Takizawa Baseball Clinic: Joetsu Myoko Town News

Saitama Seibu Lions player Natsuo Takizawa teaches baseball to children

A baseball class by Natsuo Takizawa, a Joetsu City native and professional baseball player for the Saitama Seibu Lions, was held on Saturday the 6th at his alma mater, Sekine Gakuen High School.

Baseball classes are held every year by Natsuo Takizawa’s support group for 6th grade elementary school students. This was the fourth time, and 73 students from 12 teams of 6th grade elementary school students from Joetsu and Myoko cities participated.

During fielding practice, we demonstrated and explained how to catch ground balls.

Natsuo Takizawa
“I want you to catch the ball with the intention of moving your glove from the bottom to the top.”

participants
“When I saw Takizawa’s defense, I was surprised at how clean it was. I want to do my best to see the ball properly and not give up until the end to catch it.”

“I look up to him as a senior on the team, and I want to continue to aim for him.I want to keep in mind what Takizawa told me and play from now on.”

Next, the participants became pitchers, and Takizawa stepped into the at-bat for a serious one-on-one match.

Takizawa also answered questions from the children.

participants
“How can I become good at defense like Takizawa?”

Natsuo Takizawa
“Get knocked on a lot. If you just get knocked on, you won’t get better. It’s important to practice your defense while thinking about it.”

Natsuo Takizawa
“He was really good. Compared to last year, I could feel that he was listening to me and trying to get better. I want everyone to enjoy baseball and not give up on their dreams and make them come true.”

After graduating from Sekine Gakuen High School, Takizawa joined the Saitama Seibu Lions as the second pick in their development, and this year is his fourth year as a professional player. This season, he played in 125 games, the most ever in the first team, with a batting average of .234 and 21 stolen bases, the highest ever. On defense, he played as second base and shortstop, contributing with his brilliant defense. He was also selected as an All-Star Game player for the first time, and in the second game, he made great strides throughout the year with 1 hit and 1 RBI in 3 at bats.

Natsuo Takizawa
“I played a lot of good games this year. However, I still have a long way to go technically. (My goal is) to play in every game. I want to use this year’s performance as the minimum and aim for career highs every year, and do my best to report good results.”