Oh says Ichiro plans to play 2009 WBC

Japanese baseball great Sadaharu Oh is confident Ichiro Suzuki will take part in the 2009 World Baseball Classic when Japan will defend its title.

"I talked to Ichiro and he said he is planning on playing," Oh was quoted as saying Thursday on the Nikkansports Web site.

The Seattle star, who was a key player of the 2006 team that won the inaugural WBC, was expected to take part in the 2009 event but had expressed some frustration with the selection of a manager for the 2009 team.

Oh, who managed the 2006 team, will not be able to manage next year because of health reasons. The 2009 WBC begins on March 5 at Tokyo Dome.

Yomiuri Giants manager Tatsunori Hara was named Tuesday as coach for the 2009 tournament.

Center fielder Suzuki caused a stir in Japan baseball circles earlier this month when he was quoted as saying he doubted Japanese baseball officials were taking the tournament seriously if they were unwilling to appoint an active manager.

Former manager Senichi Hoshino, who managed the national team at the Beijing Olympics where Japan failed to win a medal, was also considered for the job but turned it down.

Oh said that Suzuki told him it wasn't his intention to influence the selection process with those comments.

Oh, who was widely credited with convincing Suzuki to play in the first WBC, will serve as an adviser to Japan's team next year.