Softbank Hawks Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo (54) attended a celebration and pep rally in his hometown of Wakayama City on the 12th to commemorate the team's championship victory. In response to Nippon-Ham Fighters manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo's (53) declaration on the 7th that he would "defeat Hiroki Kokubo," Kokubo showed his willingness to take on the challenge, saying, "He singled me out, not by team name. He will be my biggest rival. I am serious about beating him."

Regarding the rival manager, who is the same age as him and with whom he competed for the championship last year, he acknowledges him as a comrade, saying, "We share the same desire to liven up professional baseball." That's why he took this performance-like challenge seriously. On top of that, he sharply retorted to the plan to use starter every five days, saying, "We were the first to publicly propose (the idea)... But looking at the schedule, there are honestly few advantages in Japan."

In his speech at the celebration party, he reported that "We've lost Arihara. We're starting from scratch, with pitcher who has had the most wins for two consecutive years transferring to our biggest rival." The presence of a worthy rival further fuels his fighting spirit to win the league for the third consecutive year. (Shimao Koichiro)