Nippon Nippon-Ham pitcher Hiromi Ito revealed how he deals with social media ahead of his opening game against Softbank Hawks. Ito participated in the World Baseball Classic as a member of Samurai Japan. After giving up a game-winning home run in the quarterfinal against Venezuela, he also received slander and abuse.

When asked what he focused on during the short adjustment period after returning to Japan, he smiled wryly and said, "I guess it was about recovering from mental fatigue." He reflected, "I was told a lot of things, but I didn't flinch at them, or rather, I deliberately faced them head-on, and I think the main reason I was able to maintain my composure was that I managed to cover for myself in situations where I felt like I was going to be emotionally drained."

Regarding the criticism on social media, she said, "I saw it all. I made a point of reading it all, and I took it all in. It wasn't all criticism, and the majority were messages of support," indicating that she was also comforted by the warm voices of her fans.

Regarding his physical condition, he said, "As I continued practicing, I gradually got used to it, and I think my body has gotten accustomed to it over the past three or four days. My mind is very clear, and I think that's the biggest factor that will allow me to approach tomorrow with a positive attitude." The right-handed pitcher, who says, "The only way to repay a debt in baseball is through baseball," will take mound with confidence to redeem himself.