Wakatsuki Kenya, catcher for Orix Buffaloes Kenya Wakatsuki and Japan's WBC team, was eager to meet Matsui Hideki, who will be visiting the team's training camp in Miyazaki from the 14th to offer encouragement. Matsui's batting, which had been a problem in 2013 with a batting average of .272, has improved, and he has also recorded six Home Run, tying his career high. The distance he can hit the ball when he hits it right into the center is astounding, and he said with shining eyes, "He's a player I've watched since I was a child. I'm looking forward to it. I'd like to talk about all sorts of things with Godzilla. He was Judge's coach (at the Yankees), right? I'd like to talk about that sort of thing too."

The team will have a three-man catcher lineup with Sakamoto (Hanshin Tigers) and Nakamura (Yakult). While pitcher Taira (Seibu Lions) and Ishii (Hanshin Tigers) have withdrawn due to injury, he said, "I hope we can keep in communication. I want to catch as many pitches as possible from pitcher in Japan."