![Mizuki Yamashita throws the ceremonial first pitch [Photo: Provided by the team]](https://media.insight.pacificleague.com/webp/Co472SDu1DsxYN449QT5nnUSFLBdgveZhNCl4p5G.webp)
◇Brandon Laird will be attending Hokkaido Nippon-Ham-The Fighters' Championship Series.
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham have announced that Brandon Laird, a former player for the team who contributed to their league championship and Japan Series victory in 2016, will be attending the The Fighters Championship Series on Wednesday, June 24th. He is scheduled to appear in the pre-game ceremony and post-game talk event along with Hirotoshi Masui and Sho Nakata.
◇Tohoku Rakuten Eagles Eagles manager Hajime Miki takes a leave of absence; head coach Tatsuya Shiokawa to serve as acting manager
Tohoku Rakuten Eagles announced that, following discussions with manager Hajime Miki, they have agreed that he will take a leave of absence and that head coach Tatsuya Shiokawa will serve as interim manager. Shiokawa took charge of the team starting with today's game The Giants on the 10th, but suffered a 0-7 shutout game loss in his first game.
◇Saitama Seibu Lions will begin selling the "Takumi Kuriyama Legend History 1-Day Pass, Second Edition: 'Proof of the Captain'" from June 26th.
Seibu Lions and Saitama Seibu Lions will release the series commemorative ticket "Takumi Kuriyama Legend History 1Day Pass Second Edition 'Proof of the Captain'" on Friday, June 26th.
This project, designed to fully support
Takumi Kuriyama in his final season, is divided into three parts and features a design that looks back on his 25-year career from joining the team to the present.
This design is the second in a series, "Captain's Mark," inspired by Kuriyama from 2008 to 2017. It is based on Kuriyama in 2008 when he changed number from "52" to "1," and from 2012 to 2016 when he served as team captain. The special backing card features a design that evokes memories of the jersey he wore during his time as captain.
The ticket is a set of two 1-day unlimited ride passes valid on all Seibu Lions lines, priced at 3,000 yen (tax included) per set. The validity period is until December 31, 2026 (Thursday), meaning it can be used not only during the season but also during the Christmas season and into the end of the year.
◇Saitama Seibu Lions Lions' former Nogizaka46 member, Mizuki Yamashita, throws the ceremonial first pitch.
On Wednesday the 10th, during the Saitama Seibu Lions vs. Hiroshima game, Mizuki Yamashita, a former Nogizaka46 actress who plays the lead role of Akari Naruse in the play 'Naruse Goes to Take Over the Country,' delivered the ceremonial pitch.
Naruse Akari, the protagonist of 'Naruse Comes to Take Over the World,' is a somewhat eccentric middle school girl who wears a The Lions jersey and frequents the Otsu store every day as the store nears closing Seibu Lions. In 2024, the original author Mina Miyajima also challenged the ceremonial pitch in Belluna Dome. This time, Yamashita, who plays Akari Naruse, pitch wearing a The Lions jersey just like in the story.
▼ Mizuki Yamashita Comment ▼
"I was nervous, but like Akari Naruse, the protagonist of 'Naruse Goes to Take Over the Country,' I was able to throw the number number one jersey and really enjoyed it. I practiced during breaks at work and before throwing today. I also received advice from the players, and thanks to their praise, I think I was able to practice in a relaxed way. Belluna Dome is close to my hometown, and I remember being taken by my parents when I was a child, so it made me feel nostalgic. I plan to dedicate this summer to Seibu Lions! (*From the signature line of Akari Naruse, the protagonist of 'Naruse is Coming to Take the Throne')"
