On the 8th, Tatsunori Hara (67), former manager The Giants and special advisor to the owner, offered words of encouragement to former Lotte pitcher Takuya Sawamura (37), who decided to retire from active play. He revealed that he had personally spoken to Sawamura, saying, "I received a message from him a while ago. I told him, 'You can now proudly say that you've had a wonderful baseball career. Thank you for all your hard work.'"
Sawamura joined The Giants as the first pick in the 2010 draft. In 2011, he coached Sawamura as a powerful rookie, pitching 200 innings pitched and winning 11 games, earning him the Rookie of the Year award. The following year, he achieved double-digit win for two consecutive years, with 10 wins. Sawamura's powerful fastball, which drove opposing hitter into a corner, is still vividly remembered. "When I saw him in his first and second years, I thought he would become an incredible pitcher." After that, he faced some setbacks, but they spent a long time together, working together to find a way to "make a comeback," including placing him as closer. Hara also has a special attachment to Sawamura. "I hope he continues to work hard in his own way in the future," he said, sending him encouragement with a fatherly heart.
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