For more than a decade, the Chunichi Dragons have been perennial losers ― except for one season. In 2020, the Aichi Prefecture-based team finished with a 60-55-5 record.

During every other year since 2013, the Dragons have failed to win more games than they’ve lost. Which is why recent news reports about an imminent managerial change have generated big attention, and not just because the team’s latest dugout boss (Kazuki Inoue) won’t be back for a third season in charge.

With Inoue at the helm, the Dragons went 63-78-2 in 2025, followed by a 60-81-2 debacle in ’26.

As of this writing, the Nippon Professional Baseball team is on the verge of officially handing the managerial reins to Kimiyasu Kudo, whose baseball life has been defined by victories, championships and sustained success.

As a player, the left-handed pitcher amassed 224 victories between 1982 and 2010. He contributed to a jaw-dropping 11 Japan Series titles with a trio of NPB franchises, the Seibu Lions (eight times), Fukuoka Daiei (now SoftBank) Hawks and Yomiuri Giants.

As a manager, the confident, capable leader piloted the SoftBank Hawks for seven seasons (2015-21). It was an outstanding era for Fukuoka, with the Hawks fans celebrating Japan Series titles in 2015 and after four consecutive NPB title series starting in 2020.

Winning is contagious, pundits tell us. It’s also been noted that successful leaders impact the foundation of their organizations ― in sports, in business and other sectors of society.

Clearly, the Dragons need new leadership. And the fact that a proven winner, as a player and as a manager, is available to take over as skipper for the moribund franchise is, well, exactly what the Dragons need for 2027.

The fact that Kudo, 63, was born in Aichi Prefecture adds a layer of intrigue to their next manager’s storyline.

Pride will be on the line for Kudo as he seeks to restore the Dragons to a level of consistency and respectability that they haven’t experienced since Hiromitsu Ochiai served as skipper (2004-11, including a Japan Series crown in ’07).

In 2020, after the Hawks’ fourth consecutive title-winning campaign, NPB legend and SoftBank chairman Sadaharu Oh summed up Kudo’s impact on the ballclub.

“He successfully drew out the power of young players and invigorated the team,” Oh told reporters.

After beating the Giants in the 2020 Japanese Fall Classic, Kudo reflected on the team’s goals heading into that season.

“Last year we won and aimed to become the best in Japan for the fourth straight year,” Kudo was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. “With that goal in mind, the beginning of the season was tough but we played hard, won, and won the league title, and that dream of four consecutive wins actually came true.”

Since 1999, SoftBank has captured 10 Japan Series titles and 12 Pacific League pennants, with a quartet of dugout bosses (Oh, Koji Akiyama, Kudo and current manager Hiroki Kukubo) leading the team to championships. And since 2004, the Hawks have missed the playoffs only three times.

Kimiyasu Kudo was an integral part of that exceptional run, and the Hawks are the reigning Japan Series champions.

For the Chunichi Dragons, moving in the right direction begins with giving a proven winner a chance to put his stamp on the team.

That time is now.

Kudo is the right baseball man to steer the Dragons, who finished in last place in the Central League in four of the past five seasons, out of the pits of despair.

Dragons president Hiroyuki Kato spoke about his aspirations for the club as it looks ahead to a new era, recognizing that Kudo will get the job done.

“We asked him to ‘lend his hand ahead of our club centenary (in 2036),’ ” Kato said, according to Kyodo News. “He’s a manager who knows how to win. He can inject experience and knowledge.”

For the Dragons, the start of the 2027 season cannot arrive soon enough.