Softbank Hawks Hawks outfielder Kensuke Kondo (33), an alumnus of Yokohama High School, shared his thoughts on former Yokohama High School coach Motonori Watanabe, who passed away on the 17th, before the game against Nippon-Ham Fighters (at Escon Stadium). "He was the coach who helped me grow not only in terms of skills but also as a person, and he was the coach who often told us in meetings, 'This is the first step to climbing Mount Fuji.' It was a memorable phrase, and I heard it so many times that I got tired of hearing it," he said.

The words, "The first step to climbing Mount Fuji, the first step to climbing Mount Mikasa, the same step but with different resolve, how far do you intend to climb? Your goal governs each and every day," left a strong impression on me. He expressed his gratitude, saying, "I am where I am today because of my three years at Yokohama High School."