Rakuten’s Asamura Breaks Free from the Pressure of Milestones

Wearing protective gear and getting hit by the ball

About a month after his historic milestone—it’s just past 9 a.m., and only a few players are scattered around the indoor training facility. Rakuten’s Hideto Asamura (34) arrives with a calm expression on his face. He speaks in his own words:

“The road to 2,000 hits was anything but smooth. My baseball life up to now has really been full of both good times and tough ones. I’m truly grateful that so many people cared and supported me, but I’m also relieved to finally stop hearing, ‘How many more to go?’ (laughs)”

Asamura became the 56th player in NPB history to reach 2,000 career hits on May 24, in a game against Nippon-Ham. This season, he experienced a slump with a personal worst of 35 consecutive hitless at-bats. When he finally reached the milestone, he tearfully admitted on the hero’s podium, “The closer I got, the harder it became.” Just as he said, his journey was far from easy. Here, he reflects on that path in his own voice.

Despite his natural talent, Asamura was often scolded by his coach in high school (Osaka Toin) for showing up late or playing carelessly. Drafted in the 3rd round by Seibu, he didn’t play a single game on the first team during his rookie year in 2009. A turning point came in his third season, when he crossed paths with coach Masahiro Doi, who served as both head and batting coach.

“We did drills where I wore protective gear on my left side and had balls thrown at my body to train myself not to open my left shoulder too early. I remember Coach Doi telling me, ‘Don’t flinch from the ball—watch it as long as you can. If you learn to let pitches go properly, your swing will naturally improve.’ He wouldn’t just hit me—occasionally he’d throw a hittable ball, and if I kept my shoulder from opening up, I’d start driving sharp hits to right field. Eventually, I became able to hit to all fields depending on the pitch location.”

Ironically, his strong ability to hit to the opposite field came from an injury. In June 2013, he seriously injured his left shoulder—so badly that he couldn’t even pull the ball anymore. That led him to seek a more shoulder-friendly form.

“I imagined holding a tennis racket in my right hand and swinging as if I were carrying the ball with it. That image clicked for me. My hit zone to the right field expanded as a result.”

Defensively, he was also put through intense training. At the time, his regular positions were shortstop or third base. But with Hiroyuki Nakajima and Takeya Nakamura firmly holding those spots on the Seibu roster, Asamura trained at first and second base as well.

“I got absolutely hammered with infield drills across all four positions—short, third, second, and first—every single day. They’d give me what felt like four times the normal amount of grounders. I’d be totally drained after special defense practice and could only think about going home to rest.

But that training really strengthened my lower body. It gave me staying power and helped me transfer my weight more firmly onto my back leg when hitting.”

Played even with a high fever of 41°C

Until his early twenties, Asamura had a slender build. During summer, he sometimes became so exhausted that he lost as much as 8 kilograms.

“When you lose weight, of course your power goes down. Then you start thinking, ‘I have to swing harder,’ and your swing falls apart. Especially in summer, I just didn’t have an appetite and couldn’t eat much.

After talking with seniors and coaches, the solution we came up with was to not eat a lot in one sitting but instead eat small portions five to six times a day. I’d have lunch, then eat rice balls or soup before games, and even sandwiches prepared behind the bench during games. Combined with strength training, I gained weight and became able to hit for power without my body shifting off balance.”

Although the streak ended on May 20, Asamura holds the Pacific League record of 1,346 consecutive games played. However, he doesn’t necessarily have a strong constitution.

“There were times when I felt sluggish on the field, took my temperature, and it turned out I had a high fever of 41°C—I went straight to the hospital after the game. I’ve also played through torn muscles, wrapping the injured area with tape over and over. Even when I wasn’t feeling well, I kept playing because I didn’t want to lose my regular spot. If you rest, someone might take your position. I didn’t want to get used to saying, ‘I’m not playing today.’ In a long season, there are always tough stretches. Even then, how much you can grit your teeth and keep playing—that’s what being a pro is all about, so taking a break was never an option for me.”

Of course, Asamura has also gone through many rock-bottom periods.

“When I go without a hit for a while, I get really down. I think, ‘Why can’t I hit? What’s wrong with me?’ I’ve struggled with defense too. In the 2013 interleague game against the Giants, my error caused a walk-off loss. I was in such a bad state of mind I didn’t even want to take the field. I became afraid of baseball.

But I think it’s natural to struggle when results don’t come. To shake off that anxiety, the only option is to practice so hard that you can say to yourself, ‘I’ve done everything I can.’ I used to think about baseball constantly, but after getting married in December 2019, that changed. Having a family allows me to reset my mindset even after mistakes. Just seeing the face of my young child helps me forget the hard times.”

As mentioned earlier, he also went through the labor pains of reaching 2,000 hits, including a stretch of 35 consecutive hitless at-bats.

“Because expectations from those around me were so high, I felt a strong sense of guilt. It was tough. But that just made me realize all the more how incredible the record is.”

A few days after achieving the record, he received a surprise from Nakajima—his mentor and fellow shortstop from his Seibu days. When Asamura walked into the locker room that morning, cardboard boxes were piled up. Inside were 2,000 protein-filled castella cakes, a gift from Nakajima.

“I was super happy. I handed them out to my teammates and team staff—and of course, I ate some myself.”

When asked about his goals going forward, Asamura wrote the word building up or accumulation on a message board. Even when things are tough, Asamura is determined to keep playing, focusing on each and every hit as he continues to build his record.

Smiling while holding protein-fortified castella cakes gifted by his respected mentor Nakajima in celebration of his 2,000-hit milestone. He’s wearing a commemorative T-shirt marking the achievement.

Asamura’s hand-written goal on a message board: even after reaching the milestone, he remains focused on building step by step.

From the July 11, 2025, issue of “FRIDAY”