<figure id="attachment_459044" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-459044" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="8c890163"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/00f8c624983734a5354dde4735cb6352.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-459044" class="wp-caption-text">Sato gets his eyes used to pitching in the bullpen for pitchers during the Miyazaki training camp.</figcaption></figure>
<h2> Isn&#8217;t it too early?</h2>
 With only a few days left before the first WBC game (March 6) for the Samurai Japan team led by Hirokazu Ibata (50), the Hanshin player who attracted the most attention at the training camp in Miyazaki that started on February 24 was probably Teruaki Sato (26) of the Hanshin baseball team.
 During hitting practice at the spacious &#8220;Hinata Sun Marine Stadium Miyazaki,&#8221; he hit a series of sharp pitches. In recent years, he has been a regular official ball player in the NPB.
 In recent years, it has been rumored that the official NPB ball has become &#8220;harder&#8221; to hit. The WBC ball used in practice seemed to fly more easily than that, and he seemed satisfied with it, saying, &#8216;It&#8217;s worthwhile.
 He started both games in a row in the send-off games against SoftBank on February 22 and 23. In the first game, he showed off his presence with three hits and five runs batted in, attracting a crowd of fans in the stands.
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 The contract renewal between Hanshin and Sato was delayed until the end of January, just before the start of camp, over the issue of Sato&#8217;s transfer to the major leagues on a posting contract. Perhaps because of this, he often seemed to have a difficult look on his face at the Hanshin camp, but at the Japan national team camp, he seemed to be able to smile at everyone around him and practice with a relaxed attitude. This mental composure may have contributed to his success in the send-off match.
 It seems that the people around Sato, who had some trouble in the off-season, were also supporting him so that he could integrate into the team.
 The team leaders and the nine members of the team teased him on the field, saying, &#8220;Hey, Goneteru! and &#8220;Hey, Goneteru! Especially, Sosuke Genda (33) and Nobuhiro Matsuda (42), the senior coach of Seibu, who also plays the infield, teased him, saying, &#8220;Aren&#8217;t you ready for the majors yet? They teased him repeatedly, saying, &#8220;You&#8217;re not ready for the majors yet, are you? Sato himself didn&#8217;t retort, but rather replied with a smile, &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry for the trouble I&#8217;ve caused you! (laugh).
 Of course, the Nine and the coaches were not blaming Sato&#8217;s negotiations on posting, but they wanted to soften his feelings by turning the public bashing into laughter.
 In fact, behind the bench, they said, &#8216;If you have the desire to go to the majors, you have to be dominant in the show. Scouts are watching you, so do your best! He is giving words of encouragement to the players.
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 In contrast to the Hanshin front office, which dismissed Satoteru&#8217;s decision to post his application to the Majors as &#8220;selfishness,&#8221; the Samurai Nine warmly supported Satoteru&#8217;s dream. Will Sato be able to carve out a path to his dream with the love of his friends who are aiming to become the world&#8217;s No. 1 baseball player together?

 Hiroyuki Komatsu

 Teruaki Sato was teased by the Nine at the Samurai Japan training camp in Miyazaki, Japan. What was the "affection" behind it?

Hey, Goneteru!&#8221; The Samurai Nine &#8220;teased&#8221; Teruaki Sato about posting at the Miyazaki training camp&#8230;but showed &#8220;affection&#8221; behind the scenes.

Hey, Goneteru!” The Samurai Nine “teased” Teruaki Sato about posting at the Miyazaki training camp…but showed “affection” behind the scenes.

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