Masahiro Tanaka “It’s not the amount, it’s the pride of a child of God”, although he also showed a smile at an event held in Tokyo.

I’m just going to do what I can do as always.

I’m just going to keep doing what I can do. It’s not the amount of money, it’s the way I feel.

The “child of God,” who boasts 197 wins in Japan and the U.S., is at a crossroads in his professional baseball career.

Masahiro Tanaka, 36, who ended up with no wins due to surgery, chose to part ways with his team Rakuten after receiving a contract renewal this offseason that significantly exceeded the stipulated reduction limit.

However, no team has yet made a clear commitment to acquire him. This must have been unexpected for Tanaka’s side.

On December 8, Tanaka appeared at “Ma-kun Lab 2024” held at an indoor practice field in Setagaya Ward. This was an event jointly sponsored by Mizuno and Tanaka, in which Tanaka taught pitching skills to six junior high school students selected from all over the country.

He looked relaxed at the event, but after the interview he took a stern look on his face. He was relaxed at the event, but after the event, he looked grim when we interviewed him, saying, “I’m just going to do what I can do as always.

Even legends are forced to retire if there is no team interested in them. Tanaka himself understands this.

When he was with Rakuten, he was promised a place on the top floor of the hotel where he would be staying on his tours, and he also had to pay the rent on his house. However, Tanaka has put aside his pride and has a policy of not demanding special treatment from his next team. He wants to expand his chances of transferring anyway,” said an official of the Rakuten baseball team.

At the event, Tanaka told junior high school students, “The most important thing in baseball is guts. Will he be able to make a decision about his own departure based on his perseverance?

From the December 27, 2024 issue of FRIDAY