
Nippon-Ham pitcher Fukuya Yamazaki and catcher Torai Fushimi, who transferred from Nippon-Ham to Hanshin Tigers, held a talk show in Sapporo on the 22nd.
The battery, nicknamed "Sachitora" since their days Orix Buffaloes, immediately after taking the stage, Fushimi revealed that they were wearing matching glasses, which elicited cheers from the fans filling the hall.
When asked about the time when they had more opportunities to work together as a battery, Fushimi answered, "In 2020, around the time of COVID-19." Looking back on that time, he said, "I wasn't playing much as catcher either. Fukuya was pitching, but he wasn't good enough to maintain the rotation. Wakatsuki was the main pitcher, and it would be tough if he played all week, so it was like, "When Fukuya's in, he should do it. I was fired up, and Fukuya was fired up to maintain the rotation, and we were both really fired up. We had a ton of meetings to make the most of our one chance a week."
Furthermore, during meetings, he employs a special method to suit the somewhat airheaded Yamazaki. "I draw it on something like a blackboard, and tell him things like, 'When this batter hits, I'll curve the ball from this point, and when I throw here, I'll be a little stricter.' He can't get it across in words, so I use colors and other things that even a first or second grader can understand," he said with a laugh.
Yamazaki expressed his gratitude with a smile, saying, "There were lots of colors, and triangles and squares, so of course it was easy to get into my head."