Because it’s a money-making tree…” Complaints erupt because of his selfishness! The Surprising Reason Why Lotte Still Protects Akinori Sasaki

Chiba Lotte has been holding its spring training camp on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa since February 1. Akinori Sasaki, 22, the “Monster of Reiwa,” was there, but the team is now busy putting out the fire of a certain disturbance that took place in the off-season.

On January 27, just before the start of camp, Chiba Lotte signed Sasaki to an estimated salary of 80 million yen, but it is no secret that the reason it took so long was his “direct appeal to the Major Leagues.

Naoki Matsumoto, 53, the team’s general manager, admitted that the team had been discussing with Sasaki the possibility of moving to Major League Baseball every offseason. The team’s public relations staff, who were listening to the conversation next to him, told the press, ‘Posting is not discussed every year. The team’s public relations staff, who were listening to the conversation next to him, told the press, “It’s not every year that we talk about posting. ……” (professional baseball desk of a sports newspaper)

The “direct appeal to the majors” issue was further inflamed when Sasaki withdrew from the Professional Baseball Players Association just before his contract renewal. Tadahito Mori, 61, the secretary general of the association, expressed his regret when interviewed by the press and stressed the importance of the rights the association had won regarding FA and other transfers. Then something strange happened. Within a few hours of the press conference, a photo of Sasaki and manager Yoshii Masato (58) taken at ZOZO Marine Stadium and a video of Sasaki practicing pitching on the field were uploaded to Chiba Lotte’s official SNS.

The material was distributed free of charge on the condition that any media outlet that wished to use it would include the signature provided by the baseball team. Some staff members complained that their workload had increased because of her selfishness, and it was apparent that they were taking pains to improve Sasaki’s image. ……

Perhaps to prevent Sasaki from saying unnecessary things, it is forbidden to interview Sasaki directly except on the days designated by the baseball team. A team official tweeted, “He is now one of the leading players in the NPB.

Sasaki is now one of the best pitchers in the NPB, and he is a “money tree” for us. We have no choice but to protect him no matter how selfish he is.