◆Pre-season Rakuten Eagles 1-2 Nippon-Ham (12th, Shizuoka)

Nippon-Ham Fighters catcher Yuya Gunji (28) used Shizuoka tea to his advantage and overcame his nemesis, hay fever. He started as the fourth batter and third baseman, and in his first at-bat in the first inning with the score at 0-0 and one out and runners on first and second, he hit a game-winning single to left field off Nishiguchi. "The Shizuoka tea I drank this morning really helped. It was delicious." Having drank Shizuoka tea, a specialty of Shizuoka, available at the lodgings that morning, Gunji said, "I had a great morning, feeling the scenery of Shizuoka's tea fields," and used the "power of Shizuoka tea" to power his leadoff hit.

It was also extremely effective in preventing hay fever. For Gunji, who suffers from hay fever, outdoor stadiums in Honshu are a nightmare. "I really just wanted to avoid putting pollen in my body, and I didn't care what others thought," he said, taking lactic acid bacteria and glutamine before the game the day before (11th). He also applied Vaseline to his nose and wore a mask at all times, taking all the necessary precautions without worrying about what others thought. He also drank green tea, which is said to be effective against hay fever, and expressed his gratitude to Shizuoka tea, saying, "For now, I'm fine. Thanks to the tea."

The No. 3 player, who has been selected to start the season as the cleanup hitter and third baseman, is maintaining his good form, posting a batting average of .445 in exhibition games. "In Taiwan, I was able to hit home run by aiming for a fastball, and I also had at-bats where I aimed for breaking ball, and I'm doing well at making good approaches when I'm in a tight spot, and I can also hit right-handed hitter, so I'm doing everything I want to do. I think I'm good enough to start the season now." The 28-year-old, who supports the Shinjo-Ham Fighters' batting lineup, is also dealing with hay fever as he heads into the season opener.