Orix Buffaloes Ryo Ota infielder (24) vowed to become "Ori's Dar," participating in a class in Habikino, Osaka, on April 14, and interacting with about 40 boys and girls. The first time I saw him, I thought, "If only more people would do that..." He dreamed of the day when he would be closer to Darvish (Padres), who has won 208 games in Japan and the United States, in his hometown. baseball baseball

"When you think of Habikino, you think of Darvish. I'd like to add Ryo Ota to that list." For the 24-year-old rising star, "Darvish," who is 14 years older than him, is a huge star from his hometown. In junior high school, they both played for the Habikino Boys and won the national championship. In March of this year, he became the second "Habikino Support Ambassador" in baseball world, following in the footsteps of his senior. Just like his right-hand man, who donates 100,000 yen for each win to the city's "Children's Welfare Fund," Ota is seriously considering purchasing "Muku-san seats" at Kyocera Dome and inviting his children to the stadium.

This season, his seventh year as a professional, he has made great strides with a batting average of .283, 10 Home Run, and 52 RBI. "Being successful in baseball is the most important thing," he says, striving for even greater heights and becoming a star in Minamikawachi. (Nambu Shunta)