Japan's 2023 World Baseball Classic-winning manager Hideki Kuriyama, the mentor for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame on Thursday.The 64-year-old managed the Nippon Ham Fighters for a decade from 2012 and led the Hokkaido-based club to two Pacific League pennants and one Japan Series title before his success with Samurai Japan.Ahead of the 2013 season, Kuriyama stunned the baseball world by successfully persuading Ohtani, who had his heart set on moving to Major League Baseball out of high school, to join him at the Fighters by providing h…READ FULL ARTICLE
