"Someone was always there to talk to me, and I was never alone. I can only express my gratitude." A week after suffering the first-ever humiliating defeat in NPB history, Orix Buffaloes pitcher Kazuma Sato spoke quietly.

In the game against Nippon-Ham on July 2nd (ES CON FIELD), starting pitcher Kazuhito Sato gave up four consecutive Home Run to the leadoff hitter and was taken off mound without recording a single out. "Simply put, the pitches that were hit were too easy. bullpen adjustments two days prior and catch practice that day were all normal, and I wasn't in bad condition. So, to get the result I got was difficult to process and I was really struggling."

If he had been hit hard because he wasn't feeling well, there would be an explanation, but since he was in a situation where he couldn't make any excuses, he pushed himself to the limit in the dugout, thinking, "It's over. I can't do it anymore." "I didn't change my clothes, and I didn't go to the trainer's room (to get my body taken care of), but Atsusawa-san (Kazuyuki, pitcher coach) came over and said to me, 'Have you had your (body) checked? (The result) doesn't matter. There's a possibility you'll pitch again tomorrow, so just do your usual routine.' More than thinking about my next appearance, my strongest feeling was that it was all over, so I just stayed there. I wasn't thinking about what to do for the next time."

I returned to the hotel in despair, and just as I received my room key, my cell phone rang. It was Hiroshi Kobayashi, the chief coach for player development in the minor leagues. "Apparently it's a world first. You've gone as far as you can, so you can't sink any lower. Hopefully, one day you'll be able to laugh about this. This is where the important part begins." The words of my "mentor," who had coached me since I was a developmental player and was now the manager of the minor league team, gave me the courage to look forward. I was deeply touched by his thoughtfulness in calling me, even calculating the travel time from the stadium to the hotel.

He was expected to be removed from the roster and sent down to Seibu Lions leagues, but the day after he entered bullpen as reliever pitcher without a travel day, he was kindly asked by manager Mamoru Kishida, "How was it yesterday?" He also received advice that "no matter what condition you're in, the minimum requirement is that you can handle the ball," and he said, "I realized again that it's important to approach even catch practice with a higher level of awareness."

In the locker room, Keita Nakagawa smiled and asked, "Are you okay? Have you recovered (mentally)?" and pitcher Espinoza tried to communicate something using the translation function on his cell phone. "Keita, who I don't usually talk to much, was so kind and caring. Those words really helped me. I think Espinoza was speaking in Spanish, but I couldn't translate it. He often spoke to me even when I was in the minor leagues, so I was happy." He met Espinoza again a week later at the team's facilities in Maishima, Osaka, but because of the travel time to the Lotte game, they promised to "have a proper chat next time."

I was reminded once again of the warmth of the world. Kazuma Sato The Buffaloes Orix Buffaloes pitcher pitcher! You caused trouble for the team, but it was a great experience. Even I, who have been watching The Buffaloes, have never seen anything like it. It's a bad start, but nothing could get worse for you. I'll be watching Sato with support from now on. I'm waiting to see Sato smiling after win."

Furthermore, Tsutomu Iwamoto, a former Nippon-Ham who was commentating on the game on television that day, encouraged Sato based on his own experience on his YouTube channel, saying, "I also experienced giving up three home runs in a row three times, but I kept standing on mound with the goal of producing results that I could laugh about, and eventually I was entrusted with the opening pitcher. Your mission is to create a baseball career story that you can laugh about." Sato responded, "As starter puts on the game, it's natural that there will be people who mock me and say, 'What are you doing?' I don't know either of them personally, but I'm incredibly grateful for their support."

Through unwavering dedication and relentless practice, he finally earned a spot on the main roster and achieved his first win after five years. The "four consecutive home runs" incident will one day become a laughing matter. A new story of his triumphant return has just begun.

Interview and text by Masaki Kitano