The catcher who received superstar Ohtani's ball four years ago...42-year-old Suzuki Angels head coach Ola without coaching experience, and Ohtani led the victory in 1,072 days

Oct 22, 2025

Suzuki's new coach was a catcher who boasted strong shoulders when he was a player. He served as special adviser to the Angels general manager after retiring as a player with the Angels in 2022. AP Yonhap News

Suzuki teamed up with Ohtani, who started against Texas in April 2021. Ohtani, who restarted Lee Do-ryu that year, won nine games as a pitcher. AP Yonhap News

A 42-year-old leader with no coaching experience took over the 73-year-old veteran coach. The Los Angeles Angels of the U.S. Major League Baseball appointed and announced a new head coach on the 22nd (Korea time). Kurt Suzuki (42), a catcher who spent the last two seasons with the Angels, was in charge of rebuilding the team. After finishing his career at the end of the 2022 season, he will return to the field as a coach after four years. The Angels, a member of the American League West, failed to advance to the postseason for 11 consecutive years from 2015 to this year. The winning rate has been below 50% for 10 consecutive years since 2026.

Bench coach Ray Montgomery led the Angels for the rest of the season as Ron Washington (73) left in June due to health problems. The Angels waived their contract with Washington coach, whose two-year contract ended.

It's a surprise appointment. There were rumors that Albert Pujols (45), who hit a career '703 home runs', would take the helm of the Angels. Since last month, there have been reports that negotiations have been underway and have been virtually tapped. Suzuki's card emerged when negotiations with Pujols failed. Suzuki worked as a special assistant to the Angels general manager after retiring as a player.

Japanese baseball players lead two major league teams based in Los Angeles and nearby areas. Suzuki is a third-generation Japanese born in Maui, Hawaii. My grandparents are from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. I spent my high school days in Hawaii.

He first visited Japan in 2001 as part of the high school selection team. Seattle

Suzuki spent 16 seasons as a catcher in the Major League. AP Yonhap News

He participated in the opening series of Major League Baseball with the Mariners.

LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is also bleeding Japanese. He was born in Okinawa to an American father and a Japanese mother.

The relationship with Shohei Ohtani (LA Dodgers) is eye-catching. He was joined by Angels facility Ohtani as a starting pitcher and catcher. Catcher Suzuki led Ohtani, who started against the Texas Rangers on April 27, 2021, to the victory. That year, Ohtani restarted 'Idolryu', which doubles as a pitcher and batter. Ohtani scored four runs in five innings and earned his first win of the season. He became the winning pitcher for the first time in 1,072 days.

In that year, Ohtani pitched in 23 games with a 9-2 record with a 3.18 ERA. In an interview with the U.S. media at the time, Suzuki praised Ohtani for his quality as a top pitcher, mentioning Max Scherzer, who was with the Washington Nationals.

Suzuki joined Oakland in 2004 as a two-time rookie and made his major league debut in 2007. He then moved to Washington, Oakland, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves and Washington before moving to the Angels in 2021. He retired after playing as a backup catcher for the Angels for two years. Since then, he has been involved in scouting and fostering as a special adviser to the Angels.

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He was recognized for his strong shoulders and sophisticated hitting during his active career. He played 16 seasons and 1635 games in the Major League and recorded a career batting average of 0.255-1421 hits, 143 home runs, and 730 RBIs. He was named an All-Star in 2014 when he was a member of Minnesota. He is a member of Washington's World Series championship in 2019.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.