Prince Handkerchief Yuki Saito Retired-The true thoughts I told my seniors-October 26, 15:03

On October 17, Nippon-Ham Fighter Yuki Saito (33) retired.

Fifteen years ago, pitcher Saito attracted attention all over Japan as "Prince Handkerchief".

I was one year senior at the Waseda Jitsugyo Baseball Club, and I was deprived of the ace title by pitcher Saito.

Saito, a junior who has a fiery fighting spirit inside and sincerely faces his favorite baseball game.

After joining NHK, I occasionally recorded the appearance of Saito fighting.

And last year, he resumed coverage of Saito, who was injured in his life as a baseball player.

That was the record for Saito's professional "last days."

(Hitoshi Takayashiki, Director, Sports Information Program Department)

Last December "I want to throw it again as I want"

Last December, Chiba Kamagaya Stadium, which is the 2nd military facility of Nippon-Ham.

At that time, Saito ruptured the ligament of his right elbow and was injured, which could be fatal to the pitcher.

This year, Saito hadn't pitched in one army for the first time since he became a professional player, but he signed a contract with the team and decided to continue his career.

There was

also a voice saying,

"Isn't it treated specially even though it hasn't produced results?"

Director Takayashiki

I dare say, but when I look at the contract at Saito's age objectively, I think there is a voice saying "Why?" ??

Yuki Saito Pitcher

I've been thinking about it for a long time, but I want to play baseball.

I'm most happy to be able to do it with the Fighters, and if I couldn't do that, I would have wanted to play baseball elsewhere.

Of course, I understand that it is so-called unfair in the world, but this is my personal opinion, and when I think about myself, I just want to play baseball.

It's up to the Fighters to sign or not.

That's something I can't control.

So you might be told to retire from yourself, but that's a contradiction to your feelings.

Isn't it strange that you want to play baseball but retire from yourself?

On the contrary, I want to play baseball until the end.

Saito keeps throwing at the 2nd army Bruben who has no media or fans.

The ball speed is in the low 130km range.

Not far from the heyday of 150 kilometers.

The last victory in one army was four years ago.

As a professional, the state of the bottom of the dong continued.

I wonder why Saito can keep throwing.

I thought for a moment, right?

Pitcher Saito

That's true.

After all, I've been thinking about it lately, and if it weren't for baseball, I'd be able to continue like this, and I like throwing, so I think I've been able to continue to this point.

I won the Koshien at the age of 18, I won the university, I won a little at the beginning even if I was a professional, and I can not win again from there, so I have a feeling that I want to throw it again as I want. I'm wondering.

"I want to throw it again as I want."

That phrase reminds me of the Koshien final 15 years ago.

He pitched with Masahiro Tanaka, pitcher of Tomakomai Komadai, and finally struck out pitcher Tanaka with a straight of 144 km, leading the team to victory.

At Waseda University, he has contributed to Japan's number one as an ace since the first year.

Entered Nippon-Ham in 1st place in the draft, and won 6 wins in the first year.

In the second year, he was selected as the opening pitcher.

However, in this year's Japan Series, I broke my shoulder and couldn't throw it as I expected.

Damage to the "labrum" between the arm and scapula.

Zero wins the following year, two wins the following year, and only four wins after the third year of the pro.

Since then, the 2nd army stadium in Kamagaya has been Saito's whereabouts.

February "One win in one army. That is the borderline."

Okinawa camp in February this year.

Saito was trying to remodel the form to get the ball speed.

About 200 balls every day.

Saito is working on a new practice of throwing the most balls in a professional game.

Okinawa is the place where Saito started as a professional baseball player 10 years ago.

Have you changed yourself 10 years after becoming a professional baseball player from this camp?

Pitcher Saito

I think most of all, at that time, I was rarely interviewed in a natural way.

I think I was making myself and playing while killing various emotions.

I used to talk about things like "I can't say this", but I'm not so careful now.

The most important thing is that the eyes of the people who are looking at me have changed, rather than that I have changed.

If I talk about something strange, I'm sure Takayashiki-san wouldn't use it in such a place.

I think it's just created by people who have known the existence of "Yuki Saito" over 10 years.

That's why I can be natural.

Is there anything in Saito that if you can do this, you really want to make a circle?

Pitcher Saito

may get angry, but after all it is to win one in one army.

I think that is one borderline.

Is your feeling for one win different from when you were walking around here with a lot of people 10 years ago?

Pitcher Saito is

completely different.

The value of one win and the weight of one win are completely different.

Perhaps when I was walking here 11 years ago, I thought it would be easy to win one, maybe.

There is a clear difference between the one win you think at that time and the one you are aiming for now, and I think it would be quite difficult if you were told to win one now.

July "I often dream of throwing as I want"

July, three months after the start of the season.

Saito stood on the mound of the 2nd army battle.

The ball speed is in the low 130km range, and the effect of the efforts from the camp has not improved, and there is no voice from the 1st army.

Saito told me about his dream of seeing well.

Pitcher Saito

Recently, what I dream of is that the ability to control the ball comes down to me, and I often dream of throwing it as I want.

I'm throwing in a match.

I'll see you all the time.

If I could control the ball that much and get the results I wanted, it would be really fun, and when I woke up from my dream, I said, "Well, that's right" and "I don't have such a good story."

Is it similar to when you're holding back like you were in high school?

Pitcher Saito It

may be like that.

I was able to control my body and get the results I wanted ...

It may be similar.

I heard it for the first time, but it's interesting.

Pitcher Saito

is interesting, isn't he?

If I could do that, it might be boring.

But I want to try it about once.

Fan letter sent to "Yuki Saito now"

In the interview in July, Saito taught me a fan letter of support.

It is said that not only the generation who knows the "Prince Handkerchief" era

but also young fans who know only "Saito now" are supporting us.

Saito pitcher

fan letter I'm really happy.

To be honest, when you get a lot of fan letters, you can't see them all.

Now, I've seen all of them, and there are a lot of contents that will inspire me.

I'm very happy about that.

Saito taught me some of the contents of the fan letter.

"I don't know about Koshien or Mr. Saito when he joined the team, but I wrote a letter after seeing his efforts. I often run away when it gets hard. It's hard to get up, so I think it's really amazing that Mr. Saito keeps getting up. "

"I respect him as a person of the same age who is always doing his best. I see him as a fan, including the appearance of being injured and unable to play an active role as expected. I am stimulated by my spirit and aspirations. "

Is it because you've been a professional for 11 years because you can hear voices from people who don't know Saito's high school days?

Pitcher Saito

: I'm very happy to have that time, and of course I'm inconvenienced because I've been doing it for a long time, but once again I can meet various people and be supported by various people. It feels so happy.

August Tokyo Olympics "I regret the success of the handkerchief generation"

This summer.

There was a battle that moved Saito's heart.

Masahiro Tanaka, Yuki Yanagita, and Hayato Sakamoto.

The Tokyo Olympics, where players who were once called the handkerchief generation made a big move.

Saito's notebook said, "To be honest, I wanted to go to the Tokyo Olympics."

Pitcher Saito It

's regrettable, isn't it?

He said he couldn't go there as the same athlete.

For example, when I was 18, I was in a position where I could definitely aim for it, and although I had a chance to aim for it, I probably had a lack of effort, I might have been injured, and I think now. I can't make any excuses, so I'm disappointed.

Here I asked Saito a nervous question.

I heard about the success of pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who has always been referred to since the famous game at Koshien.

Until now, Saito had a blatantly disgusting face when he was given the name of his rival, but this time it was different.

Frankly, do you think it's amazing to see Ma?

Pitcher Saito

I think after all.

I thought I wouldn't lose somewhere, but I think it's amazing to be a professional player, gain experience, go to major leagues, and play an active role, and that feeling hasn't changed.

Did you get irritated?

I'm not

pitcher Saito

.

In a good way, I've become easygoing, and of course I'm not overwhelmed by such questions, but in a bad way, I wonder if my fighting spirit has disappeared. but.

September 22 "I'm retiring. I have to make a final decision."

On September 22, I was called by Saito.

A place alone with Saito who finished the practice.

Suddenly, I was confessed.

Pitcher Saito From the

conclusion, I decided to retire.

The reason is that my shoulder hurts so much.

When I threw it the other day, my shoulders didn't really rise and I thought, "This is impossible."

When it comes to a match, you can somehow throw it.

I was thrown, but the next day I couldn't lift my shoulders, and today's catch was really hard.

Is that the biggest?

Last year, I injured my elbow at this time and asked the doctor to say, "If I want to do it next year, I can do it." As I continue to slurp, I love baseball, but today I thought I couldn't move on unless I decided a break in my life.

That's why no one can talk to me, or I have to make the final decision.

Saito's eyes, announcing his decision to retire, seemed to have tears in his eyes.

I think I've been wondering for a long time, but why do you think Saito didn't make the decision?

Saito

: I had an expectation that I could still do it somewhere in my heart, and I was still seriously expecting to throw a 140-kilogram ball and win in one army, so that was It may have been because it was there.

The biggest thing was that I couldn't throw it as I expected.

Also, looking at other teammates, I feel that I have become more supportive of other teammates, or I really want my rival teammates to do their best and play an active role. I felt that the fighting spirit as a player has disappeared.

Meanwhile, I was injured and couldn't throw the ball I wanted when I went to the mound.

I was able to throw it even in such a state, and I felt that my teeth were sick because I was given a chance.

Retired in October "There was something to be gained by continuing to do it"

October 3rd, the last pitching in the 2nd army.

Saito's last ball was a 132km straight.

Pitcher Saito

I was thrown without regret because it was the maximum four seams (straight) I could put out now.

I think I spent a lot of time thinking about various things in Kamagaya.

The time I spent here was very important to my life.

On October 17, Saito became the last mound of active duty in the Orix match held at Sapporo Dome.

After the match, I gave Saito a “last interview”.

2 I think I had a lot of thoughts because I had a long life in the military, but what did Saito find and notice?

Pitcher Saito

I have to work hard toward my goal.

You can't see what you can see if you don't keep doing it.

There are things you can't do by continuing to do it.

This time, there were many things I couldn't do, and I had to achieve them, but even if I couldn't achieve them, I think there were many things that I could gain by continuing to do so.

Perhaps I could have gained more than that, and I thought it was important to do what was right in front of me.

I was able to leave results at high school and college, and I thought I could come to the pros and play an active role, but it wasn't that sweet.

However, I thought a lot of things that I had to find in order to play an active role, and I felt that the process of thinking would be important for me in my future life.

During the interview period, I once told my seniors that "If Saito stops throwing, he's just a person."

There was also a meaning of encouragement, but through interviews, I now feel from Saito the "strength as a human being" that is beyond the scope of baseball players.

I would like to look forward to what kind of path Saito will take in the future.

Sports Information Program Department

Hitoshi Takayashiki

Joined in 2010

Osaka Broadcasting Station, News Department Political Program, Sports Information Program Department.

When I was a student, I belonged to the Waseda / Waseda baseball club.

Former MAX 140km right arm.

At Waseda, I also experienced ace, but at Waseda, I was a hitting pitcher ...

Close-up Gendai + coverage notes

What Yuki Saito told his former teammate director (me)

Unreleased interview on the show