On the 28th, Softbank Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo emphasized that the training camp is a "fresh start." On that day, a "Play Ball Meeting" (staff meeting) was held in Fukuoka City, where about 80 staff members from the first to fourth teams gathered. The manager expressed his hopes for a breath of fresh air, such as the emergence of young players and the discovery of new talent.
At the meeting, the allocation of players for the training camp, which begins on February 1st, was also confirmed. Many starter have been called up to Group A, which is equivalent to the first team, to fill the gap left by Arihara, who has been transferred to Nippon-Ham. New foreign player Xu Ruohee and Yugo Maeda, in his third year as a professional, have been selected. It was also revealed that rookie players will be called up to Group A during the training camp to gain practical experience.
In addition, following on from last year, an S group (which will join the team from February 14th in principle) has been established, consisting mainly of veterans and mainstay players. "If players whose abilities are known from the start are there from February 1st, that means there will be fewer players for us to look at. We created that system last year, and we will continue to carry it over in the same way this year," he said, expressing his hope for a high level of competition necessary for a winning team.
The theme of the training camp, which aims to win the league for the third consecutive year, is "Building a completely new team." Manager Kokubo said, "It's a clean slate. It's quite difficult to have no preconceived ideas, but I'll be watching carefully while thinking about how to build a team that can win." He is waiting for a strong impression that will catch the eye without even realizing it.
Related News
・ [Softbank Hawks] Chairman Oh Sadaharu attends staff meeting at first team event this year
・ [Softbank Hawks] This year's slogan has been decided to be "All New"! Manager Hiroki Kokubo says, "It shows our determination to win the third consecutive championship."
・ [Softbank Hawks] Last season's Pacific League MVP joins the Miyazaki training camp. He is in the S group and is in charge of training until the pre-season training session. "I'm ready to play in the games now."
・ [Softbank Hawks] Manager Hiroki Kokubo highly praises the "flexibility" of the second-round draft short stop, and says he wants to aim for a place in the A group at training camp.
・ [Softbank Hawks] Manager Kokubo preaches to rookie players about the importance of "continuity": "When we look back at history, the players who have been successful and left their mark are..."
