If history is any indication, Hanshin manager Yoshio Yoshida will lead Hanshin to a strong finish in 1998, then he'll be fired when the Tigers take a nose-dive in 1999.

From 1975-78, he led the club to a third and second finish but was told to resign after the club finished fourth in his third year. Beginning his second three-year stint in 1985, Yoshida led the Tigers to their first Japan Series championship, but after the team fell to third and sixth the next two years, he lost his job.

Before his third stint, Hanshin finished 1996 in sixth place with 54-76 record. Rejoining the team in 1997, Yoshida led the team 62-73 finish, a good improvement considering their hitting remained consistent (though they did belt 26 more home runs) while their pitching worsened. Considering Hanshin's overall weakness, Yoshida didn't have a lot to work with.

During the 1980s, Hanshin slugger Randy Bass criticized Yoshida for many managerial blunders, including having players but too much and benching several of the key players who helped the Tigers win the 1985 pennant.

Yoshida is by no means a great manager (he wouldn't have gotten the Tigers to the 1985 Japan Series if not for Bass earning a triple crown with 54 home runs) but there have certainly been worse.

In his seventeen season playing career (1953-69) entirely with the Tigers, Yoshida played in 2007 games, compiled a career .267 batting average, clubbed 66 home runs, belted 70 triples (tenth on the all-time list) and stole 350 bases (fourteenth).

Despite his low average, Yoshida had a pretty good eye, earning 569 walks in his career while only striking out 325 times. In 1954 and '56 he led the league in stolen bases.