Orix Buffaloes On the 18th, Sho Iwasaki pitcher (36), a senior and junior member of his old team Chunichi, vowed to make a full rotation in a "hybrid" style. The first time you see a newborn baby, you'll know that you've got a newborn baby. Matsuyama is really good pitcher and has a high level of awareness. I have a lot to learn from him, and age has nothing to do with it. We can learn a lot from him, and it doesn't matter how old he is. We can improve each other.

"At Wakui's club, the main focus is running. With Matsuyama and the others, I want to absorb the power of weight training and turn it into explosive power in baseball."

True to his word, during his voluntary training with Wakui he ran about three kilometers every day. "He's a really good runner. I know that I'm getting less and less able to run as I get older, so I wanted to change that. I've also received a lot of inspiration from my seniors..." Working under the tutelage of the right-handed pitcher, who will turn 40 in June, he thoroughly trained his lower body and built a foundation for his 19th season as a professional.

In training with Matsuyama, he is conscious of connecting the power gained from weight training to pitch his power to throw, saying, "I will turn what I have done from October to December into baseball movement and throwing power. I have to do it with the feeling of overtaking Mr. Iwasaki so that I don't lose to him. As for his junior who has declared his fastest throw of over 160 km/h, which he himself has measured in 25 years, he said, "I think he will soon reach 160 km/h, so it will be easy for him to pass me, but I don't want to lose (laughs). I think there are probably only a few Japanese who have thrown 160 km/h at this age, so I want to aim even higher.

"Personally, I would like to pitch in a winning pattern for 50 games, but I am prepared to burn out at any time," he emphasized. In 2017, while with Softbank Hawks, he pitched in 72 games and contributed to the team's victory in the Japan Series. "Even if it ends with this game, I want to get at least one out... No matter what happens to me, I want to pitch for the team and to win the championship," he said, intending to work himself to the bone.