On the 16th, Softbank Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo visited the farm facility, Tama Stadium Chikugo in Fukuoka, and explained to the rookie players the importance of "continuity."
He observed the 2026 rookie joint voluntary training for the first time. From the warm-up, he mainly watched fielder' practice, as pitcher were not allowed to use bullpen. Before the practice, he spent about a minute and a half explaining how to make use of the "baseball notebook" and the importance of "persistence," saying, "The ability to persevere is something you should always cultivate within yourself. It's only by continuing steadily that you will see results one month, three months, six months, and one year later."
Regarding the instructions to create baseball notebook when announcing their joining the team after the rookie joint voluntary training, he explained, "Nowadays, they don't know what to do with the time, and they are the first to give you the answer. However, just accepting what they are told won't lead to growth. Thinking about it in your own way and breaking it down is what leads to growth." Regarding the need for "continuity," including the use of a baseball notebook, he said, "I think it would be much more difficult than it was in our time. If I lived in this era, I'm not sure I could have continued doing the same thing forever," referring to the current information-rich modern world.
Manager Kokubo also played in 2,057 games during his 18-year professional career, accumulating 2,041 hit and hitting 413 Home Run. Based on his own experience and the players he has seen, he offered some golden words of advice to the rookie players, saying, "When you look back at history, the players who have been successful and made a name for themselves are those who have continued to do what they believed in. I think it will lead to growth if you break it down for yourself and find something that you think, 'This is what I want to do.'"
After hearing the speech, second-round draft pitcher Ryuta Inagawa (Kyushu Kyoritsu University) said, "I was told that in everything I do, I need to be persistent and that 'results won't come right away,' so I want to produce good results in the future."
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