Nippon-Ham outfielder Chusei Mannami renewed his contract at ESCON on the 4th, signing for 195 million yen (estimated amount), an increase of 30 million yen from 165 million yen.
This season, he played in 127 games and hit 20 home runs for the first time in two years, but his batting average was a dismal .229 and he also made mistakes defense, making it a tough season for him. "I'm just frustrated. I think it was my fault that we missed out on the championship. I feel responsible. There were many times when my batting and defense didn't go well." However, he revealed that his batting numbers weren't bad, and expressed confidence, saying, "Just by improving the direction of the ball and things like that, I could have completely changed the results, even if they were the same as this year. My challenges since the offseason didn't go well, but I can definitely improve."
Looking ahead to next season, he said, "I just want to go all out. I want to start training camp on February 1st next year in the best condition, far surpassing my previous self. In order to win the championship, I will definitely need to produce some very high numbers. I want to work hard towards that goal." When asked what "going all out" means, he said, "I want to produce results next year that will turn everything I've done so far around, and although there are a lot of great pitcher and batters Pacific League, I want to produce results that are second to none. I guess that's how fired up I am. Practice is going well, and I'm doing it with such strong determination."
During the negotiations, he requested improvements to the natural turf outfield at ESCON. "It's slippery, and because of the soil it gets gouged out. People trip and fall there, or slides get stopped and it's dangerous, and that happens all the time. If it's that rough, it becomes difficult to predict where the ground ball will bounce. August and September are important months for all the teams, and I don't think it's good for the condition to deteriorate leading up to those times, so I told them I wanted them to do something to improve that," he revealed.
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