Rakuten Eagles On October 4, Haruka Yamada infielder (29) and Tomotaka Matsui pitcher (26) announced that they will retire at the end of this season and become academy coaches starting next season.
Yamada joined Seibu Lions as the fifth pick in the 2014 draft. After playing for Nippon-Ham, he joined Rakuten Eagles on a development contract in 2024 and was registered as a regular player in March of the same year. He did not play in the first team this season. He has played in 252 NPB games, with a batting average of .196, 31 RBI, and 1 Home Run. "Thank you so much for all the warm support during my two years with Rakuten Eagles. I am truly grateful to the people of Tohoku and to all The Eagles fans. I am truly happy to have been given the opportunity to return this gratitude. I was able to play in professional baseball for 11 years, so I would like to pass on what I learned here to the children. I will do my best with passion, passion, passion, and energy! I look forward to working with you in the future," he commented.
Matsui joined the team as the fifth pick in the 2021 draft. This season, he was a member of the opening day first-team roster and served as a long reliever, pitching in 13 games with a record of 1 win, 3 losses, 1 hold, and an ERA of 6.00. "I have decided to put an end to my playing career and will be taking on the role of academy coach. During my four years as a player, there were many difficult times and things did not go as I had hoped, but I will still remember the scene of my hero interview after my first win. From now on, I will do my best to convey the charm of baseball to the next generation of players," he said.
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