Nippon-Ham pitcher Nao Miyanishi (41) reflected on his 19th professional season in his self-written column 'Yuomashin' on the 7th. This season, he appeared in 8 games and recorded an ERA of 4.70. He wrote about the responsibility he feels from having fought exclusively as a relief pitcher, as well as the increasing difficulty of maintaining his physical condition with age. He expressed his honest feelings in his own words about being a source of strength for the team as they aim to become the best in Japan.

The regular season of my 19th professional year has ended. I was promoted to the first team in August and made 8 appearances. To put it simply, I was unable to deliver a satisfactory pitch. In the game against the Rakuten Eagles on September 6th, I pitched in the 8th inning with a four-run lead, but I gave up a run and was replaced by Hori in the middle of the inning. I failed to fulfill my role of preserving the pitchers in the winning rotation.

For 19 years, as a relief pitcher, I have found value in consistently standing on the mound while considering the game situation and my assigned role. However, this season, I believe I fell into the category of the most difficult type of pitcher for the bench to use—the kind where you don't know what you'll get until they actually pitch. Precisely because I have fought my entire career as a specialist reliever, I believe that if I cannot demonstrate my worth through stable pitching, I must be prepared to take off my uniform. I take the fact that I could not contribute to the team's strength that seriously.

The biggest challenge is maintaining my condition. Over the past few years, I have tried to be more conscious of body care than anyone else. Even so, the cycle of feeling like my body won't move at all is becoming shorter by the day. For a reliever, for better or worse, there are games almost every day. The reality is that I was unable to provide sufficient care for my body within the limited time available this season. To be honest, I haven't found the answer to maintaining my condition. I don't even know if a correct answer exists in the first place. I want to keep fighting against my own body until the very end.

From other teams, Ishikawa (Yakult) and Hirano (Orix Buffaloes), seniors whom I respect, have decided to retire. I was able to watch Hirano's retirement game in person. As for Ishikawa, every time I met him in the farm league, he always gave me positive words. I cannot even imagine continuing my active career until the age of 46, and I have nothing but respect for him. As I build my career, the feeling that 'if I fail this year, it's over' grows stronger every year. On the other hand, I also have a desire to pitch in as many games as possible for the fans who support me. I want to keep moving forward so that I won't be outdone by my great seniors.

Personally, I am working with the theme of 'continuing to evolve until the moment I retire.' As a team, the battle for the championship in Japan remains. I want to thoroughly pursue how I can contribute to the team until the very end. (Naoki Miyanishi)