On the 17th, Softbank Hawks infielder Hotaka Yamakawa declared that he would spend the year immersed in practice in order to become Home Run king for the fifth time in two years. On this morning, he weighed in at 104.8 kg, having successfully lost about 10 kg since last year. "This year, my biggest goal is to practice from morning until night, and even come to the stadium on my days off. I think I've got the physique to do that," he said, revealing his intention to just swing the bat as hard as he can.

"(During the season) if we're playing at home, there's a slot for early starts, so of course I'll start from there. After the game is over, I'll continue hitting for about 30 to 60 minutes. I've never tried it before when playing away games, but I'll bring a driver (personally contracted to take me to and from the stadium) with me when I play away games. I take my (personal) trainer with me, but I'll also take a driver, rent a car, go early, hit there, play the game, and hit there again. I'll take a shower and go home, eat somewhere on the way home, and sleep when I get to the hotel," he said, indicating he plans to hit hard even on away games.

"Personally, my ideal scenario is for me to be the cleanup hitter, racking up the most home run and RBI in Japan, and winning the championship by a wide margin. I'll practice with that goal in mind," he said enthusiastically.