"I Lost My Temper Over a Backtalk..." Shinnosuke Abe, Lee Seung-yuop's Close Friend, Arrested for Assaulting His Own Daughter, Shocking Yomiuri

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\r\n[Financial News] The Yomiuri Giants, one of the most prestigious clubs in Japanese professional baseball, were thrown into turmoil. Shinnosuke Abe (47), the team's manager and a former franchise star, was arrested by police on suspicion of assaulting his own daughter, in an unprecedented scandal.
According to Sports Hochi and other Japanese media outlets on the 26th, Abe was arrested on the evening of the 25th at around 7:10 p.m. at his home in Shibuya, Tokyo, on assault charges.
The incident unfolded as follows. Police said Abe physically assaulted his 18-year-old eldest daughter, including pushing her to the ground, while trying to stop a fight between her and his 15-year-old younger daughter.
After being taken into custody by police who responded to the report, Abe admitted the allegation, saying, "My daughters were fighting, and I was telling them to be quiet. She talked back, and I lost my temper." He underwent intensive questioning at the police station and was released and sent home after midnight.
The news of the manager's arrest, coming in the middle of the season, sent the club into shock. Toru Kunimatsu, president of the Yomiuri Giants, immediately issued a statement and said with a stern expression, "Violence can never be tolerated for any reason. We are taking this matter very seriously."
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He then bowed his head and said, "We deeply apologize to everyone involved in professional baseball and to all fans for causing such a serious incident on the eve of the interleague series," adding, "We will consider strict disciplinary action against Abe, including his future with the team." That effectively means the club is weighing dismissal. With its manager gone, Yomiuri will go into emergency mode under acting manager Hideki Hashigami starting with the game against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks on the 26th.
What makes this case even more shocking is Abe's overwhelming symbolic importance to Yomiuri. He spent 19 years with the Giants alone and became a legendary catcher with 2,132 hits and 406 home runs in his career. He took over as manager in 2024 and led the team to first place in the Central League that year, earning recognition for his leadership as well.
For Korean baseball fans in particular, he is widely known as Lee Seung-yuop's close friend from their playing days at Yomiuri.
\r\nThis year, Abe personally appointed Lee Seung-yuop as Yomiuri's batting coach, drawing major expectations in both Japan and South Korea. This disgraceful assault scandal and the looming possibility of his dismissal have left a deep sense of bitterness throughout the baseball world.
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jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter