On the 4th, Lotte pitcher Naoya Masuda (36) spoke to the press at Kyocera Dome before the game against the Orix Buffaloes, revealing his feelings regarding pitcher Yuki Karakawa (37), who announced his retirement at the end of this season.

Both were born in 1989 and are in the same academic year. Karakawa joined from Narita High School as a first-round pick in the 2007 high school draft, while Masuda joined from Kansai University of International Studies as a fourth-round draft pick in 2011.

"It's painful and sad. We went out to eat quite often and reached a point where we could talk about anything. We've always been really close, like brothers. Since Yuki Karakawa has always been there throughout my 15-year career, I was incredibly sad when I heard about his decision to retire. He called me to let me know. I think I was crying so much that people around me could tell, but he was quite matter-of-fact about it. Maybe he hadn't fully processed it yet himself, but getting that call beforehand left me speechless," he said, reflecting on their time together.

And as an individual, looking at Yuki objectively and without bias, I think he could still play (professionally). However, I believe there are many things going on within him that I don't know about, and I want to respect the decision he made. I truly want to say to him, 'Thank you for your hard work.' Since there is still a little bit of the season left, I think there is still a lot he can show us. I hope he plays in his own way until the end.