Tao gets axe as Rakuten to end season in cellar

TOKYO, Japan - Rakuten Eagles manager Yasushi Tao (file photo) will be given his walking papers in a dismissal at the end of the season to take responsibility for the Pacific League club's dismal performance, team sources said Sept. 25. Tao signed a three-year contract to take the helm of Rakuten, which was the first team to be created in Japanese pro baseball in nearly half a century. (Kyodo)

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