Overview
Drucker in the Dug-Out is a 10-episode animated adaptation of Natsumi Iwasaki's best-selling novel, Moshi Koko Yakyu no Joshi Manager ga Drucker no Management o Yondara (literally: What If a Female Manager of a High School Baseball Team Read Drucker's "Management"?). Published in Japan in 2009, as of December 2010 the novel has sold more than 1,800,000 copies, making it the top best-selling book in Japan for 2010 according to the Oricon ranking chart.
The TV series, directed by Takayuki Hamana (Erin, the Beast Player, Appleseed XIII, Library War) is scheduled to air on Japan's state-owned NHK General TV channel from April 25 to May 6, 2011.

Story
A high school girl named Minami Kawashima becomes the baseball team manager at Tokyo's Hodokubo High School. Minami accidentally comes across Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices - a classic 1973 book about successful management practice by the Austrian-American management guru Peter F. Drucker - and decides to apply the book's principles to lead her team to the final goal, or the coveted Koshien National High School Baseball Championship. All this to keep a promise made to the former manager, and her best friend, Yuki Miyata who is currently hospitalized.

Unfortunately for Minami, the team has a few problems.
To begin with, the coach is apparently incapable to communicate with the players properly. The fleet-footed outfielder is not exactly feeling at ease with the decision of making him an everyday player. The cleanup hitter is profoundly distressed at the idea of carrying on his shoulder the responsibilities as the team captain. And on top of that, the overly self-confident ace pitcher is rather unsatisfied with the coach attitude toward him.

Indeed, Minami has to confront a number of difficult tasks.

What does "customer" translate to in the world of high-school baseball?
How can you set self-management objectives that motivate your team members?
And then "marketing," "mission," "contribution," "innovation"...

Shall Drucker's business management and organization theories applied to high-school baseball enable Minami to take the team to the glory of the Koshien National High School Baseball Championship?

official website (Japanese only):
http://www.nhk.or.jp/anime/moshidora/

© Natsumi Iwasaki·DIAMOND, Inc. / NHK·NEP·IG