Nippon-Ham pitcher Kota Tatsu (21) conducted voluntary training at the team's facility in Kamagaya City, Chiba Prefecture on the 22nd, and revealed his idea for a "new magic ball."

On a cold, windy ground, he played catch with his junior Ryusei Fujita. They showed off their playful side. Normally, slider is held with the index and middle fingers together, but this time he held it with just the four fingers from index to pinky and tried throwing it.

"I had the impression that if you grip the ball with more fingers, the ball will be slower, but when I tried throwing it, it was incredibly fast."

Fujita Ryu, who received the ball, commented on his experience at close range, "I think it's a cut. I think it's useful. It feels like it stretches out halfway through, and the trajectory is similar to a straight shot, and then it comes in with a snap at the end. It's fast."

In the past, there have been examples of breaking ball that have become synonymous with great pitcher being born from this kind of playful spirit. "What do you think would be good?" was immediately asked of a Ham Fighters reporter who was pitching naming ideas. This could be the first step towards a "magic ball." (Kato Hiroshi)