Professional baseball pitcher Kazuki Mishima of DeNA and pitcher Takato Fuku of Chunichi.
Last year, the two developed ligamentum ossification, an incurable disease designated by the government.
Coincidentally, the two patients developed the disease at a similar time. Believing in his comeback as a pitcher, he supported each other and overcame surgery and rigorous rehabilitation, and returned to the mound this season.
With no future in sight, how did the two encourage each other and move forward to reach the mound of resurrection? This time, we spoke for an hour and a half, and he talked about his current thoughts, including the path from the onset of his illness to the mound of recovery, and his future aspirations.
(Sports News Department reporter Shunsuke Akune)
Two people with a proven record of developing the disease
DeNA pitcher Mishima is 33 years old and in his 11th year as a professional.
DeNA Kazuki Mishima Pitcher
He is a right-handed pitcher who is known for his fastball pitches of over 150 km, and was also entrusted with holding down pitches in his teens.
On the other hand, Chunichi pitcher Fuku is 31 years old and in his 8th year as a pro.
A left-handed pitcher who won the title of best intermediate pitcher in 2020 with his sharp slider.
Chunichi pitcher Takato Fuku
Last year, the two players, who were indispensable to the team’s bullpen, developed “ligamentum ossification syndrome” one after another.
Ligamentum flavum ossification is an incurable disease designated by the government that causes the ligaments near the spine to harden and put pressure on the nerves.This disease causes numbness in the lower body, and as the condition progresses, some patients may have difficulty defecating or walking.
There have been cases of this disease occurring in professional baseball pitchers, and even if the surgery was successful, there were many cases in which the player was forced to give up on his professional career, and it has affected the lives of the players.
First conversation
In a conversation that lasted an hour and a half at Yokohama Stadium in mid-December, the two first talked about what it was like at the time of their symptoms.
(Left) Pitcher Fuku (Right) Pitcher Mishima
Kazuki Mishima Pitcher
“After the 2021 season ended, I went to a theme park with my child in January of the following year and realized that I couldn’t walk.It was difficult to walk and I couldn’t bend forward.When I bent forward, I felt a tingling sensation. At that time, I thought it was because it was cold or I was tired, but that’s where I started to feel that something was wrong.”
Takato Fuku Pitcher
“My symptoms came on rather quickly. Around August 2022, when I stood on the mound for a competitive match against Hanshin at Koshien Stadium, my left leg couldn’t stop shaking. I was nervous. I was wondering if he was there, but I ended up going back to the bench with no points allowed.I said to the trainer, “I was nervous,” and as I was wrapping ice cream on him, he said, “Your legs are shaking all the time.” .I thought something was wrong with that, so I went back to the hotel and asked the person in charge of conditioning to give me a massage, but I was still shaking during that time, and I continued to tremble until the next day.Even though I thought something was wrong, I continued to pitch in games. So, the moment I pitched in the game against Yakult in September, I lost feeling in my legs.”
Pitcher Mishima
“It’s a pivot foot. I’m a springboard foot, which is also different. I may have felt uncomfortable before, but it became clear to me…”
pitcher
“It will take a long time to become convinced.”
Pitcher Mishima
“It’s difficult when you ask me when.”
Fear of developing symptoms
The two were troubled by various physical discomforts.
He says he was suffering from anxiety even though he didn’t know the cause.
Pitcher Mishima
“Even after my symptoms started, I continued to pitch, and I was getting so excited that it was a battle with pitcher Yasuaki Yamazaki to be the closer, so even though I thought I couldn’t keep losing, I still felt like my legs weren’t strong enough. It worked well for me, but as my birthday in May approached, I began to have urinary problems.After pitching, I had to go to the bathroom many times.I went once, but I wanted to do it again.After pitching one inning, I started having urinary problems. I went twice.”
pitcher
“Eight times?”
Pitcher Mishima
“Sometimes I get nervous and go to the bathroom when I have to play in the middle, but I thought it was weird to go to the bathroom eight times after I finished pitching.I thought it was weird, so I told Coach Miura and he took me to the hospital to have him checked. I had it done, but at first I didn’t understand.Even after I took X-rays of my lower back and did a lot of research, I couldn’t find any symptoms in my lower back.Then, by chance, an MRI that took a big picture of my back showed me at the very last minute.You know what?”
Image of pitcher Mishima’s “ossification of ligamentum yellowis”
pitcher
“Yes. That was me too.”
Pitcher Mishima
“That’s when I realized it. If that hadn’t been shown, I think it would have taken much longer. The teacher was quite surprised and said, “It’s not even about baseball. There are some people who won’t be able to walk if they were under this much pressure.” When I heard that, at first I thought, “What are you talking about?” It was an escape from reality, but I couldn’t believe it.”
pitcher
“I started having symptoms that looked like I was getting angry over the course of a month, and in the end, I ended up limping during a match and quitting. People asked me, “Does it hurt?” .But it doesn’t hurt, does it?”
Pitcher Mishima
“that’s right”
pitcher
“It didn’t hurt at all. I said, ‘It doesn’t hurt.’ But when I said, ‘I can’t feel it,’ they looked at me very strangely. Then I thought something was definitely wrong and went to the hospital, and they told me there was something wrong. .I couldn’t even go up the stairs.I had to carry my own pants and put on a run-up.”
Pitcher Mishima
“When I got out of the car, I got off my left foot and sprained it three times. I can laugh about it now,” he said.
Pitcher Fuku uses the traditional technique Pitcher Mishima uses “MISHIMA”
Both patients reportedly visited multiple hospitals after they developed symptoms.
Pitcher Mishima after surgery
Pitcher Mishima underwent a new surgical procedure, the “MISHIMA surgery”, which was later named after him, in August of last year, while pitcher Fuku, who underwent surgery two months later, chose the traditional method.
pitcher
“In my second opinion, I was told that I had ligamentum ossification.I had also heard that Mr. Mishima was using a new technique, so I asked the doctor, “Mr. Mishima also uses the same technique.” I can introduce it to you, but what would you like to do?” I said, quite honestly, “Just do it the way you’ve always done it.” Mr. Mishima will be a pioneer in a new technique, and I’ll be in charge of a conventional technique. I felt a strange curiosity about how it was different when I was out on the street.”
Pitcher Mishima
“I guess so.”
Two people with the same incurable disease “Mr. Mishima is my mentor”
Although the two found out they had the same incurable disease, they barely knew each other at first because they were on different teams.
The opportunity for the two to deepen their bond was an introduction from Chunichi pitcher Koji Fukutani, who was in the same year as pitcher Mishima and competed against him on the Tokyo Six University Baseball stage during his college days.
Chunichi Koji Fukutani Pitcher
Pitcher Mishima
“Fukutani contacted me and said, “Do you know Fuku? He was also diagnosed with ossification of ligamentum yellowis. Could you help me?” and from there we started keeping in touch. Fukutani connected us. gave”
pitcher
“Mr. Mishima was post-surgery, so I sent him questions like “What kind of symptoms will I have after the surgery?” and he answered me politely.I don’t really know how to express it, but inside me Then Mr. Mishima is my mentor.”
Pitcher Mishima
“That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”
pitcher
“What’s more, this menu taught me everything that would happen if I did this. Also, since the surgery was two months after Mr. Mishima, I could see the path to what would happen if I followed Mr. Mishima. For example, Mr. Mishima had surgery in August and played catch in December, so I thought it would be fine to do it in February.So, I couldn’t help but feel pessimistic and think that I would follow Mr. Mishima’s lead and imitate him. .Thanks to that, I am able to come back.”
After the surgery, the two worked hard on rehabilitation.
Pitcher Mishima was the first to take the mound.
Pitcher Mishima’s first win of the season (April 26)
This year, on April 1st, he pitched one inning against Hanshin and gave up no runs. In the end, he pitched in 8 games in April, giving up no runs and winning 3 games.
It is said that during this period, pitcher Mishima stood on the mound with a strong feeling for pitcher Fuku in his heart.
Pitcher Mishima
“For the sake of Fuku, I thought it would be best for me to not rush through my rehabilitation and pitch in the first team, so that people could see what I was doing. I wonder if it will reach me?’ was what I was thinking more than words.”
pitcher
“When Mishima-san came back, I thought, “Here we go!” Then, two months later, I thought it was my turn.I thought if I worked really hard, I might be able to pitch, too.”
The day we both stood on the same mound
A month later, pitcher Fuku returned to the first team.
Then, on May 27th, the two stood on the same mound as relievers in a game against DeNA, where pitcher Mishima was pitching.
Pitcher Fuku relieved with two outs and the bases loaded (May 27)
We both clearly remembered the circumstances of this match.
Pitcher Mishima
“He pitched with the bases loaded. The batter was Austin. When I was watching that, I thought to myself, “I was suddenly in a really tough situation.” It was a huge chance, so I was rooting for my team to win. But at the same time, I was thinking, “Fuku, you’re doing your best. Oh, you’ve turned into a 3-ball,” but it felt weird.”
Pitcher Fuku survived the pinch with the bases loaded (May 27)
pitcher
“It’s such a strange feeling. It’s mutual.”
Pitcher Mishima
“I won’t say that I was rooting for Fuku, because the most important thing is for my team to win. But I have a strange feeling, like, ‘Fuku suppressed it! Wow, that was amazing.’ How did that game go? ”
pitcher
“That game (Chunichi) was a walk-off win.”
Pitcher Mishima
“Huh…I guess I was the one who got the walk-off.”
pitcher
“It might have been Mr. Mishima.”
(In the game, pitcher Mishima, who pitched in the 9th inning, was given one run, and Chunichi won a walk-off 3-2.)
Pitcher Mishima
“Maybe so. I’m starting to feel bad. Let’s forget about it.”
pitcher
“But as soon as I finished throwing and I let my guard down, I thought, ‘Wow, we threw together today.'”
Pitcher Fuku’s true intentions in the hero interview
The day before this game, pitcher Fuku was chosen as a hero and went up to the stand.
Fuku pitcher (center, May 26)
He then turned to the left field stands filled with DeNA fans and expressed his gratitude to pitcher Mishima, saying, “Thanks to Mr. Mishima, I am now able to pitch as far as I can. Thank you very much.”
He then wrote on the signed ball, “It’s all thanks to Mr. Mishima. Thank you very much,” and threw it into the visitor’s side of the audience, where there were many DeNA fans.
He told me about his true intentions.
Pitcher Fuku’s autographed ball (taken by a man in his 20s)
pitcher
“Mishima-san wrote a comment about me to the Chunichi fans during the match against Chunichi at Yokohama Stadium and threw it to me.”
Pitcher Fuku pitched the match against Chunichi on April 9th, which was Mishima’s return home game.
After the game, pitcher Mishima, who pitched no runs in the first inning and contributed to the victory, threw an autographed ball to the Chunichi fans in the left field stands at Yokohama Stadium with the message, “Pitcher Fuku, I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
Pitcher Mishima responds to the cheers (April 9th, match against Chunichi)
Pitcher Mishima
“I think the fans are probably worried, but it doesn’t feel good because the team they’re rooting for is losing.” Still, I hope it brings good fortune to the fans.”
pitcher
“Mr. Mishima didn’t call me a hero, but instead threw me an autographed ball, so I decided to call him a hero instead.I thought there might be mixed reviews, but as a story. I said it because I wanted to wrap things up. From here on out, things were going well, and I was able to take a break and realize that I couldn’t blame it on the incurable disease.”
A happy scene for the two of us
Pitcher Mishima has played 27 games this season.
Pitcher Fuku pitched in 29 games.
While the two players made an impressive comeback from illness, they still have a long way to go, as they had pitched in more than 50 games before becoming ill.
Next season, I hope to further increase my pitching numbers and make a full recovery.
Pitcher Mishima
“I’ve experienced being a closer in the first inning, and the team has Yasuaki Yamazaki, a closer who represents Japan, as well as Morihara and the young Ise and Irie, so I’m aiming for that next year and proving it with results. I want to do that. And I want to compete well throughout the year and help my team win.Of course, we both want to pitch well, so we want to do our best in that regard.”
pitcher
“If Mishima-san and I haven’t pitched in 30 games, we can’t say we’re making a full recovery this season.”
Pitcher Mishima
“Certainly. I can’t say that at all.”
pitcher
“I’m really lacking in things, so I’m aiming for the 40 games in front of me, and if I could pitch in 50 games as a bonus.I think it would be fair to call it a comeback if I could stay in the first team for a year. ”
Pitcher Mishima
“The happiest thing I want to see is when I control the ball and the batting lineup does its best to hit the ball.”
pitcher
“That’s right! I was watching from behind the bench and seeing everyone go crazy. I think we’ll have a chance to pitch against each other next season. There will be situations where we both get holds and we’ll make saves. I think it would be great if we could show a tense scene like that of a toss-up.”
Pitcher Mishima
“If the two of you perform well next season, please let us have a conversation again.”
The two of them supported each other and communicated their thoughts even though they were in different teams when they returned.
He says there are people who want to see him throw.
Kazuki Mishima pitcher
“When I receive messages from people with ossification of ligamentum aureus, or when I meet people in wheelchairs at the stadium and they say, “You really give me courage,” I feel so happy, and I want to help those people. I have to keep working hard and working hard from now on.”
Takato Fuku Pitcher
“Part of it is that we want our pitching to be an encouragement to people with the same symptoms, but on the other hand, we want to show them struggling and struggling when they get hit.It’s not just about being spectacular. I wonder if we can convey that sense of desperation.”
(Broadcast on “News Watch 9” on December 21st)
2023-12-22 03:29:22
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