A high school coach who caused a player's finger to fracture during training with bare hands has been suspended for six months.
The Japan Student Baseball Association held a disciplinary committee meeting on the 20th and decided to suspend Takahiro Kobari (41), the coach of Sakushin Gakuen baseball team, until December 8 this year for 'dangerous and inappropriate guidance.'
According to reports from Mainichi, Nikkan Sports, and Sports Hochi, Coach Kobari directed a second-year member of the team, who was training at first base, to take off his mitt (glove) and train to catch the ball with bare hands on May 1. The intention was to familiarize the player with the feel, as the catching ability is important for the position.
As a result, the injured student spent the entire afternoon training by catching throws from other fielders with bare hands. However, when the severe pain did not subside even after returning home, they had to visit a hospital.
X-ray examinations and medical staff findings revealed that the student had sustained fractures to two places on their right ring finger. Recovery could not be achieved with just a cast, and they needed surgery the following day.
During the committee meeting, more details of the incident were revealed. It was not only the throws from other fielders but also the fact that the coach had the student catch balls struck by a bat with bare hands. Coach Kobari took a knocking bat himself and directed the student to catch about 10 hit balls without a glove.
According to statements, the intensity of the hit balls was not strong, and they were hit as ground balls that were easy to catch. However, this was also a peculiar training method that had not been heard of before.
In addition, the training with fielders was conducted in two forms.
The first was a basic format where ground balls were rolled to the pitcher and second baseman, who would catch them and throw them to first base to get the batter out. During this time, the injured student caught the ball with bare hands without wearing a mitt. Although there was no directive from the coach, it was stated that the pitcher or second baseman threw lightly.
The same approach was taken during bunting practice with a left-handed pitcher. The training involved rolling a ball toward third base, where the left-handed pitcher would run in to catch the ball and throw it to first base, about 20 meters away. However, the commission's investigation found that bare-hand catches were not conducted during training for third basemen or shortstops, where the distance to first base was relatively far.
During this process, the injured student sustained bruises on their right hand. Specifically, fractures were found in the first and second joints of the ring finger, requiring immediate surgery. The hospital diagnosed a two-month recovery period.
Two days after the incident, Coach Kobari and officials from the baseball team visited the victim and their parents to apologize. The school issued strict warnings to three individuals, including the baseball team coach, supervisor, and a teacher in charge of the baseball team, on June 4, about ten days after the incident occurred.
As protests about the lukewarm response continued, they finally prohibited Coach Kobari from participating in baseball activities on the 9th, five days later. They also appointed Mizuhiko Sato (41), a coach who is an alumnus of the school, as the new coach.
The Sakushin Gakuen where the incident occurred is a prestigious school in the area known for its academic excellence. It also has a strong tradition in baseball, having reached the Koshien tournament finals 27 times in total, including 11 times in spring and 16 times in summer. Among these, they claimed victory three times (once in spring and twice in summer).
The problematic Coach Kobari was regarded as a 'promising young leader.' He is an alumnus of the school and was a middle infielder during his time there, playing a significant role in reaching the quarterfinals of the Spring Tournament in 2000.
However, he failed to achieve his dream of becoming a professional player and took up a coaching position at his alma mater immediately after graduating from university in 2006. He became the head coach at the age of 26 in September of the same year.
Since taking charge of the baseball team, he has delivered outstanding results. In 2009, just three years later, he achieved a place in the Koshien finals for the first time in 31 years. Moreover, he maintained the top position in Tochigi Prefecture for 10 consecutive years from 2011 to 2021.
Ultimately, in 2016, he reclaimed the championship title at the summer Koshien tournament, marking a return after 54 years since 1962. Thanks to these results, he was also appointed as a coach for the under-18 national team in 2019.
His personal Koshien tournament record stands at 15 appearances with 21 wins and 14 losses, yielding a win rate of 0.600. He has one championship, one semifinal appearance, and made it to the quarterfinals three times.
He has produced four students who became professional players: Takuya Matsuzaki (former Yomiuri catcher), Kazunari Ishii (Nippon Ham infielder), Tatsuya Imai (Seibu pitcher), and Daisei Irie (DeNA pitcher).
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