Lotte will begin practice games on Okinawa Island on the 14th.
Yuto Kimura who is scheduled to start in the practice game against DeNA on the 14th, said, "I want people to see my pitching, and my strengths are my sharp fastball and my ability to get ahead count with any pitch, so I hope to showcase those and show my pitching to the fullest." Meanwhile, Kaito Mori (Meiji University), the second-round draft pick who is aiming to make the opening day starting rotation, said, "I think my strength is that I can control the game, so I want to control the game well and gradually improve."
As an immediate rookie, Hayato Fuji (Nippon Express), who is expected to play an active role from the first year in the "working adult group", said, "I think I just want to give my best what I can produce, so I want to throw with all my might one pitch at a time," and Daisei (Honda Suzuka), who is in 7th place, said, "First of all pitch, I want to achieve results. He expressed his determination.
Fumiya Ono, the only member of the team's bullpen last season who completed a full season with the first team from the start of the season to the end, and Shuta Takano, who appeared in 37 games as a relief pitcher last season and had a record of 5 wins (3 losses), 15 hold and ERA of 1.84, were asked if they would be making preparations for the start of the season from the standpoint of making an impression, to which Ono replied, "No, no, I think I have to make a strong impression, so I don't know what will happen once the games start, but I want to do my best to get good results." Takano also said, "The manager has changed, so I don't think I'm in a safe position. I want to do my best to show my ability from the very first game and be selected." He intends to continue making an impression as usual.
Shota Suzuki had a disappointing year last season and is aiming for a comeback, is fired up to say, "I hope I can show that I can closer well," while Koshiro Sakamoto, who pitched in 51 games in 2011, is determined to produce results in practice games, saying, "I will still be able to strike out left-handed hitter, and I hope I can show that I can hold down batters well, regardless of whether they are right-handed or left-handed."
◆ Fierce competition among fielder
fielder The team has few players who can be called regulars, and if they "hit," they are likely to get more opportunities to play. Aiming to be a "regular catcher," Toshiya Sato said, "Including how well pitcher is doing, but I want to watch that. Also, I won't make any weird mistakes. I don't play in a way that undermines their trust in me. I want to make sure that I don't neglect the parts that I can do, such as boneheads. catcher Ryusei Terachi I want to make sure I do that," he said, pledging to play as a matter of course. defense I'm going to increase my batting, and I'm going to defense show that I've grown up offensively and defensively.
Ko Matsukawa is in his fifth year since graduating from high school, expressed his enthusiasm by saying, "I think I have to produce results in my first real game, so I think that's the first thing I need to do, and I want to keep making my case." Shota Ueda, who showed signs of defense growth towards the end of last season, said, "First of all, my throwing. I want to focus most on stability in defense." He plans to make an appeal through defense.
The competition for infielder is fierce, but one of the most competitive positions is third base. Naonori Yasuda expressed his determination by saying, "I think hitting is really important, so I want to get results and beat my rivals, as there are many of them," while Kyuto Ueda said, "First of all, I want to work hard to hit long balls," and both Yasuda and Ueda vowed to get results through their batting.
During the Miyakonojo spring training camp, Daito Yamamoto and Inoue Kodai, both registered outfielder, were playing third base alongside Yasuda and Ueda during the infield practice. Yamamoto said, "I just have to hit, no matter what. The manager told me that if I hit, I'll be able to play. If I hit better than anyone else, I think I'll be able to be in starting line-up, so first of all I want to show off my long-range hitting ability," while Inoue said, "I'll do my best in each and every game," conveying his determination to do well in his new environment in his few words.
Koki Yamaguchi who is registered as outfielder but will be trying first baseman at first base this season, said, "I think it's important for me to spend each day without any regrets, so I'll prepare 100% for the game and hopefully get some good results."
Who will win the competition among both pitcher and fielder, grab a spot on the opening day first team, and then secure a spot on the first team? Last year, two young players, Teraji and Kimura, continued to perform well in practice games and exhibition games until the end, and established themselves on the first team. With many young players, will they be able to produce results in practice games and secure a position? Will the mid-level and veteran players who were disappointed last year show their determination? We can look forward to a high-level competition that will give the management a headache.
Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita
