Collins to Retire from Buffaloes Tonight

Well, I watched the game to the end (just when one thought that they were going to get out of the bases loaded no out jam, the Tigers clear the bases and turn the game around - bummer). It doesn't appear that the announcers were let in on this, even after the game. And Collins-kantoku, on the camera shots to the dugout, looked as he alway does, someone trying to find a way to win a ball game.

So this is either a prank, he's had a change of heart, or we'll hear about it later.

It took a while to get to the Net, but Collins-kantoku did announce his retirement earlier today.

• Nikkan Sports
• SpoNichi Annex
• Sports Hochi

(All of the above are in Japanese.)

Ohishi Daijiro (head coach) has been named to take place as field manager. It has also been announced that Mike Brown (chief pitching coach) and John Debus (chief batting coach) will be leaving the team as well.

This is just unbelievable. Only Orix, with its history of yearly scandals, could pull this off. Two months into the season the mananger, pitching, and batting coach all quit. Then they hire a no name manager with no major league experience. Another coup by idiot Nakamura and company. How pathetic!

Someone needs to knock the owner over the head and tell him to wake up. Since Nakamura has been with Orix, there has been nothing but scandal and losing seasons. Not to mention a change of manager nearly every year.

Again, how pathetic.

Wow, that's really crazy.

I mean, I don't really blame him, but it's still pretty sudden to me. I guess that means we're down to two foreign managers now.

Typical of Orix. Miyauchi and Nabetsune are the cancer of NPB.

This is very surprising to hear. It's too bad that Collins wasnt given the pieces to win as well as a front office that didn't work with him. I think this organization needs a major shakeup, top to bottom. They need a front office that will give the manager the right players and scouts that can get the right players. I think the GM needs to be out of here, hopefully sooner than later.

This will be the 4th manager in as many years and I'm sure they will have their 5th for next season. Not to mention shuffling of coaches and front office personel over those years as well. There is no stability at all and I think this organoization needs to get togehter this fall and come up with a plan and the people to implement that plan and stick with it.

This has been a year Orix would like to forget, and it's only going to get longer. With most of thier payroll in the gaikokujin Cabrera and Rhodes (who aren't performing up to expectations), Davey and LaRocca (who are both not even playing because of injuries), and an overpaid Ortiz, they are not getting their money's worth.

The Orix team has really struggled, but despite being in last place I think Collins has done a great job of stringing a rotation together with the likes of Komatsu, Yamamoto, and Kondoh. I don't think many people would think these guys would do much, but they have been very good. Remember, the team opened up the season without Davey, Hirano, and Kishida, who were supposed to carry the team. Any team losing their top 3 would be in trouble, and now Kishida is the only of those 3 back, and not sure if the other two will be back this year. I would be surprised if any of the gaijin players will be back next season.

I wish the best to Collins. He just never seemed to really open up to the Japanese baseball experience. I'm sure he will go back to the U.S. and this experience will make him a bettter manager if he decides to go that route again.

Will Gotoh get his # 1 back now? I sure hope so.

Well, Orix not getting out of a bases loaded jam is good news to Tigers fans (no bummer there).

On the matter of Collins - why should he put up with all the rubbish served up by Orix? The problem is the front office will continue blindly on without realising their stupidity.

Christopher summed my feelings about Orix up perfectly.

This is an organization that's a joke from top to bottom. The front office will continue to march on blindly without realizing their ineptness. Nakamura's ineptness is beyond belief.

As for Collins, you knew the ineptness of Nakamura and the rest of the clueless front office and the barking from the clueless ownership had to be taking its toll on him, even if he didn't or won't mention it as a reason, since he's been wanting to get out for a while.

I find it hard to believe that Collins' fire has burned out on its own in less than 1 1/2 years. I think it was stomped out by Mayuchi, Nabetsune, and Nakamura; the 3 amigos/idiots. If it was only Collins' fire that went out, then why did Brown and Debus quit also? It's clear Collins isn't telling the whole story. The combination of the front office's ineptness and the players' ineptness was too much. 90% of the runs Orix pitchers give up must come with 2 outs. It's insane. Plus the hitters almost never get a clutch hit. No wonder Collins is on a flight back to the States.