One of Hideki Kuriyama’s core beliefs as a manager—both with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and later with Team Japan at the 2023 World Baseball Classic—was simple:

Believe.

When sending players into critical moments, most managers quietly pray for success. Kuriyama refused to manage that way.

Rather than “hoping” or “wishing,” he chose to trust his players completely. He believed in their preparation, their ability, and their potential.

That philosophy defined his relationship with Shohei Ohtani from the very beginning.

During Ohtani’s years with the Fighters, Kuriyama faced relentless criticism for supporting the two-way experiment. Many in Japanese baseball insisted Ohtani should focus only on pitching or only on hitting.

Kuriyama never backed down.

Even if the entire baseball world opposed the idea, he believed in Ohtani’s potential more than anyone else.

That unwavering trust eventually helped create the two-way player the world now knows.

The same relationship carried into the 2023 WBC.

In the championship game, Kuriyama entrusted Ohtani with preparing himself in the way he believed was best. Rather than controlling every detail, he gave Ohtani ownership and responsibility.

Ohtani later reflected on how meaningful that trust was to him:

“I was happy that they trusted me. Because they trusted me that way and left everything in my hands, I was able to focus completely on what I needed to do.”

People often perform their best when they know they are genuinely trusted.

For Ohtani, that trust removed distractions and pressure. It allowed him to devote all of his energy toward helping Japan win.

The bond between Ohtani and Kuriyama was not built overnight.

It was forged through years of criticism, challenges, and shared belief in a dream that many people once thought was impossible.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.

Baseball Youth II: MLB Edition 2018–2024 — Shohei Ohtani Long Interview, p.286