“Time to Show Them!” — WBC Stars Reveal Their Battles Off the Field

With less than a month to go until the WBC opener (March 6), on February 5, the registered members (30 players) from 20 participating countries and regions were announced. Samurai Japan, expected to win its second consecutive championship, included Major Leaguers such as Shohei Ohtani (31) of the Dodgers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (27), and Seiya Suzuki (31) of the Cubs, as well as representative players from Japan’s professional leagues, including Teruaki Sato (26) of the Hanshin Tigers and Kensuke Kondo (32) of the SoftBank Hawks.

“FRIDAY” interviewed the Samurai warriors when they were just beginning to stand out. What emerged were the unknown setbacks and struggles of athletes who would later become superstars. Let’s look back (comments are quoted from the magazine).

“I’ll definitely make a comeback and show those who spoke ill of me! I’ll use this frustration as fuel. Just wait and see!”

This was said in our February 25, 2011 issue by Yusei Kikuchi (34), in his second year as a pro. As the ace of Hanamaki Higashi High School (Iwate Prefecture), he joined the Seibu Lions as the first overall pick in the draft. However, in his first year, he didn’t pitch in the top team due to left shoulder pain and faced media criticism as a disappointing golden egg. He told FRIDAY about his negative feelings toward those around him and his own sense of inadequacy.

“Of course, bad information reaches my ears. I felt intense frustration. But it’s true that I haven’t delivered results. I decided, ‘This is a time to endure,’ and I persevered.”

Over a long period of patience, Kikuchi grew into Seibu’s ace. In 2019, he moved to the Major Leagues and now thrives as a rotation pitcher for the Angels.

Days spent lying down except for stretching and meals

Masataka Yoshida (32) of the Red Sox, selected for the last spot on Samurai Japan as the “Last Samurai,” also experienced a period of adversity.

“My legs went numb, I couldn’t walk, and I spent my days lying down except for stretching and meals. I worried I wouldn’t be able to swing fully again and felt too discouraged even to talk to people.”

Yoshida revealed this in our March 17, 2017 issue. Drafted first overall from Aoyama Gakuin University, he was the starting leadoff hitter in 2016 but was removed from the roster due to severe lower back pain, caused by overwork during camp.

To build a body resilient to injury, Yoshida trained under Koji Murofushi (51), the hammer throw gold medalist from the Athens Olympics. Through exercises such as barbell squats, he strengthened his core and stabilized his overall balance.

“At the time of the interview, I was able to swing fully as I wanted. If I play throughout the year, I’m confident I can deliver results. Whether it’s the home run title or the RBI title, I want to aim for those achievements.”

〈A Different Level〉

Yoshida won the batting title for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021 and has continued to swing for full power in the majors since 2023.

Shugo Maki (27) of DeNA, an indispensable member of the Samurai Japan lineup, also struggled when he entered the pros as the second-round draft pick from Chuo University. In the December 1, 2023 issue, he said:

〈I was desperate. Breaking balls and fastballs were on a completely different level from college. To get used to professional pitching, I took notes on how each pitch felt when I hit it and the trajectory of each pitcher’s pitches. Even in the short time between offense and defense, I wrote down whatever I noticed.〉

Even now, as a core player for DeNA, Maki continues to take notes on what he notices.

All the members of Samurai Japan are recognized for their talent. But from the moment they entered the pros, their baseball careers were far from smooth sailing. To reach glory, they had to desperately overcome walls so high they could feel like despair.