◆Pre-season Rakuten Eagles 1-3 Nippon-Ham (11th, Shizuoka)

Nippon-Ham On February 11, Tsuyoshi Shinjo, 54, the manager of the Japan Professional Baseball League, issued an early "memorize signs" order to Castro, a new foreigner. Rakuten Eagles Home Run He started at second base in a 0-0 8th inning win over the New York Yankees in an open game at Shizuoka, Japan, and hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth inning. On this day, there were times runner when it took time to exchange signs at first base, and he cited adapting to the complicated Shinjo baseball as an issue, saying, "I'm still afraid of Kacchan (Castro) when he goes out for multiple runner hits.

Castro took the criticism seriously, saying, "I've never been on a team with so many signs, and it's a really different baseball. I understand that's what it's like to play baseball in a different country, so I'll just get used to it." The Dominican, who has hit 22 Home Run in the MLB, has mastered the signs and is on his way to becoming a starting player for the opening starting line-up. (Haruki Kawakami)