Former Carp pitching star Yutaka Ono returned to Hiroshima as a coach on Thursday, saying he will revive the practice of marathon bullpen sessions that had been out of favor under former manager Marty Brown.
"They're going throw their arms into shape," said Ono, who will be head coach in charge of pitching for new skipper and former teammate Kenjiro Nomura.
"Out of that, they will build up their shoulders, their bodies and I hope become mentally tougher."
Ono won 148 games and saved 138 in a career in which arm trouble knocked him from the starting rotation into the bullpen.
"Manager Nomura and I share a common philosophy on baseball, and I want to support his efforts," Ono said.