Tohoku Rakuten Eagles Haruka Yamada and Tomotaka Matsui retire from active play

Rakuten Eagles Haruka Yamada player, Tomotaka Matsui pitcher announced his retirement. Both players will become coaches at Rakuten Eagles Academy starting next season.

Yamada joined Saitama Seibu Lions as the fifth pick in the 2014 draft. He moved on to Hokkaido Nippon-Ham in 2023 and Tohoku Rakuten Eagles in 2024, playing in 252 games over 11 years as a professional, with a batting average of .196. pitcher joined Tohoku Rakuten Eagles as the fifth pick in the 2021 draft, playing in 27 games over four years, with a record of 3 wins, 6 losses, 1 hold, and ERA of 5.85.

▼Comment from Academy Coach Haruka Yamada ▼
"Thank you so much for all the warm support during my two years with Rakuten Eagles. I have nothing but gratitude for the people of Tohoku and The Eagles fans. I am truly happy to have been given the opportunity to return this gratitude. I was able to play in the professional baseball world for 11 years, so I would like to pass on what I learned here to the children. I will do my best with passion, passion, passion, and energy! I look forward to your continued support."

▼Comment from Academy Coach Tomotaka Matsui ▼
"I have decided to put an end to my playing career and take up the role of academy coach. During my four years as a player, I had many difficult times and things did not go as I had hoped, but I will never forget the scene of my hero interview after my first win. From now on, I will do my best to convey the joy of baseball to the next generation of players."

◇ Teruki Koga was sent to Saitama Seibu Lions JWL

Saitama Seibu Lions will be sending new player Teruki Koga to the Japan Winter League 2025, which began on Saturday, November 22nd, starting on Saturday, December 6th.

▼Comment from Hikaru Koga▼
"I will be joining midway through the season, but I hope to broaden the scope of my play by actively taking on new challenges. This is a valuable opportunity to see, listen to and learn from the play and thinking of players from other teams, so I hope to use what I learn there to help me grow as a player. In particular, I will work hard on my batting so that I can return to a slightly improved level."

◇ Chiba Lotte Marines signed a contract with Taisei Tanaka, the 7th draft pick

Chiba Lotte Marines signed a contract with pitcher Taisei Tanaka, who was drafted 7th from Honda Suzuka, and held a press conference. His favorite sweets at Lotte are "Koala's March" and "Crunchy Chocolate." number will be "60."

▼Comment pitcher Taisei Tanaka▼
"Signing the contract has given me a renewed sense of reality that I'm going to become a professional baseball player. I'd like to focus on pitching speed so that I can compete and develop my fastball, which is one of my selling points. I'm looking forward to feeling the support of the Lotte team!"

◇ Chiba Lotte Marines new player announcement event will be broadcast live

Chiba Lotte Marines will hold a press conference to announce the new players for the 2025 draft on Thursday, December 11th at 4:00 PM. The event will be broadcast live on satellite TV and also streamed on Pacific League TV. Pacific League TV will also be streaming the event on demand (post-event streaming).

・ Updated almost daily! Today's Pacific League

Related Links
・ Haruka Yamada and Tomotaka Matsui pitcher as Academy coaches
・ [Saitama Seibu Lions] Dispatch of players to the Japan Winter League 2025