the Giants to the Central League pennant in his first season as manager in 2024. The club has named offensive chief coach Hideki Hashigami as acting manager.
