On the 22nd, Softbank outfielder Kensuke Kondo (32) expressed his desire to team up again with Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (31) at next spring's World Baseball Classic. He participated in a baseball workshop held at the farm facility in Chikugo, Fukuoka. "If I'm selected, I really want to do my best for Japan," he said, expressing his determination to become world champions for the second consecutive tournament.
He was only able to play as a designated hitter and pinch hitter in the Japan Series due to pain in his left side, but he plans to resume batting practice in December. "First of all, I need to fully recover from my injury and get myself in shape and condition to be selected," he said, setting his sights on the big stage. He is looking forward to standing on the same ground again with his former teammates from his time with Nippon-Ham Fighters. "The scale is even bigger than last time, and I want to see it as a fan too," he said with shining eyes.
The United States will have a strong lineup, with Judge (Yankees) serving as the captain. "We (the Japan representative) have the world's No. 1, and it would be okay if the NO1 pitcher came out," he said, hoping that Ohtani would lead the samurai with two wields. (Koichiro Shimao)
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