Trey Hillman
In April 2003, former NPB hitting star Leron Lee was promoted to manager, becoming the first African-American manager in Japanese baseball history. On May 17, 2003, the BlueWave faced the Nippon Ham Fighters, managed by Trey Hillman, for a battle between two American managers in Japan for the first time in 28 years (when Wally Yonamine's Chunichi Dragons faced Joe Lutz' Hiroshima Carp).