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Professional baseball spring training camps have been held across the prefecture since last Thursday, and we asked Hanshin Tigers pitcher Hidetaka Okadome, who is participating in the first-team camp in Ginoza Village, about his thoughts on this season.
Hanshin Tigers Pitcher Hidetaka Okadome: “The real test is how much you can do in your third year.” (Nods…)
Hidetaka Okadome, a native of Itoman City, is in his third year as a pro. He started as a member of the first team at professional baseball spring training camp starting on the 1st of this month. The day before yesterday was the first weekend since we went camping, and as it was Setsubun, there was a lot of fever at Ginoza, the Hanshin campsite where we achieved Japan’s number one last year!
Okadome was also asked for autographs by many fans, and he politely responded to each one individually while chatting.
Fan: “I’m from Itoman, so I’m really proud to see Itoman stars doing so well.”
Q.How has it been watching you perform? Fan: “Okatoru is cool, so I hope he does his best this year as well.”
On this day, Okadome received a knock along with the other pitchers and pitched 35 pitches, with the catcher sitting in the bullpen and breaking balls thrown in.
In addition, there is physical training such as running and core training, as well as batting practice. Furthermore, during individual practice, Okadome was seen entering the bullpen again. They practiced individually under the watchful eye of coach Yuya Ando, checking their form while paying attention to when to apply force and the feeling of force.
Okadome started camp last year as a member of the 1st team, but dropped out of the 2nd team midway through, but he has a strong desire to become a member of the 1st team this year.
Hanshin Tigers Pitcher Hidetaka Okadome: “If we don’t really get good results from camp, we won’t be able to stay, so we want to make a strong showing before the season starts.”
Last season, his second year, he made his professional debut in July as Hanshin was in a fierce battle for the top spot. He ended up pitching in eight games, moving up one rung to stardom as a relief pitcher.
Hanshin Tigers Pitcher Hidetaka Okadome: “I think I was able to get some results, so I’ve gained a little bit of confidence in myself.”
In September, the team won the league championship for the first time in 18 years. However, at the moment when “ARE” was achieved, Okadome, who was in the second army,…
Hanshin Tigers Pitcher Hidetaka Okadome: “I was in the first team until about three days ago, fell to the second team, and won the championship about three days later, so when the game was decided and everyone gathered on the mound, I threw the iPad I was watching on the bed. I felt really bad that I couldn’t watch that much.”
He says he couldn’t be happier with the team’s accomplishment. After that, Okadome won his first professional victory in October and pitched in the second game of the Japan Series, helping Hanshin become number one in Japan for the first time in 38 years.
This season, which marks his third year as a professional player, Okadome vows to further evolve, hoping to be at the center of Japan’s No. 1 team this time.
Hanshin Tigers Pitcher Hidetaka Okadome: “Of course, I’m going to aim to pitch in 50 games this year so that I can truly contribute to victory by playing as a reliever all year long.”
A 24-year-old who has played on the mound in the first team and on the big stage for the baseball team that became the best in Japan. In search of further evolution, we will continue to demonstrate our skills in our hometown of Okinawa.
Hanshin Tigers Pitcher Hidetaka Okadome: “This year, I really want to contribute to the team’s victory in as many games as possible and work toward winning consecutive championships so that everyone can share in the victory.”
There was a lot of excitement around “ARE” in the Kansai region, but behind the scenes, Okadome was experiencing such frustration.
Well, I used this as a springboard to move up to the first team again and pitch in the Japan Series, so I think it’s amazing that I was able to achieve this much in my second year as a professional with Japan’s No. 1 team. He said that his goal is to remain in the first team even during camp. I look forward to your success.
2024-02-05 15:55:59
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