【Buffaloes Inside】

Orix Buffaloes pitcher Anderson Espinoza continues to pitch well, drawing strength from the growth of his eldest son, Kenzo, who was born in February.

"I truly believe Kenzo has given me good fortune. I want to continue pitching like this throughout the season and win the championship flag in the Japan Series with this team," Espinoza said excitedly.

This is his third year in Japan. In his first year, he had a stable record of 7 wins and 9 losses with ERA of 2.63, but in his second year, he was limited to 5 wins and 8 losses with ERA of 2.98. This season, he made his first appearance on April 1st against Seibu Lions (Belluna Dome) and earned his first shutout game win. On April 8th against Lotte (Kyocera Dome), he was protected by a large amount of run support from his teammates and earned his second win. In his first two years, his good pitch was not rewarded, so I believe that Kenzo's two consecutive wins since the start of the season are a stroke of luck.

He is a big Japanophile. He is fond of Japanese culture and traditions, and even has the word "gratitude" tattooed on his neck. "Japan makes me happy every day and has a wonderful culture. That's why I wanted to give my child a Japanese name." He named his eldest son, born on February 25th, "Kenzo."

"My wife and I discussed it and decided on it together. She liked the kanji that means 'intelligent.' There aren't many kanji that fit the '造' part, but we thought it would be a good combination with '賢' so we chose it," he revealed.

His Japanese has improved. He even greets fans with "Maido, ookini" (thank you very much) on the podium during post-game interviews. "A friendly staff member at an okonomiyaki restaurant in Osaka taught me that. There are about 10 similar phrases that locals use in my country (Venezuela). I'd love to hear more good Osaka dialect phrases," he says. The words from fans that make him happiest are, "Please don't go to another team, stay with Orix Buffaloes forever." He is blessed with great teammates and sincerely wishes to "become the best in Japan with this team."

Kenzo is scheduled to come to Japan in June. Espinoza returned to Venezuela to give birth and came back to Japan when Kenzo was just five days old. Now, she can feel his growth through video calls. "He's the most important person to me. I cried when I had to go back to Japan. He's really growing bigger every day, and I can't wait to see him," Espinoza said, eagerly anticipating their reunion. She has already booked a tattoo of Kenzo. "The tattoo artist is a busy person, so I made a reservation and paid for it so that I could get it done as soon as I returned to Venezuela," she said with a smile. She has also decided where to get it. "My Heart," she said, pointing to her left chest. As the team's main pitcher and as a father supporting his family, she will continue to pitch her heart out.

Interview and text by Masaki Kitano