pitcher On March 16, Rakuten Eagles ・ Kenta Maeda pitcher (37), former 3A player for the Yankees, who returned to the Japanese baseball world for the first time in 11 years after winning a total of 68 games in the majors, Rakuten Eagles held a press conference in Mobile to show off his uniform number 18, the same number carried by former ace Masahiro Tanaka The Giants (37), who was also in the 1988 generation. He declared, "I'm going to be Rakuten Eagles here for the rest of my life. The team is aiming to win its first Japan championship since 2013.

Maeda, bathed in countless flashes, began to speak nervously about his determination to wear the number 18 jersey.

"number was the most troublesome thing, and when it comes to The Eagles 's number 18, I have a strong image of Masahiro Tanaka."

At Rakuten Eagles, Masahiro Tanaka, who was the same age, wore the number for a total of 11 seasons and achieved 119 wins, making it a truly symbolic number. "I wondered if I should wear it. I was troubled by it."

However, it is a "very important number" to him, having worn it from 2008, his second year with Hiroshima, until midway through the 2015 season. When the team presented it to him, he was surprised but also overwhelmed with joy. Afterwards, he contacted Tanaka Masahiro and asked if he could wear it. He readily agreed, saying, "Of course, that's fine." "I have a lot of respect for Tanaka Masahiro myself, and he's the player I've always aspired to be, someone I've always followed in his footsteps. It's a great honor and a joy," he said of his decision to inherit the ace number.

He said he would make the number his own through results. "I think there might be some fans who have a slightly negative view of it, but even if it's not right away, I want to do my best to earn their recognition by letting them see on ground how I approach wearing the number 18 and how I fight with all my might for the team's win," he said, expressing his determination.

The team offered him a lucrative two-year contract plus performance-based bonuses totaling approximately 400 million yen, and they also explicitly stated that they would give him the starting pitcher role he desired, which was the deciding factor in his joining the team. This season with The Tigers, he was unable to achieve the results he wanted due to a breakdown in pitch form early in the spring, and he even experienced a transfer to the Yankees' Triple-A team. However, he also showed pitch that belied his age, including clocking a top speed of 150 km/h.

With eight television cameras and about 70 members of the press gathered that day, he renewed his determination, saying, "I didn't choose the team half-heartedly, and I chose it because I thought it would be the last team of my career.I came here with the intention of ending my career with this team."

"I'm really looking forward to next season, and I'm feeling really excited," he said, expressing his excitement as he returns to Japanese baseball for the first time in 11 years. Will he be able to help boost momentum for the team to become number one in Japan for the first time in 13 years since 2013? Maeda will be entering the "final chapter" of his career in Sendai. (Nagai Tsuyoshi)

〇... Rakuten Eagles 's Maeda surprised the approximately 70 reporters gathered at his signing press conference by presenting them with T-shirts he had drawn of the team's mascot. Maeda, despite being a professional baseball player, is known for his unique artistic talent, having appeared on TV Asahi's "Ame Talk!" in the "Comedians with No Artistic Talent" segment. When asked about the team's plans to produce merchandise, he elicited laughter with his characteristic "Maeken style," saying, "I don't draw easily either (laughs). It wasn't included in the contract, so it will be something we'll negotiate later."

◆Ask Maeken

—What are your impressions of Rakuten Eagles?

"We have veterans among both pitcher fielder, and I think we also have some really good young players, so I believe we are a team with real potential and a team that can aim for the championship."

-What are your thoughts on reaching 200 wins in Japan and the US?

"It's still a little far away, so it's not a number that I can achieve next year or anything like that, so I want to keep building on it one step at a time. However, at my age, it's difficult to have a numerical goal, but 200 wins is a number that motivates me, so I want to work hard to reach that goal."

—Which Pacific League player would you like to face?

"Kiyomiya (Yuki) of the Nippon-Ham Fighters and Nakagawa (Orix Buffaloes), who is my junior from PL Gakuen High School. When Kiyomiya was in elementary school, we played against each other on a TV program, and we talked about how 'if we ever become professional baseball players, let's play against each other,' so I'm happy to see that our promise come true."

―To Rakuten Eagles fans.

"I want to take mound for the team's win and lead every game I pitch to win. I especially want to become the kind of pitcher that makes people think, 'I want to go to the stadium to watch Kenta Maeda pitch.'"