Orix Buffaloes infielder Kotaro Kobayashi (24) was inspired by a pep talk from manager Kishida. The starting short stop, who made an error in the game against Lotte (ZOZO) on the 10th and was replaced midway through, met with the manager for over five minutes before the same game on the 11th (same venue). While struggling with a batting average of .59 in the exhibition games, Kurebayashi revealed that the manager gave him some passionate words: "What I want from you is not only results, of course, but also your behavior in times like these. (Your juniors) are watching you."

He has cleared the required number of at-bats for five consecutive years since his second year as a professional in 2021, and despite being only 24 years old, he is in a position where he has to lead the team. "I wasn't getting good results, so I wasn't paying attention to the team. There were some things I had forgotten," he said, making him realize that he had become self-centered. The manager explained, "The attitude you're working on is not bad. I was concentrating too much on hitting, which led to mistakes on defense, and we talked about that." Both players looked cheerful at the end of the game.

"(People who speak their true feelings) are important and we need to cherish them, but if they say things like this, I still have a long way to go. As a player who plays in the second baseman/shortstop position and on center fielder line, there are other things I can do besides just hitting or not hitting," said Kurebayashi. "I feel that I have a responsibility as someone who has been playing for many years, so I hope I can set that example for my juniors. I'm really glad that it was before the season, but I need to remember that and keep that mindset from now until the end of my professional career." He will show a reborn side in the three-game series Yakult (at Jingu Stadium) starting on the 13th. (Nambu Shunta)