The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles said Tuesday they will appoint Hiromoto Okubo as new manger of the Pacific League club.

The 47-year-old Okubo will move up from his role as farm team manager. He will succeed Senichi Hoshino, who last month announced that he would resign at the end of this season.

Okubo became the Eagles batting coach in 2012 and took over as the farm team’s manager last year.

Okubo was in charge of the Rakuten top team for 17 games this year while Hoshino was out of action from May 26 to July 25 due to back trouble that required surgery.

As a player, Okubo joined the Seibu Lions out of high school in 1985 before going on to play for the Yomiuri Giants from the middle of the 1992 season.

Hoshino, who managed the Rakuten Eagles to the franchise’s first Japan Series title last season, said he would step down, adding that the team’s poor results this season forced his hand.

Rakuten finished at the bottom of the PL standings, 10½ games out of third place and the PL’s final playoff spot.