◆Pre-season game Nippon-Ham 5-2 Hanshin Tigers (23rd, Nago)

Nippon-Ham 's new foreign player, infielder Rodolfo Castro (from the Blue Jays), hit his first home run since coming to Japan.

In the 4th inning, with two outs and a runner on first Hanshin Tigers, he caught Iwasada's 142 km straight ball. The pitch left a pleasant sound, and it was the first two-run shot to the left field bleachers. I hit a good straight ball on the core, and the moment I hit it, I was convinced home run that I had hit it. I've been working on my batting from practice, so I'm happy to see the result in such a good way," he said proudly.

His nickname within the team is "Kacchan." It was given to him by Tatsuki Mizuno, also known as "Tacchan," and the name has gradually taken root. He has blended into the team and said, "I felt a good feeling from the first day, and the team is full of positive energy. I think we've built a good relationship."

In that case, the team members taught him Japanese. He started by learning "Ohayou gozaimasu" and "Arigato gozaimasu," but the next thing he was taught was "Ee yanke." "Kane Edokpolo has gone to the farm team, but he taught me. It's Kansai dialect," he revealed. "He taught me various ways to use it," he said, and when asked about his performance that day, he smiled and said, "Ee yanke? Of course it is."

Manager Shinjo also commented, "Everyone, that's just like Kacchan. His nickname is Kacchan. I was talking to the head coach and we were saying, 'I wish he'd hit a fly ball outfield soon.' And then he hit one out of the park (laughs)."