On the 8th, the final day of the second training session at Lotte's Miyakonojo camp, led by new manager Saburo (49), the team held a closed practice session until 11:15 a.m., lasting about an hour and a half of top-secret training.

The Pie No Mi Dome was completely shut out from the spectators and press. Regarding the details of the meeting, which were hidden behind a "sub-curtain," the manager laughed and said, "There's no way I can tell you. It's a secret." It appears that the team spent the time on team play, including checking autographs.

Saburo and the Lotte Marines are aiming to bounce back from last season's last place finish in Pacific League, and are making thorough preparations for this crucial season.

[Curtains of the baseball world]

The Giants manager Tetsuharu Kawakami, The Giants V9 manager, shut out the press and conducted practice sessions. He was nicknamed the "Tetsu Curtain," a play on the "Iron Curtain" that represented the Cold War between East and West.

▪ 1999 Chunichi ・Senichi Hoshino, manager: Even the stadium staff was locked out of the practice before the Japan Series with Daiei (Nagoya D).

▽ In 2003, manager Shigeo Nagashima drew the "Shige Curtain" during a training camp (Fukuoka Dome) just before the Asian qualifiers for the Athens Olympics.

Chunichi The "emergency press conference" was held during closed-door sign-play practice at the Chatan camp in Okinawa, bringing the press to a standstill.

▽Waseda University practice in 2007 The popularity of right-handed pitcher Saito Yuuki, who won the summer Koshien in 2006, exploded, and Waseda University baseball stadium was closed to outside spectators.