On the 18th, Nippon-Ham held a welcome ceremony for new players at Kamagaya Stadium in Chiba, attended by seven players who joined the team in the 2013 draft. First-round draft pitcher Jay Okawa (22) from Meiji University took the unusual step of soliciting nickname suggestions.
During the talk show, the topic of nicknames came up, and Okawa confessed his worries, saying, "My real name is Jay, but Nomura-san calls me Jay, and I wonder if it's okay to call me Jay." The team also has infielder Yuki Nomura (25), whose middle name is "James" and who is called "Jay." Okawa asked for a new nickname, saying, "So, from now on, I'd like to ask all the fans to come up with a new nickname, and if there's one that suits me, I think that's fine."
At the ceremony, the new players submitted their residency registration to Kamagaya City Mayor Hiromi Shibata. Okawa, who submitted the registration on behalf of the new players, said with a fresh smile, "I will definitely be living in Kamagaya City for the next two years. I look forward to enjoying delicious food and other things."
The ceremony has also become a regular event, with a portrait contest being held to test the players' artistic talent, and this year many fans flocked to the event to give a warm welcome to the new players.
▽ This season's new players
1st place: pitcher Yoshihide Okawa (Meiji University)
2nd Place: Ed Polo outfielder (Osaka Gakuin University)
3rd Place: infielder Ruan Otsuka (Tokai University)
4th place: Handa infielder (Nihon University Fujisawa)
5th place: Kaito Fujimori, catcher (Meitoku Gijuku High School, Kochi)
Development No. 1: infielder (Hokkai Gakuen University)
Development 2nd place: pitcher Towa Yokoyama (Aomori Chuo Gakuin University)
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