Orix Buffaloes Atsuya Fujikawa pitcher (18), the No. 1 draft pick in the Japan National Draft, showed his desire to "move" into the "first team room" on the 7th. The 153-kilogram right-hander, Kyushu's No. 1, entered a dormitory in Maishima, Osaka, with nine other rookies. He entered the room next to room 416 used by Dodgers alumnus Yamamoto and set a high quota: "I have to surpass Yoshinobu Yamamoto (pitcher).

The dormitory, which began operation in the spring of 2017, has 42 rooms, most of which are about 11 tatami mats in size, but only five rooms, including Room 416 where Yoshinobu lived, are specially designed with a size of about 16 tatami mats. The rooms were assigned to dorm residents who were active in the first team, and since Yamashita left the dormitory in the off-season of 2024, all of the rooms have been vacant (temporarily being used by Teranishi, who is scheduled to leave before the start of the 2026 season). When Fujikawa heard about this on the day, he grinned and said, "I hope I can get into that room as soon as possible." He also said, "I hope I can establish myself in the first team at an early stage and be allowed to be a starter," setting his goal for his first year as a professional as "one win in the first team."

Morimatsu, the head coach during Yamamoto's high school days, coached him when he was a student at Miyakonojo High School in Miyazaki. When Yamamoto turned pro, the 2013 World Series MVP right-hander gave him some golden words of advice through his mentor: "Make sure you don't disrespect people, and make sure they trust you." Joint voluntary training for new recruits begins on the 10th. "I think the professional world is tough, so I have to be prepared," he says, with a strong determination in his heart as he begins his one and only professional baseball career. (Nambu Shunta)

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