Lotte announced on December 12 that Shota Suzuki pitcher visited Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital on December 11 as part of the "Social Contribution Activity MARINES LINKS.

"MARINES LINKS" is a social contribution project in which the team, together with partner companies, supports social contribution activities led by The Marines players. The name "MARINESLINKS" reflects the desire to "LINK" everyone associated with Chiba Lotte Marines, including fans, local residents, government agencies, and partner companies, with The Marines players at the center.

Starting in the 2025 season, Suzuki will begin making donations based on his performance, donating 50,000 yen for each save or home run to the Certified NPO National Network for Supporting Children with Serious Illnesses, and this season he will donate 1 million yen (5 saves, 15 home runs).

In addition, this time, as part of this initiative, we visited the hospital where the pediatric ward is located. They visited the children who were recuperating, interacted with them through baseball, presented signed baseball caps, and took commemorative photos. At the end of the ceremony, the children handed pitcher Suzuki a necklace made of red and green origami and a message board that read, "Thank you for today, Merry Christmas."

▼ Shota Suzuki

"I came here today with the desire to give the children energy, but in fact I am the one who received the most energy. The happy smiles on each and every one of them really made an impression on me, and they encouraged me as well. This year was a disappointing season, but next season I would like to perform well enough to erase that disappointment and show the children I met today how hard I am working. I would like to continue providing support and participating in activities in various ways through baseball."