Lotte's Kazuya Ojima achieved his 1000th innings pitched pitched in the game against Seibu Lions on the 14th (Belluna Dome).

In his professional debut on April 4, 2019, against Seibu Lions, he said, "It was my first time facing professional first-team batters, and I felt that I wasn't good enough, or rather, that I needed to improve my level." His debut was a bittersweet one, as he pitched two innings, giving up seven hit and eight runs.

He spent the first half of the season in the minor leagues, and in the second half, he pitched as part of the rotation, saying, "I started by pitching in the major leagues, and I wanted to work on the issues that arose there in the minor leagues. There were things that went well and things that didn't, but I think I was able to make the most of it." In his first year, he pitched 54 1/3 innings.

In his second year, 2020, he expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "I gained a lot of experience last year (2019), so I want to make good use of that and do my best with the goal of pitching for the entire year." Although he didn't reach the required innings pitched, he threw 113 1/3 innings and was in the first team's rotation for the entire season.

In his third year, 2021, he pitched as part of the rotation from the start of the season, but said, "If I can't pitch seven or eight innings consistently in every game, I won't be able to rack up inning. If I only pitch five innings in a week's worth of appearances, well, how should I put it, I think it's a 'lack of work,' so I want to be able to pitch longer inning." Before the break for the Tokyo Olympics, he had five wins, but ERA was 4.69. After the Tokyo Olympics, he was win pitcher in his first appearance, giving up two runs in six innings, but in the game against Nippon-Ham on August 25, he gave up three runs in four 1/3 innings, and in the following game against Nippon-Ham on September 3, he gave up five runs in four 1/3 innings, being pulled from the game in two consecutive games before completing five innings.

"I'm pretty negative, so I was told positively, and that was my first professional complete game on September 11. I got hit in two consecutive games and thought I wouldn't pitch, but I got a chance to pitch. At that time, I was talking with Mima and said, "There are kids who don't get chances in the farm team, but now they do, so if they get hit, just practice fine," and "Rather than climbing up to mound with a pessimistic mindset, I'm pitching for everyone, so even if the old guy gets hit, no one complains. baseball until my life ends, I keep challenging myself and failing every day." I still remember those kinds of stories very well. Even when I'm a little out of form or get hit, I really remember that moment and use '911' in both the entrance song and the title to make sure I don't forget those feelings," he said. Receiving advice from Manabu Mima, then an active Lotte farm team pitcher coach, he pitched nine innings alone in the game Rakuten Eagles on September 11 (Zozo Marine Stadium), recording his first complete game win. In the following game Nippon-Ham on September 19, he recorded his first professional shutout game win. Kojima, who improved his form after his first complete game on September 11, pitched 146 innings in 24 games that year, finishing with a 10-4 record and a ERA of 3.76, reaching the required innings pitched for the first time and marking double digits win.

From my fourth year, 2022, I changed my number from '43' to '14,' and said, 'In my second year after joining, I was able to pitch a full year with a 120-game format, but the number of games was low. Last year, I reached the required innings pitched, but there was a gap during the Olympics. I don't think I actually finished a full year, so having a break allowed me to switch gears for better or worse and approach the second half of the season. I believe this year is a decisive year for me,' he said with strong determination. Although he finished with a losing record of 3 wins and 11 losses, he pitched 143 1/3 innings and reached the requirement of innings pitched for the second consecutive year.

Since entering his third year, 2023, he has begun to express his "attitude towards pitching long inning" and "self-awareness" in his words. In an interview on May 7, 2023, he said, "With more young pitcher coming up, and since I'm pitching at the beginning of the week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I think that if I pitch as many inning as possible and avoid using reliever in my games, then I think they can be brought reliever without hesitation in the later innings. When I pitch at the beginning of the week, I want to think more carefully about the number of inning and make pitching long innings my top priority." In an interview on June 9 of the same year, he said, "I only pitch more than 5 inning once a week, so it's not something to take for granted, but I always think I should pitch at least 7 innings."

In a tough situation where a win would secure second place and a playoff spot, a draw would put them in third place and secure a playoff spot, and a loss would mean ending the season in fourth place, he made a rescheduled start against Rakuten Eagles on October 10th. "I was happy because I thought it would be fine no matter who got the win. There are quite a few criteria for starting pitchers to reach double digits and the required number of innings, so I was happy to achieve that. I really thought it would have been great if we had won," he said, as he held Rakuten to six hit and no runs over seven innings closer became the win pitcher. That year, he pitched 158 1/3 innings and achieved double digits with 10 wins for the first time in two years.

That same year, as he increasingly faced off against ace-level pitchers, he shared his thoughts, saying, "Winning is the best, but even if I lose, I try to get through as many inning as possible, especially at the beginning of the week. If the other pitcher is clearly an ace, I can't expect to win every week in a row, so I might get a loss, but I think it's more important to pitch a long number inning in that situation."

In 2024, he pitched a career-high 163 1/3 innings and recorded 12 wins. How does he evaluate reaching the required innings pitched for the fourth consecutive year?

"The fact that I've been able to pitch without missing too many games in the rotation... From the perspective pitcher who's in the rotation and has been given the opportunity to pitch, I think that's just the way it is. Of course, illness is unavoidable, but I think that comes down to the trust between the manager and the players. There have been times when I was in good physical condition and times when I wasn't, but rather than just making a promise to the manager, I think I have a responsibility to pitch as I've been given the opportunity. I think being able to pitch without missing too many games means I'm trying my best, but my results are still not good enough. I want to work hard so that I can keep up with the results." (Interview on October 3, 2024)

"If I do the calculations, I think I can definitely reach 180, so if I can throw that many innings, I think I can really say that I've worked hard for the year. So, that number is important, and to win the championship, I have to build up a solid lead myself," he said with strong determination as he faced his 25th year. For the first time since becoming a regular in the starting rotation, he was sidelined due to injury and there was a period when he was removed from the first-team roster, but in his final appearance on October 5th against Softbank Hawks, he pitched 5 innings and reached the required innings pitched pitched for the fifth consecutive year.

This season, his form didn't improve in early spring and there was a period when he was dropped to the farm team, but he said, "I believe being able to throw long inning is my strength, so ideally, I want to be able to consistently pitch around the eighth inning. At the very least, I think I can do it at least as much as I am now. I want to keep pitch that makes me want to pitch a lot and entrust my duties to him," he said, throwing seven or more innings in four consecutive games starting with the May 4 game against Orix Buffaloes.

During his time in the farm system, or when starter are not accompanying the team on road trips and are staying at Lotte Urawa for practice, he is often seen talking to the younger pitcher. "When I was sent down to the farm system for about a month, I was catch partner and played catch with young players like Okumura and Yoshikawa. Compared to last year and the year before, it has become a daily routine for me to check on the farm team pitcher every time they throw, and we talk about various things, which helps me improve as well, and I think it's great that I have more opportunities to share my experiences with the younger players, whether they are good or bad, or just a little bit of what I've learned."

By tackling each challenge one by inning, and accumulating inning, he reached 1000 career innings pitched. Now, we hope to see innings pitched for the sixth consecutive year. Currently, only Kojima and Hiromi Ito (Nippon-Ham) have maintained the required innings pitched for five consecutive years. We really hope he can achieve the required innings pitched for the sixth consecutive year.

▼ Kazuya Ojima 's innings innings pitched by year

* Indicates reaching the required innings pitched

19 years: 54 1/3

20 years: 113 1/3

21 years: 146 *

22 years: 143 1/3 *

23 years: 158 1/3 *

24 years: 163 1/3 *

25 years: 145 *

26 years: 80 times

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita