Genki Ishigaki (18), a right-handed pitcher with a top speed of 158 km/h and a first-round pick for the Lotte Marines, attended contract negotiations at a hotel in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture on the 27th and signed a provisional contract with a signing bonus of 100 million yen plus performance bonuses and an annual salary of 16 million yen. number has been decided as 18.
He put on his pinstripe uniform sleeves and tightened his expression. When Ishigaki gave his nomination speech on October 24, he had wanted to wear "17," the number carried by his idol, Dodger Akinori Sasaki, but he chose "18. I was quite torn," he said, "17 is well known as Akinori Sasaki's pitcher. If that was the case, I would have gone one higher. I wanted to go one step higher and be able to say that I am Lotte's 18, so I chose 18," he said with a twinkle in his eye.
The number 18 is a memorable number he wore as a member of the Japanese national team at the U-18 World Cup in September. When asked what number he would like to achieve, he said, "160 km/h next year. I would like to start pitching in the first team from around August," as he expressed his enthusiasm for an early debut. When asked what hitter he would like to face, he excitedly said, "Softbank 's Yanagita. I've been watching him since I was little, and he's an amazing batter." When asked if he aspires to play in the majors in the future, he said, "Of course. I want to be successful on the world stage."
"If I can become pitcher who can inflict despair on my opponents, I think I can become pitcher who represents the baseball world," said Ishigaki. With his ace number, he will carve a new legend of his powerful arm in the Makuhari stadium. (Kato Hiroshi)
number Kota Futaki The team's first-round draft pick in 1987, Hideki Irabu carried the team until 1996, and he became a dominant force in the Yankees organization in 1997.
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