Kazumi Saito, Softbank’s new 4th team manager, reveals “Why we were 15.5 games behind the Orix”.
Special Interview] The "Legendary Ace" who won the Sawamura Award twice is now working to rebuild the team!
I asked the team to give me a few days when I received the offer, because I couldn’t picture the 4th Army at all. But in talking to the people who had helped me, they said, ‘You should give it a try because you don’t have a clear image of what you want to do. I was strangely convinced. I was stuck with ……, even though I was the one telling the little guys in the baseball class, ‘You won’t get anything if you don’t challenge yourself. ‘ At that point, my mind was made up.”
The schedule was only set one or two months in advance, and it was not until the end of March that he knew for sure which players would be coming to the fourth team. The only thing we know is that there will be about 60 games, and that we will be taking an eight-hour bus ride to Shikoku,” said the new manager with a wry smile.
We may use a player who used to play the No. 4 position in the lineup at the No. 9 position. A player who used to play the No. 4 position may be used at the No. 9 position, and there may be other defensive positions for him. If the No. 1 pick in the draft, Yugo Maeda (18, Toin Osaka), comes to the fourth team, I would like to start with him. I think it would be interesting to have all the pitchers start (laughs).”
With the bitter experience he had in the first team this season, there may be no better way to rebuild the team than to have the “legendary ace” play a key role in the fourth team, the foundation of the team, at his disposal.
From the December 29, 2023 issue of FRIDAY
PHOTO： Ryoji Shigemasa
