◆パ・リーグ　オリックス７―１３日本ハム（１６日・京セラドーム大阪）

Kansai TV announcer Wakako Hashimoto provided commentary for the final game of the season on "J SPORTS" during Orix Buffaloes-Nippon-Ham game at Kyocera Dome. It was her sixth time speaking into the microphone, and Orix Buffaloes, aiming for a playoff spot, suffered a crushing defeat. She conveyed information about both teams from an unbiased perspective and shared her honest thoughts as a commentator.

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Last year I did commentary for two games, and this year I had the opportunity to commentate for twice that number, four games. There were some things I was able to try because it was only four games. I realized that you absolutely can't improve without experience. That being said, I'm still a beginner commentator, feeling my way around as I go.

This time, I received advice from my senior colleague, announcer Kazuhiro Ishida, and followed each and every pitch. The starting pitcher pitcher and Arihara. I made a conscious effort to visualize the inside and outside corners, especially in the early innings. It was the first time I was able to observe the starter from such a detailed, micro perspective. That was also a challenge.

In professional baseball, the players are the main characters, and I'm just there to provide commentary. I believe that the way I provide commentary can make a player's performance many times better. More and more people have come to know me through my commentary, and the warm messages I receive from everyone motivate me to work even harder and never slack off.

I'm sorry I can't commentate during winning games. To be honest, there's nothing I can do about it... My goal for next year is to commentate a lot during winning games. I want to keep trying so that people will think, "Hashimoto Wakako's commentary has gotten better," regardless of whether I'm a woman or not.