An elegant, delicate, and powerful form, like a maestro’s tact. Hayao Nakagawa, who joined the Yokohama DeNA BayStars this season and is in his fourth year as a professional player, is making his presence known with his under throw, which has been called a “work of baseball art,” and he says this with a cheerful expression on his face.
“I feel very lucky to be able to play baseball in the town where I grew up, and I’m spending every day savoring it.”
Actually, I’m thinking of quitting baseball…
Born in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. He played at Toko Gakuen High School, a prestigious local school, and then entered Rikkyo University. He was drafted 4th by the Orix Buffaloes in the 2020 draft and joined the team, but he only pitched in the first team once in his rookie year in the three years he was with the team. In his second year, he did not have a chance to pitch due to shoulder problems, and after being signed to a developmental contract after the season, he was unable to return to control in his third year, and left Orix as a free agent. He had a hard lucky three years.
“After leaving the team, I actually thought about quitting baseball…”
Nakagawa, who usually has a cheerful and kind expression, wrinkles his brow. He seemed to be replaying those days in his mind.
Orix has been in the middle of a golden era in the past few years, winning consecutive championships. The pitching staff, known as the “pitcher kingdom,” was thick and posed a big barrier for Nakagawa. In particular, in his third year as a middle pitcher in the Western League, he pitched 21 games with an ERA of 1.38 and a WHIP (number of runners allowed per inning) of 0.67, but he was never approached by the first team. . Life on a farm, where no light shines even when you look up, is deeply ingrained in your bones.
“I can only say that I lacked in ability, but to be honest, being on the farm for so long was mentally tough and it was difficult to stay motivated. I couldn’t get anyone to call me from above. I was just thinking about how I was going to get there…”
Shall we do it together?
Although it is a world of skill, the fate of a professional baseball player is greatly affected by the environment they are placed in, the people they meet, and the timing. Nakagawa felt like he was in a whirlpool he couldn’t resist, and his heart was on the verge of burning out.
2024-03-11 03:33:00
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