<figure id="attachment_420989" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-420989" style="width: 732px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="a2722d4b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/04/9d89fc3a194e93f0b2e89227675778e6.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-420989" class="wp-caption-text">Okoye was hitting very well in the open game (photo: March 7 against the Orix).</figcaption></figure>
 He has not been able to ride the wave of the season. Rui Okoye (27) of the Giants is one such player.
 He was in great form during the open season. His batting average was .375, and he exploded for four hits in five at-bats against Hanshin on March 9.
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 He seems to have hit his form, which is to hold the bat in front of his body and swing with a relaxed swing. His &#8220;Kamishu Batting Method&#8221; is reminiscent of Hiromitsu Ochiai, who won the Triple Crown three times with Lotte. Until last season, there were many instances where his form was broken by breaking pitches, but thanks to the &#8216;Kamishu Batting Method,&#8217; he was able to handle any ball in the open games.
 However, when the season opener came, he was not able to play &#8230;&#8230;. However, when the season started, he was in a slump. His batting average has been slumping at .111 (as of April 11).
<h2> His own baseball career is suffering.</h2>
 Okoye&#8217;s physical prowess is well recognized by all, with a long throw of 120 meters, eyesight of 2.0 or better, and a 50-meter run of 5.96 seconds. The only drawback is the unevenness of his character. During his time at Rakuten, he would affirm himself every year by saying, &#8220;I&#8217;m developing too well,&#8221; but when his coach gave him a stern warning, he would sometimes become flustered. Kazuhisa Ishii, the manager at the time, complained, &#8220;If he doesn&#8217;t come out soon, his own baseball career will suffer.
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 Dave Okubo, who coached Okoye directly as the Giants&#8217; chief hitting coach during the 2011 season, is one of those who recognize Okoye&#8217;s sense.
 He said, &#8220;Certainly, Okoye&#8217;s physical ability is outstanding. Tatsunori Hara once advised Okoye to stand a little closer to the base when he was struggling with an in-course pitch. Okoye was able to get a better handle on the inside corner just by listening to Hara&#8217;s words.
 Dave, on the other hand, pointed out that Okoye&#8217;s good form did not last long because of &#8220;a problem with his feelings.
 His personality is too serious. He is usually cheerful and upbeat, but when he doesn&#8217;t get results, he immediately becomes depressed and doesn&#8217;t talk much. He is a worrier.
 I once gave him this advice: &#8220;Don&#8217;t blame yourself if you don&#8217;t get results. Don&#8217;t blame yourself if you don&#8217;t get results. It&#8217;s better to think that it&#8217;s your fault if you use it. I think it is important for Okoye to relax his shoulders and think, &#8216;Even if I don&#8217;t make it today, I will be able to hit tomorrow.
 Okoye, who was a star of Kanto Ichi High School (Tokyo), is in his third year with the Giants after being drafted by the Rakuten team. This season will be a critical one for him.

 The Giants' Okoye can't catch a wave. He was in great form during the opening game, but once the season started, his batting average slumped to the .100 mark. Why can't his good form last? A former Giants hitting coach pointed to Okoye's "feeling problem" as a factor.

Former coach reveals how he feels about Okoye, a Giants player with a batting average in the 10% range.

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