Few amateur pitchers in their mid-twenties still hope to reach Major League Baseball. Even rarer are the Japanese in Quebec senior baseball. After checking these two boxes last summer, Ryo Kohigashi is making his professional debut this season with the Capitals. A first step towards achieving a dream that does not want to die.
It’s really a great story and it comes from him. It’s a completely left-field choice, says manager Patrick Scalabrini about his new left-handed gunner who, last year, made the decision to leave Japan to settle in Drummondville.
Employee of Mitsubishi Motors by day, amateur baseball player by night, Kohigashi had never managed to break into Japanese professional baseball. Where others would have turned the page, he instead decided to hire an agent to try his luck overseas.
The problem was that his curriculum vitae aroused little interest in independent professional circuits around the world. It was therefore in the LBMQ, a Quebec amateur circuit, that Ryo Kohigashi and his friend Chikara Higami found themselves last summer.
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While Ryo Kohigashi continues his Quebec adventure, Chikara Higami (left) is now playing in France, with the Rouen Huskies.
Photo : Facebook Brock Nutrite Lambert Baseball
Unsurprisingly, the first two Japanese pitchers in the history of the Drummondville Brock became local sensations.
From Drummondville to Quebec
Two strikeouts per inning are very impressive numbers no matter what league you play in. And there are still very good hitters in the LBMQ, notes Patrick Scalabrini about the 106 strikeouts recorded by Kohigashi in 104 innings in Drummondville last summer.
The Japanese does not hide the fact that his coming to Quebec at his own expense was partly due to his desire to impress the teams of the Frontier League. Last summer, I watched the Capitals games and I told myself that I wanted to be here this year. I succeeded, rejoices the 26-year-old athlete in broken English.
Arriving at the Capitales camp at the end of April, the left-hander didn’t impress anyone physically at his height of 1m70 (5’7”) and 77 kg (170 pounds). It was his arsenal of pitches that won over pitching coach Christian Chénard.
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A small left-handed gunner, Ryo Kohigashi must thwart hitters other than with powerful throws.
Photo: Capitals of Quebec / Christian Gingras
At his size, he must vary the speed of his pitches to destabilize hitters. He has an excellent change of speed and, thanks to that, his fastball can surprise. And his curveball has plenty of bite, too. That’s why he broke the lineup.
A first start without a run or a hit
The story could end there, but it took an even more special turn last week. After a few relief appearances, Ryo Kohigashi got his first audition as a starting pitcher on May 18 against the Lake Erie Crushers. As a result, he joined forces with two relievers to start the first game without a run or a hit for the Capitals in more than 15 years.
What impressed me was that no one made any good swings against him, reports Patrick Scalabrini. It was five innings with no runs or hits, but he threw just 40% strikeouts and six walks. He got himself into trouble, he was able to get out of it and, sometimes, it works a little magic.
The main person concerned, however, is convinced that he can do better. It was good. Too many walks, he jabbers in the language of Shakespeare.
For the love of baseball
Nevertheless, his coach has every intention of entrusting him with the mound again. It was exciting to see that and we’re going to give it another go at the end of the week to see if the magic is still there. He is different from our other pitchers and we have to see if he is more useful to us as a reliever or starter, explains Scalabrini.
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Ryo Kohigashi at Capitales training camp.
Photo: Capitals of Quebec / Christian Gingras
Whatever his role, he adds, his new pitcher looks like the happiest of men. He is very, very, very positive. No matter what I say in any language, he always says yes with a smile.
Ryo Kohigashi explains this good mood simply. I love playing baseball so much, insists the man who still believes in his dream of reaching the Major Leagues, however improbable it may be.
Step by step, says the Japanese, showing off his wide smile.
2024-05-23 09:05:26
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