There is an opening. Yesterday, Terry Collins announced his resignation as manager of the Orix Buffaloes, formerly the Orix Blue Wave, and the original team of Ichiro Suzuki. Pitching coach Mike Brown and batting coach John Debus also resigned. An interim managed has been named from within the coaching staff.

Collins led the team to a 83-105-5 record since joining the team for the 2007 campaign after Orix finished in the second to last spot the previous season. The team finished in last place in 2007 and has spent most of the 2008 season in the same position with a record of 21-28 through Wednesday. Before joining Orix, Collins had been serving as player development director at the Los Angeles Dodgers. He managed the Houston Astros from 1994-1996 and the Anaheim Angels from 1997-1999.

It must have been difficult for Collins as he has had to deal with a team that, earlier this season announced the signing of Jeremy Powell only to be usurped by the Fukuoka Soft Bank Hawks for his services in what became somewhat of a scandal in Japanese baseball and prompted Nippon Professional Baseball Commissioner, Yasuchika Negoro, to step in and settle the dispute. Rumors continue to fly about the ineptitude of the Orix Buffaloes management team and this must have only compounded the already challenging task of understanding the culture of Japanese baseball and implementing change in an arena that is often reluctant to embrace that change.

While American managers like Bobby Valentine and Trey Hillman have had success in Japan that success has not come without frustration. Even though baseball was imported to Japan from the United States in the late 1800’s the establishment in Japan have traditionally been slow to adapt the American style of play. A league president in Japan was once quoted as saying “American managers are not suitable for Japan. They’re too easy.”

It’s rumored that Ichiro’s team, the Seattle Mariners, might be in need of a new manager? So I wonder if Terry Collins will be up for the job? Bobby Valentine says he isn’t interested. Collins and Ichiro might have something to talk about on the bench….