◆ Pacific League 4-5 Softbank Hawks (20th, ZOZO Marine Stadium)

Lotte outfielder Katsuya Kakunaka, who announced he would be ending his 20-year professional career at the end of this season, held a press conference inside the stadium after the game.

The self-made batter, who became the first hitter from an independent league (Shikoku League, Kochi) to win the batting title and most hit title, reflected on his journey and said, "First of all, I'm incredibly grateful to the independent league. If the independent league hadn't existed back then, I think I would have quit baseball in high school. Then, a year later, I was drafted, and I played my hardest because I wanted to give back to the independent league." He expressed his gratitude to the independent league for continuing his baseball career and paving the way to becoming a professional.

He rose from a late draft pick to a titleholder in his professional career. When asked about the driving force behind his success, he reflected, "I don't think there was much. Playing baseball was normal for me since I was little, it was really like brushing my teeth. I played baseball more than I brushed my teeth. I never played baseball because I enjoyed it or liked it. I knew that you couldn't become a top-class player unless you played with that kind of (enjoyable) feeling, but I never had any feelings of liking it or finding it fun."

His final message to his juniors was a simple one, befitting a man who stoically pursued batting: "Practice hard. In the end, it's the people who practice who get results."

He is scheduled to be removed from the active roster on the 21st, but he said, "I have a contract, so I will do my best as a professional baseball player until the very end," and will continue to train in the minor leagues.

Manager Saburo, who started starting line-up in the final home game of the first half of the season, said, "He first came to tell me about his retirement, and we promised that he would start in a game at some point. He will be removed from starting line-up for now, but I think there will be an opportunity for him to play again," expressing his hope for one last hurrah. The team also plans to hold a ceremony or something similar towards the end of the season.