Mitsuru Manaka

1.1. Birth and Childhood

Mitsuru Manaka was born on January 6, 1971, in Satte, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. During his early childhood, his family relocated to Ōtawara, Tochigi Prefecture, which Manaka considers his hometown. He began playing baseball in the fifth grade while attending Ōtawara Elementary School in Ōtawara City.

1.2. Education and Amateur Baseball

Manaka attended Utsunomiya Gakuen High School (now Bunsei University of Art High School), where he played as the team's third batter. Alongside cleanup hitter 髙嶋徹_{Toru Takashima}^Japanese, he led his team to consecutive appearances in the Koshien Tournament during his third year in 1988. In the 60th Senbatsu Tournament (Spring Koshien), Utsunomiya Gakuen reached the Best 4, while in the 70th National Championship (Summer Koshien), they were defeated in the third round.

After graduating from high school, Manaka enrolled in the Department of Industrial Management within the Faculty of Economics at Nihon University. During his freshman year, in the autumn promotion/relegation series of the Tohto University Baseball League, he hit a crucial walk-off home run. In his senior year, during the spring season, he achieved a batting average of .386 and recorded 13 RBIs, securing two titles. In the autumn season, he contributed significantly to the team's championship victory alongside ace pitcher 門奈哲寛_{Tetsuhiro Monna}^Japanese, who later became a batting pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Throughout his career in the Tohto University League, Manaka played in 71 games, accumulating 78 hits in 260 at-bats, for a batting average of .300, along with 8 home runs and 41 RBIs. He was also selected for the league's Best Nine award four times. His university classmate was Hiroyuki Watanabe.

2.1. Draft and Debut

Mitsuru Manaka was selected by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the third round of the 1992 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Draft. He made his professional debut and first start on September 3, 1993, against the Yomiuri Giants at Meiji Jingu Stadium, batting eighth as the center fielder. In the same game, in the bottom of the seventh inning, he recorded his first career hit and RBI, a game-winning RBI single off Masaki Saito. His first professional home run came on September 29, 1994, against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Meiji Jingu Stadium, a solo shot in the sixth inning off Makoto Kito.

2.2. Key Seasons and Achievements

Manaka's early career saw a setback in 1996 when he was limited to just seven games due to hernia surgery. However, he bounced back in 1997, stepping in as the leadoff hitter to replace the injured Tetsuya Iida, and played a crucial role in the Swallows' league championship and Japan Series victory. In the 1997 Japan Series against the Seibu Lions, he started as the leadoff center fielder while Iida was sidelined, contributing to Yakult's 4-1 series win.

In 1998, Manaka played in all 133 games, reaching the minimum plate appearances for the first time in his career. The following year, 1999, he achieved his first professional batting average of .300. In 2001, he maintained a batting average of .312, significantly contributing to the team's league championship and Japan Series title. A notable moment from that season was on September 25 at Nagoya Dome, where he hit a go-ahead three-run home run against Chunichi Dragons ace Kenshin Kawakami, one of only two home runs he hit against Kawakami in his career.

During the golden age of the Yakult Swallows under manager Katsuya Nomura, Manaka competed with defensive standout Tetsuya Iida for the center field position. Initially, he served as a substitute when Iida was injured. However, as Iida experienced recurring injuries, Manaka's role expanded, and he became a regular outfielder, primarily playing right field and center field, from 1998. In the 2001 Japan Series against the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes, he gained attention for hitting a home run off Isao Koda in Game 3 with an unusually dynamic "great rotation batting form" that caused him to spin in the batter's box.

By 2005, the emergence of Norichika Aoki, who broke the Central League's single-season hits record, intensified competition for playing time, leading to a reduction in Manaka's appearances. However, he adapted to a new role, becoming a highly effective pinch-hitter, leveraging his clutch hitting ability. In 2007, he set two new Japanese records: 98 pinch-hit appearances in a single season and 31 pinch hits in a single season. These achievements earned him the monikers "pinch-hit artisan" and "god of pinch-hitting," and his records remain unbroken. His playing career concluded in 2008, after a season where he managed only one hit in 14 at-bats for a .071 batting average.

2.3. Playing Style and Characteristics

Despite not being particularly tall for a professional baseball player, Mitsuru Manaka was known for his reliable hitting and surprising power. During his university years, he was often compared to Tsutomu Wakamatsu, earning him the nickname "Wakaba II." He possessed considerable speed, capable of running the 164 ft ^{(50 m)} dash in 6.1 seconds. In the "Sportsman No.1 Championship" television program broadcast on January 1, 1998, he recorded a time of 6.52 seconds in the 164 ft ^{(50 m)} dash event.

Manaka had a notable batting advantage against Chunichi Dragons pitcher Kenshin Kawakami. In 59 at-bats against Kawakami, Manaka recorded 21 hits, a .356 batting average, 2 home runs, and only 7 strikeouts. Kawakami, who also struggled against Yomiuri Giants hitter Takayuki Shimizu, reportedly developed his cut fastball specifically to counter these two batters. Manaka's only home run at Nagoya Dome was hit off Kawakami. In a 2021 discussion, Kawakami humorously remarked that he was responsible for Manaka's salary increase due to their matchups. Kawakami also admitted that hearing the stadium announcer say "Number 1, center fielder, Manaka" would demotivate him. While Kawakami personally considered Manaka and Shimizu his most challenging batters, he noted that media interviews often led to him naming other prominent hitters like Yoshinobu Takahashi, Tomoaki Kanemoto, or Hideki Matsui as his toughest opponents due to editing.

During his playing career, due to his handsome features, he was sometimes referred to as the "Hiroyuki Sanada of the baseball world."

2.4. Player Awards and Records

During his professional playing career, Mitsuru Manaka achieved several notable individual awards and records. He was recognized with the Japan Series Outstanding Player Award in 2001.

His career milestones include:

• First appearance and first start: September 3, 1993, against the Yomiuri Giants in a game at Meiji Jingu Stadium, where he started as the eighth batter and center fielder.
• First hit and first RBI: Achieved in the same game on September 3, 1993, in the seventh inning with a game-winning RBI single off Masaki Saito.
• First home run: September 29, 1994, against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Meiji Jingu Stadium, a solo home run in the sixth inning off Makoto Kito.
• 1000 games played: July 16, 2004, against the Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome, entering as a pinch-hitter for Hirotoshi Ishii. He was the 395th player in NPB history to reach this milestone.
• 1000 hits: June 7, 2005, against the Saitama Seibu Lions at Seibu Dome (then Invoice Seibu Dome), hitting a double down the left field line off Shuichiro Osada in the eighth inning. He was the 233rd player in NPB history to achieve 1000 hits.
• All-Star Game appearances: 1 (2001).
• Single-season pinch-hit appearances: 98 (2007), a Japanese record.
• Single-season pinch hits: 31 (2007), a Japanese record.

2.5. Retirement as a Player

Mitsuru Manaka officially retired as a professional baseball player at the end of the 2008 season. His final season saw a significant decline in his performance, as he managed only one hit in 14 at-bats, resulting in a batting average of .071. This marked the conclusion of his 16-year playing career.

4.1. Appointment as Manager

On October 8, 2014, Mitsuru Manaka was officially announced as the new manager of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, succeeding Junji Ogawa. At the time of his appointment, Manaka had already gained experience managing the Swallows' farm team, positioning him as a natural successor.

4.2. 2015 Season: League Championship

The 2015 season proved to be a remarkable success for Manaka in his inaugural year as manager. The Swallows engaged in a fierce championship race with teams like the Yomiuri Giants until the final stages of the season. On October 2, in the decisive final regular season game against the Hanshin Tigers at Meiji Jingu Stadium, the Swallows secured a walk-off victory in the eleventh inning with an RBI single by Yuhei Takai, clinching the Central League championship. This achievement marked the team's first league title in 14 years and made Manaka a championship-winning manager in his first season. The feat of winning the league after finishing in last place the previous year was a rare accomplishment in the Central League, the first in 39 years.

In the postseason, the Swallows advanced to the Final Stage of the 2015 Central League Climax Series, where they faced the Yomiuri Giants, who had won the First Stage. Despite losing the opening game, Yakult rallied to win three consecutive games, securing the series 4-1 (including a one-game advantage awarded to the league champion). This victory marked the Swallows' first-ever Climax Series championship and propelled them to the 2015 Japan Series for the first time in 14 years. However, in the Japan Series, they were defeated by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks with a record of one win and four losses.

During the 2015 NPB Draft on October 22, Manaka was involved in a widely publicized incident. When the Swallows and Hanshin Tigers both selected Shun Takayama (then of Meiji University) as their first-round pick, Manaka and Hanshin manager Tomoaki Kanemoto participated in the lottery draw. Manaka mistakenly celebrated, believing he had won the negotiation rights, only to realize his error shortly after, as Kanemoto had actually drawn the winning ticket. This humorous blunder led to Manaka receiving the "Humor Award" that year. Furthermore, on September 4, 2015, his home prefecture of Tochigi appointed him as a "Tochigi Future Ambassador" in recognition of his contributions.

4.3. 2016-2017 Seasons and Resignation

Following the successful 2015 season, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows' performance declined significantly under Manaka's leadership in the subsequent years. In 2016, the team finished in fifth place, largely due to key players like Kazuhiro Hatakeyama, a regular from the championship team, suffering injuries and being sidelined.

The 2017 season saw a further deterioration in the team's performance. Hatakeyama again suffered an injury early in the season, and another key player from the championship squad, Shingo Kawabata, underwent surgery and made no first-team appearances. Even star player Tetsuto Yamada, who had achieved an unprecedented two consecutive triple crowns in NPB the previous year, saw his batting average fall below .250. The offense struggled with a lack of cohesion, and the pitching staff, including ace pitchers like Yasuhiro Ogawa and Masanori Ishikawa, completely collapsed, resulting in zero pitchers achieving double-digit wins. Despite a bright spot on July 26, when the team achieved a 10-run comeback victory, the first in NPB in 66 years, the Swallows endured a dismal season. They ultimately finished in last place, 44 games behind the league champions Hiroshima Toyo Carp and 15.5 games behind the fifth-place Chunichi Dragons. The team recorded a club-worst 96 losses and experienced two double-digit losing streaks in the first half of the season, a first in NPB in 61 years. Amidst this poor performance, Manaka's resignation as manager was announced on August 22, 2017. He publicly stated that he lacked confidence in leading the team to victory in the following season. Manaka officially stepped down from his managerial position after the conclusion of the 2017 season.

9.1. Media Appearances

Manaka has appeared in several television and web programs:

• Tsubame Keiji (2019 drama) - He appeared as himself.
• Abema de Weekend Boat Race (February-May 2020, AbemaTV) - He served as an irregular Friday teacher.
• Manaka Mitsuru ga Iku! (2021-present, Sports Live+) - A program featuring Manaka.

9.2. Publications

Mitsuru Manaka has authored one book:

• Dekinai Riyuu wo Sagasuna! Swallows Manaka-ryu "Tsubame Kakumei" (できない理由を探すな! スワローズ真中流「つばめ革命」^Japanese, "Don't Look for Reasons Not To! Swallows Manaka-style 'Swallow Revolution'") (March 2016, Baseball Magazine Sha).

10.1. Batting Statistics

10.2. Managerial Statistics

Manaka's managerial statistics include regular season performance and postseason results.

; Regular Season

; Postseason

• Bold indicates a series win.

: Note 1: Includes a one-game advantage awarded to the league champion.