Rakuten Eagles pitcher Kenta Maeda (37) served as the one-day police chief of Minami Sakai Police Station in Osaka on the 25th and participated in a "traffic safety awareness campaign."

Dressed in a police uniform, Maeda Ken appealed to the approximately 300 people gathered to be safe on the roads. "By following the rules, you protect yourself, but if you don't follow the traffic rules, you're making people close to you and your friends sad. I hope that everyone will follow the rules on a daily basis to ensure their own safety and to avoid making their loved ones sad," he said passionately.

The right-handed pitcher, who has a total of 165 wins in Japan and the US, is returning to Japanese baseball for the first time in 11 years. Expectations are high that he will play a key role in the starting rotation. "Our health is important too, so if we don't follow the rules, we'll get injured. I've returned to Japan this season, so I'll do my best to contribute to the team," he said enthusiastically.