Former Softbank Hawks manager Sadaharu Oh, who currently serves as an adviser to Japanese baseball commissioner Ryozo Kato, was appointed on Thursday as a special ambassador for Japanese baseball.
The 68-year-old Oh paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Taro Aso the same day after accepting a government request to take the post from Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone.
''Making exchanges with other countries through baseball will also benefit Japan diplomatically,'' Nakasone said before formally delegating the task to Oh.
''I have a specific title but I am not thinking about doing anything special,'' said Oh. ''I will just continue to do my best for young people through baseball.''
Oh left his post as manager of the Softbank Hawks for health reasons in October last year and was given the commissioner's advisory role the same month.
The all-time Japanese home run king underwent a successful operation to remove his stomach after being diagnosed with stomach cancer four months after guiding Japan to the inaugural WBC title in March 2006.
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