Curt Suzuki, appointed manager of the Angels. AP=Yonhap News.

Curt Suzuki (42), a Japanese-American from Hawaii, has been appointed the new manager of the Los Angeles Angels in Major League Baseball (MLB).

The Angels announced on the 22nd (Korean time) that they had appointed Suzuki, who had served as a special assistant to the general manager for the past three years, as their new skipper.

The new manager Suzuki, who played as a catcher during his playing career, appeared in 1,635 games in the big leagues.

He was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 2004 and played in MLB from 2007 to 2022.

He joined the Angels in 2021 and retired after playing two seasons.

Suzuki, who left a strong impression as a clubhouse leader during his playing days, continued his connection with the Angels after retirement by being hired as a special assistant to the general manager.

Manager Suzuki received high marks as an assistant GM and was ultimately chosen as the new skipper after beating out strong competitors such as Albert Pujols and Torii Hunter in recent managerial interviews.

MLB.com explained, "Although Manager Suzuki has no experience as a field manager, he knows the Angels organization well and has shown leadership during his playing career." The Angels organization is confident that Manager Suzuki can succeed as a manager without coaching experience, similar to Cleveland Guardians manager Steven Vogt."

Suzuki is the first MLB manager from Hawaii.

Among those of Japanese descent, former Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts preceded Suzuki in MLB.

The Angels searched for a new manager after deciding not to re-sign manager Ron Washington, who had left the team in June due to heart surgery.

The recent news that MLB legend Pujols was included in the candidate pool generated significant buzz.

However, the Angels opted for Suzuki over Pujols.

Yonhap News