On the 26th, Orix Buffaloes manager Mamoru Kishida (44) envisioned embodying "Venezuelan baseball" as he prepares for his second year in charge. After the team practice at Kyocera Dome, he summarized the base base running efforts that the team has been focusing on since spring training. "You can see it by watching Venezuela. It's important how you advance one base to the next," he said, citing the way they won their first WBC championship as a "model."

In the quarterfinals against Samurai Japan, runner extended the lead to three runs with bad throw from second base in the eighth inning. "It is important to do things that are not very visible in the numbers." As it was a painful runs for Samurai Japan, he emphasized that a bold attitude is what leads to a white star.

If he can secure an opening day win for the second consecutive year since taking office, he will become only the second manager in the team's history to do so, the first being Collins in 2007-2008. "I've done everything I needed to do. All I'm thinking about is winning." In their quest to reclaim the championship after three years, they will go all out to win the first game. (Shunta Nanbu)