The Tokushima Indigo Socks of the independent league Shikoku Island League Plus have produced players in NPB for nine consecutive years since Hiroaki Higashi (Orix training No. 1, retired) in 2013. There are 17 of them. There are some strong draft contenders ahead this season.
Characteristics of “Drafted Players” Seen by an Independent L Manager
Tetsushi Okamoto, who took office from this season, is a veteran with a long coaching career in NPB and independent leagues after playing for Yokohama Taiyo and Nippon-Ham. He first asked about the fact that he was “drafted by independent league players.”
“The Tokushima team has the big goal of producing professional baseball players.
For example, a player who plays baseball in an independent league for a long time adapts to the league and his grades improve, and the team becomes stronger, but the probability of being drafted decreases when he reaches the age of 25 or 26. If you don’t replace the players, there won’t be any players who go to NPB. But if you replace it, the team will be weak. We have to fight in such an environment.
There may be other coaches who can win the pennant race, but there aren’t many coaches who can develop players at the same time.”
So which players will be drafted?
“First of all, you have to have a certain level of body movement. It’s the way your body moves and how you display your output. If you watch the practice, you can see the potential of the athlete in a month. Even if you think it’s difficult, can the ability within the players themselves overturn it? Players in independent leagues often cannot beat professional baseball players in terms of hardware. I think there is a possibility that there is a player who can overcome it.”
Chano is highly rated as a good hitter with a sense of speed
Looking over the entire independent league this year, Atsumasa Chano (Chano Tokumasa/right-handed thrower, left-handed hitter, 175cm, 81kg) is highly rated as a “good hitter with a sense of speed.”
Chano joined Tokushima from Chukyo Gakuin University Chukyo High School through Nagoya University of Commerce. He used to be an infielder when he was in college, but in Tokushima, he plays the outfield, and he has the impression of being agile. He asked him how he joined Tokushima and how he felt so far.
“I wanted to continue playing baseball after graduating from university, so I decided to join Tokushima on the recommendation of my university coach. I didn’t receive a report (from the NPB team) at university. I just wanted to continue playing baseball, but I started thinking about going to NPB for the first time after I entered Tokushima, and I think I managed to grow with this as my goal.”
