The Kansas City Royals announced Friday that they have reached an agreement on a multi-year contract with Trey Hillman as manager.
Hillman, 44, is currently managing the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan's Pacific League. He spent 11 years as a manager in the New York Yankees' chain, starting as a 27-year old skipper and recording a first-place finish with Oneonta (A) in 1990 and running through the 2001 campaign with Columbus (AAA), earning Manager of the Year honors in 1996 and 2000.
Hillman then became a very popular figure in Japan, leading the Ham Fighters from a stretch of dismal campaigns to a composite 351-324 mark (.520 winning percentage) over five seasons, going to the postseason on three occasions, including a Japan Series title in 2006. His efforts were rewarded when he was named the 2006 Japan "Sportsman of the Year" by the 2006 Foreign Sportswriters of Japan.
最後の段落。「こういう試合をしたい」っていうのをシンプルに凝縮したときの言葉として、ヒルマン監督はひちょりを例に出して言ったよ。ひちょりかわいいなあ。そしてこれ読んだら、ヒルマン監督はファイターズが好きなんだなあと改めて実感して、涙が出てきちゃった。
"One of my players, my starting center fielder and leadoff man, likes to try to speak English. He comes up every day and he says very simply, 'Kantoku,' which is Japanese for manager, 'Enjoy, play hard, that's all.' Then he runs off. It's pretty simple."
「ぼくの選手のひとり、先発の中堅手でリードオフマンなんだけど、英語で話そうとするのが好きでね。毎日ぼくのところにやってきては、ただ単に「カントク、Enjoy, play hard, that's all(それだけさ)」と言うんだよ。で、そのあとどこかに走って行ってしまう。(ゲームというのは)結構シンプルなんだ。」