Exclusive Interview with Kosei Yoshida of The Orix Opens Up, Mind Went Blank on Transfer Notification
Star of the Koshien Tournament in the summer of '18, but pitched in only 3 games last year.
On the day of Nippon Ham’s barnstorming party in Sapporo last November. Kosei Yoshida, 23, who was told to come early, was called into a private room and told something unexpected by Hiroshi Yoshimura, the team’s general manager. It was an exchange trade for Yuta Kuroki of the Orix. Yoshida recalls.
I was really surprised. I was so surprised that I couldn’t think straight……. I had just completed my contract renewal three days before. At first I didn’t really feel it, but I’m going back to my roots at the new place. I want to start over from scratch and contribute to the Orix’s bid for Japan’s No. 1 position.
Last year was a tough season, with only three appearances in the first team. This off-season, he banned carbohydrates and reduced his body fat percentage by 5% to 13% by eating a diet centered on avocados, eggs, and beef. He has been finishing well, hitting 148 km/h, the fastest ever for this time of the year. Yoshida, who will be participating in his first camp with the Orix, talked about his struggles to date and his enthusiasm for this season.
Yoshida, a junior at Kanashoku Agricultural High School, became a star at the Koshien Stadium in the “Kinnoh Whirlwind” of the summer of ’18. Yoshida had been practicing hard, including running in the snow, and his fastball was growing in power and confidence. At the opening ceremony of the Akita Prefectural Tournament, he was approached by a teammate from his junior high school and replied, “I’m going to be the best pitcher in Japan.
How can you talk to the pitcher who is going to be the best in Japan?
Yoshida recalls his junior high school teammate saying to him, “I’ve had a lot of experience as a pro, and I’m humble.
I have experienced many things in the pros and have become more humble, but back then I was a bit of a yankee,……. I have never been nervous at a game. The more people were there, the more attention I wanted to get. Whoever my opponent was, I was determined to beat him.
