On the 26th, 12 rookie players from Rakuten Eagles visited Minamisanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture, which was severely damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. They visited the Minamisanriku 3/11 Memorial at the Earthquake Memorial Hall and laid flowers in front of the former Disaster Prevention Center. Second-round draft pitcher Itsuki Ito (22) from Waseda University renewed his determination to win the league championship for the first time since 2013 and become the best team in Japan.
At the Heritage Museum, he carefully reviewed footage and materials looking back at the time of the earthquake. He learned about the extent of the damage and disaster prevention preparations. He also visited the former Disaster Prevention Headquarters and laid flowers. "I was in Akita at the time and was not in an environment where a tsunami would hit. I had only seen these scenes and the damage on video, so I felt that the current situation in Miyagi Prefecture is one in which recovery is still ongoing," he said.
The right-hand man, who is originally from Akita, experienced the disaster himself. He was in the first grade of elementary school when the earthquake struck. "We didn't evacuate, but the electricity was cut off and things inside the house fell over," he recalls.
What is the role of a professional baseball player who belongs to a team in a disaster-stricken area? The right-handed pitcher, who was drafted second overall, said emphatically, "What we can do is play baseball and win, and when we come to Minami Sanriku to play, the most important thing is to show everyone that we can win by watching our great play. First of all, our role is to share the joy of winning the league championship with everyone. I want to do my best to contribute to that." He will continue to move forward toward the answer he has come up with after asking himself these questions.
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