On the 9th, Orix Buffaloes announced, as previously reported by Sports Hochi, that pitcher and pitcher coach Yoshihisa Hirano (42) will retire at the end of this season. A press conference and retirement game are scheduled to be held at a later date. Hirano, who participated in the farm team's practice in Maishima, Osaka, showed a cheerful expression.

"That's enough. I've been really taken care of for a long time. I want to thank the Orix Buffaloes organization and the encounters I've had." He joined the team in 2005 as a draft pick from Kyoto Sangyo University and played Orix Buffaloes for 18 years. He also played in Major League Baseball for three years. This season, while also serving as pitcher coach, he made two appearances on the mound. He also suffered his first hamstring injury in his right thigh, and in late July he decided that "it might be difficult for me to be a part of the first team's roster..."

He was the first Orix Buffaloes player to be inducted into the Meikyukai (Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame), with a combined total of 258 saves and 205 hold in Japan and the US. He also made sure to contact his mentors. In 2010, his fifth year as a professional, he switched from being a starter to a reliever, and it was manager Akinobu Okada who helped him flourish. When he expressed his gratitude, saying, "It's all thanks to you, Mr. Okada," he received the encouraging words, "It's Hirano's strength."

He won the Best reliever in 2011 and the Saves title in 2014. One of the people who supported him during his time in the majors was former owner Yoshihiko Miyauchi. He received a weighty message of encouragement from him, who said, "You will make many discoveries. Enjoy the rest of your life."

He has supported Orix Buffaloes through their slump. "I always looked at other teams and thought, 'That's nice...'" As a closer, where failures often garnered more attention than successes, he put his body on the line, leading the team to their first league championship in 25 years in 2021. "It was exceptional," he says, cherishing that moment as his most memorable. He announced his retirement during the season. He fulfilled his dual role until the very end, continuing to practice and coach on this day as well. "All I can say is, 'Thank you very much.'" His overwhelming achievements and unparalleled mental strength remain undiminished. (Toru Nagata)