Pacific League: Seibu Lions 4, Rakuten Eagles 1 (30th, Belluna Dome)

Seibu Lions outfielder Takumi Kuriyama (42) played his retirement game against the Rakuten Eagles at Belluna Dome on the 30th, recording his 2,152nd career hit in his final at-bat. In the game billed as "PR1DE the FINAL," all players and coaches wore number 1. With two outs in the eighth inning, he hit a single to center field, drawing cheers and tears from the fans. During the retirement ceremony that followed, he himself wept. "Mr. Leo," who spent his entire 25-year career with the Seibu Lions, is now quietly hanging up his bat.

Takeya Nakamura: "I'm glad we could do this together for 25 years. (I'm the only one who can say this.)"

Ginjiro Sumitani "I truly learned a lot from him, not just about baseball. I have high hopes that he will become the next Takumi Kuriyama utilizing the stoicism he cultivated through baseball."

Sosuke Genda: "He is a passionate person when it comes to baseball, but he is very funny in his daily life and it was a lot of fun. I am truly grateful for everything he has done for me."

Shuta Tonosaki: "He was a player I admired and aspired to be like. It was an honor to play alongside him, and thank you so much for everything you taught me."

Masayuki Kuwahara: "He was someone I looked up to, and I was saved many times by watching videos of Mr. Kuriyama's batting on YouTube. I was truly happy when I met him for the first time. I'm looking forward to the meeting."

Manaya Nishikawa: "His playing style, his various gestures in baseball, and his private life were all so cool. Thank you for your hard work over these 25 years."

Ryosuke Moriwaki: "It was a great honor to be able to join you for independent training in your final year. I learned a lot and gained many beneficial things, so I want to apply them to my future baseball career."

Takuya Hiruma: 'He has been my idol since I started playing baseball, so I was very happy to be able to play baseball with him. I'm still a long way off, but I want to do my best to become a player like Mr. Kuriyama someday.'