Orix Buffaloes Kenya Wakatsuki catcher Kenta Wakatsuki (30) vowed to team up with Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers) again on the 30th to win another World Series title. He will be playing alongside his former partner, with whom he won the Best Battery Award for three consecutive years from 2021, in the WBC in March. "I'm looking forward to it because Yamamoto is a world-class player. It will be half like catching for him in the past, and of course I think he's grown a lot, so it will be half of that as well," he said, eagerly anticipating their reunion for the first time since Game 6 of the Japan Series against Hanshin Tigers on November 4, 2023 (Kyocera Dome).

"This is my first experience, so I think there are many things I don't know, but I want to do my best without holding back." In preparation for his first major international tournament, he has been practicing with the tournament ball during the off-season. "I wanted to get an idea of what Darvish was like..." he said, gathering information from Miyagi, Udagawa, and Yamazaki, who participated in the previous tournament in 2013, to help him expand his image.

Ahead of the Samurai Japan Miyazaki training camp starting on February 14, he plans to practice using the electronic device "Pitchcom," which will be used to communicate signs during the tournament, at the team's spring training camp starting on February 1. In bullpen, he plans to catch as many pitches as possible from Miyagi and Soya, who are also on the WBC team.

On this day, he flew to Miyazaki with the team. "Last year we came in third, so we were quite far behind the top two teams. The small details are important," he said, not forgetting his role as the chairman of Orix Buffaloes players' association. After consecutive world championships, his ultimate goal is to become Japan's number one team for the first time in four years. First, he will spend a busy month in Miyazaki. (Nambu Shunta)

○...Manager Kishida encouraged the team's WBC players to participate in the "first real game of 2012." The first intrasquad game is scheduled for February 8th during the second round of Miyazaki training camp. "(Wakatsuki) will probably play, and I think (Miyagi and Soya) should pitch as well," he said, urging the three to get ready early. On that day, he flew to Miyazaki with the team. "It will be a good experience, and I'm sure they'll show their strength," he said, giving his stamp of approval to their contribution to the team's consecutive world championships.