He said that he will continue to pitch as long as possible toward 200 wins, with 30 more wins to go. Rakuten Eagles ・ Takayuki Kishi pitcher (41), who will be in his 20th year as a pro next season, was inspired by Yakult ・ Masaki Ishikawa pitcher (45), the oldest active player in the game. At a press conference after his contract renewal, he declared for the first time in public, "I will do my best while keeping (200 wins) in the back of my mind. Ishikawa, who currently has 188 wins and will enter his 25th year next season, would like to continue to pitch for as long as possible and accumulate more wins.
During the off-season, Kishi had dinner with Ishikawa to deepen their friendship, and they also talked about reaching 200 wins. "There are young players and we have the handicap (of age). I want to keep doing my best without losing to that feeling. I want to do it as long as I can," Kishi said. Next season will mark his 10th year since transferring to Rakuten Eagles as a free agent. Not to be outdone by Ishikawa, Kishi will continue to play as a long-time player and take mound until he achieves the record.
Related News
・ [Rakuten Eagles] "Maybe it's time to say it out loud now" Signer Takayuki Kishi aims for milestone figure with 180 million yen, down 40 million yen
・ Yakult 's Masanori Ishikawa aims to become the oldest opening day pitcher in history at age 45, and is 14 wins away from reaching 200 career wins, saying he "definitely can do it."
・ [Rakuten Eagles] Takayuki Kishi "In the end, it's all about the result" - determined to win against Seibu Lions on the 2nd
・ Rakuten Eagles 's Takayuki Kishi achieves 10 wins for the first time on the same team in the interleague games, thanks to his teammates for shutting out the opponent in the seventh inning after being promoted again.
・ [Rakuten Eagles] New coach Chikara Onodera says to his former teammate Kishi, "I wonder if I should be strict with him," but then laughs bitterly, "I probably can't..."
