For Lotte Atsuki Taneichi pitcher (27), it has been a long-held dream since he was a boy to play in the WBC in the uniform of Samurai Japan. In the 16th edition of "Samurai Talks," the right-hander, who has publicly declared his intention to challenge the majors in the future, baseball reveals his passion for this tournament, which he positions as a turning point in his life. (Reporting by Shunsuke Ami)

There is one primordial scene from the WBC that remains in his mind to this day. It was the WBC final against South Korea on March 24, 2009. At the time, Taneichi was a fifth-grader at Misawa Elementary School in Misawa City, Aomori Prefecture, and was absorbed in baseball. His teacher had turned on the TV in his classroom, fifth-grade class 2, saying, "It's special because it's a national event," so the whole class watched the game, glued to the TV screen and cheering on the team.

"Speaking of the WBC, I vividly remember watching Ichiro's winning hit in the classroom. pitcher Darvish was lifted up in celebration (at the same tournament) was also impressive."

In 2009, the right-handed pitcher was only the second-stringer for his team, but he gradually gained strength and joined the Lotte Marines as the sixth pick in the 2016 draft from Hachinohe Kodaiichi High School. After overcoming challenges such as undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in September 2020, he has now made it onto the Samurai Japan team for the first time.

"Even when I was an amateur, I knew that the WBC was a game that everyone would watch, so being selected for Samurai Japan was my goal. When I was selected, I was honestly happy, but I also felt half-hearted about having to do my best."

In 2011, he was selected as a member of the WBC support team, and in March 2012 he was selected for the European team match and the Netherlands team match in March 2013. He was also selected for the South Korean team match in November of the same year. Although he declined to play due to back pain, he voluntarily participated in practice to get used to the pitch clock and pitch computer. In addition to his ability, manager Ibata highly praised his positive attitude. At a press conference after his contract renewal last year, he expressed his intention to challenge the majors in the future. He will take mound amid growing attention.

"I'm not pitching just for the majors. I just want to win for Japan. I think this is a turning point in my life, so I'd like to put all the skills I've honed up to this point to the test. The biggest thing is that I want to face a major leaguer. I think that (how pitch) will give me an idea of where I am at."

Seventeen years after his shocking encounter with the WBC, he grabbed number 26 uniform for Samurai Japan. If you had told the young Taneichi of that day that he would be a member of the Samurai Japan team for the 2026 WBC... "I think he would have screamed and said, 'What? Seriously?!' in excitement. At the time I thought, 'Being a professional baseball player is so cool,' but at the same time, it was on a different level, so I also felt, 'There's no way I could do it,'" he said with a bashful laugh.

"I want to increase the number of people playing baseball. The number of baseball players in Japan is declining at a fairly rapid pace, so I would like to be able to convey the excitement of baseball and the joy of watching it."

He wants children to have the same powerful formative experience he had in the past, and with that wish in mind, he has decided to take part in the WBC.

◆Taneichi Atsuki: Born September 7, 1998 in Misawa, Aomori, 27 years old. Never played at Koshien while at Hachinohe Institute of Technology. Joined Lotte as the 6th pick in the 2016 draft. Underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in September 2020, and made his return to the mound on August 11, 2022, against Softbank Hawks. Last season, he had 9 wins and 8 losses in 24 games, ERA 2.63. In total, he has 37 wins, 31 losses, 2 hold, and ERA 3.30 in 111 games. He is 183 cm tall and weighs 88 kg. He throws and bats right-handed. Estimated annual salary: 130 million yen.