On September 21st, Tohoku Rakuten Takero Okajima announced his retirement at the end of this season. In 2013, when the team won its first ever Japan Series championship, Okajima led the batting lineup as leadoff hitter despite being only in his second year. He continued to play as a key player for many years, and in 2024, he became the fifth homegrown player to play in 1,000 games. He was beloved by his teammates not only for his gutsy play but also for his natural cheerfulness. However, he was also plagued by repeated injuries. This time, we look back on Okajima's 14 years with footage.

He joined the team as catcher, but requested to switch outfielder and established himself as a leadoff hitter.

Okajima joined Tohoku Rakuten from Shiraoaki University in the fourth round of the 2011 draft. catcher Although he joined the team, in the middle of the 2013 season, his second year, he made a direct appeal to Senichi Hoshino, who was the manager at the time, for an opportunity to play, and switched to outfielder. After that, he led the batting lineup, mainly as "No. 1 right fielder" in the starting line-up lineup. In the same year, although he did not reach the regulation batting lineup, he had a .323 batting average in 79 games, and contributed greatly to the team's first league championship and Japan's No. 1 ranking.

The following year, in 2014, he played in a career-high 142 games; although his appearances declined in 2015, he continued to appear in more than 100 games in each of the three seasons after 2016.In 2019, he decided to catcher re-transfer, number going from "4" to "27" again after two seasons. However, the condition of his subluxated left shoulder in 2017 did not look good, and he underwent surgery in February, followed by surgery on his right elbow in April of the same year, ending the season without appearing in the first team regular season for the first time since turning pro.

In 2020, he played only 35 games, partly due to a fractured right thumb suffered in an open game, but he was back on the outfielder roster in 2021 and had a resurgent season with consistent results. 2023 saw him play in over 100 games again, and in 2024 he became the 529th NPB player to play in 1,000 games, This season, he was unable to get a chance to play in the first team and made the decision to take jersey off.

From here, we would like to look back on four of Okajima's many famous scenes.

A stunning "retake" home run (July 9, 2016)

home run Although not a hitter, this shot by Okajima will be remembered by many fans: in the top of the 8th inning of the July 9, 2016 Fukuoka Softbank game, count from 1-0, he repelled Nao Higashihama pitcher breaking ball the ball and hit it so hard that it landed just short of the light pole. Home Run Okajima circled the diamond, but a replay of the ball showed that it went through the right side of the pole and was flagged as a foul. Nevertheless, Okajima went to bat again and perfectly caught the fourth pitch, and this time, he made sure it went into the right field stands.

His batting average in May was an astonishing .398! Overcoming injuries and surgeries, he returns to the 2021 season

After undergoing multiple injuries and surgeries, he returned to outfielder in the 2021 season. He began to improve in mid-April, recording a team-leading batting average of .375 in the Nippon Life Central vs. Pacific League Interleague Series, and posted an impressive monthly batting average of .398 in May. He continued to make his presence felt with the bat in June, batting .330.

Although he had a temporary drop in form during the summer of the same year, he recovered towards the end of the season, batting nearly 30% again in September. In the game against Fukuoka Softbank on October 13th, with the score tied, he came to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases loaded and one out, and brilliantly deflected the first pitch from pitcher Yuto Mori, leading the team to their first walk-off win of the 2021 season. His 2021 season, which saw him overcome hardships and make a comeback, will be a memorable one for fans.

He showed off his powerful arm! A sharp laser beam that cuts off the momentum (July 18, 2022)

On July 18, 2022 Orix, with one out and a one-run lead in the top of the 6th inning, a batter's strike from Shuhei Fukuda went to the right side of the field, where Okajima was defending. He made sure catch that the fly ball was there, and he did not miss runner who was running out of space, and returned the ball quickly for a touchout. It was a brilliant play that broke the trend that was leaning toward the opponent and brought win the game to a close.

14 years of constantly moving forward. baseball dedicated to Tohoku Rakuten comes to an end

On September 21st, the day he announced his retirement, Okajima was seen at the Rakuten Eagles Eastern League Rifu Stadium, where the team's final home game of the regular season was being played.

On the same day, he started the game at No. 1 right fielder and hit hit in his first at bat in front of a large crowd of fans. The team then got a hit from Hiroaki Shimauchi, a player with whom Okajima has worked hard and competed with since joining the team, to walk-off win. After the game, Okajima's eyes welled up with tears as the team lifted him up in the air. On October 4, a retirement ceremony for Okajima will be held after the Saitama Seibu game at Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi.

For 14 years, Okajima has continued to move forward despite suffering repeated injuries. The veteran, who has fought single-mindedly for Tohoku Rakuten and was loved by his teammates and fans, will regrettably put down the bat.

Text by Mayuko Goto