On the 16th, Orix Buffaloes catcher Kenya Wakatsuki (30) declared that he would use his four-sword style of offense and defense to become the world champion again. On this day, it was decided that he would participate in the WBC for the first time. Since the warm-up match in November 2013, the starting catcher candidate has maintained his condition almost without a break and has accepted the weight of the Japanese flag.

"How much can I help the team win? I really want to work to win." He has an injury-resistant body, a strong arm, and solid defense skills. His batting, which had been an issue, also showed improvement with a batting average of .272 in 2013. Believing he would be selected, he began to secretly study videos of pitcher in earnest. "I'll tell him this about how this pitcher performed. Of course, communication is important," he said, looking straight ahead.

He is also expected to be a good helper to Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers, who knows him inside and out. number is "4," the same as that of his idol, Molina (current manager of the Puerto Rico national team), who played for the Cardinals. He is ready to give it his all. (Toru Nagata)