Major League Baseball Angels Shohei Otani returned to Japan on the 18th after a historic
season in pitching and hitting.
After arriving at Haneda Airport, it is a question and answer that answered the question of the media.
“It was a good season for me personally, just like last year.”
Q. How did you feel after coming back to Japan after the season?
A.It's been a little while since the season ended in the US, so I've finished other things to refresh myself, and I came back today.
Q. Do you feel relieved after coming back to Japan?
A. I have other jobs, so I think I can do it relatively slowly here.
I just arrived in Japan, so I can't say anything.
Q. What kind of season was this season?
A. Continuing from last year, personally, it was a good season.
I want to do my best with a good goal for next year.
Q.Regarding reaching the regulation pitching inning and regulation turn at bat.
A. I think the best thing is that I was able to continue to participate in games stably.
Next year, I will continue to do my best so that I can play every match in good condition.
Q. About whereabouts of MVP.
A. I am happy just to be nominated, and I think that having such a good season gives me confidence, so I will do my best to continue to achieve good results next year and beyond.
WBC "Of course we see it positively"
Q. Thoughts to WBC.
A. I met and talked with Kuriyama once in America, so I haven't made a decision yet, but when I come back to Japan, I want to think about it again.
Q.What did Kuriyama say to you?
A. As a manager, it was my enthusiasm, my determination, and I was told that I wanted to play baseball with him.
I want to decide whether to go out or not in the end because of that.
Q.About the WBC tournament.
A. Last time I had an ankle injury, and it felt like the timing wasn't right.
Ever since I was in Japan, I've always wanted to compete, and I've always thought that I'd like to carry the Hinomaru flag on my back and fight in a tournament like that one day, so of course I'm positive about it.
Q. Trout and other players will be participating as teammates, but will that also have an impact?
A.Yes.
The same is true in the United States, of course, and other Latinos, and many major leaguers have only top-class players.
Of course I feel the charm, including that, and of course I have such thoughts.
Q. When do you want to make a specific decision?
A. There is no time limit.
The most important thing is to be in a good condition first, and of course, the longer the decision is delayed, the more it will affect the selection of members, so I would like to make a decision as early as possible, but the timing is limited. I want to think about it again.
Next season "I want to enter in conditions that surpass this year"
Q. What are your goals for next year?
A. First, camp in, and then the season.
The WBC may be before that, but I think I was in better shape and in the best physical condition ever for this year's camp-in, so I want to do my best to enter in conditions that surpass that. I want to do my best so that I can continue for a long time when the season starts.
To classmate Fujinami, "I'm happy if we can play on the same ground."
Q. Regarding Hanshin pitcher Fujinami's major challenge.
A. I think the contract is coming soon, so first of all I'm rooting for you to make a good contract.
“First of all, I want to do my best as a sample of two-way players.”
Q. You returned to Japan earlier than last year's off.
What are you looking forward to this year off?
A. I want to eat delicious food first, so I want to relax while training.
Q. Regarding the rise of dual wielding players at the professional level worldwide.
A. The fact that there are so many teams that are openly approached means that there are many options, so of course I am happy as a player, and of course I want them to do their best when such a player comes out.
As a good example, I want to do my best so that I can get good results, and I want to do my best not to make the path narrow when a player wants to try two wielding.
Q. Which match or performance was the hottest?
A. There was no such thing.
Rather, I felt that August and September were especially long compared to last year, and including the 14-game losing streak, I wasn't able to play as many games as I wanted, so I have a strong impression that it's not a good direction.
Q. A home run that left an impression on you.
A. A home run hit by Cole or a home run that tied the score in the 9th inning.
In terms of the situation, I think it was the best home run.
As a pitcher, "I'm glad I remained as a number."
Q. About pitcher Otani.
A. It's good that other numbers are growing, not just winning stars, and it's good that what we've been doing since last year has remained in the figures as a performance or even better.
Q. It's been a little while since the season ended, but what are you practicing now?
A. I don't throw balls or do technical practice.
Rest your shoulders and elbows first.
I trained a few times at the gym over there.
Q. What are you working on for the next season, such as diet?
A. My body fat percentage will go up in the second half of the season, so I want to reset it once, train again, and be physically stronger than last year.
WBC dual wielding is "Pitching because I think hitting is not a problem"
Q. After the season, the GM of the Angels said that it would be okay to participate in the WBC as a dual wrestler.
A. I didn't say that I wanted to go out, but rather they told me to do whatever they wanted.
We were in the middle of the season, so we didn't talk about it in depth, and I was only thinking about finishing the season in a solid way, so I'd like to think about it again, including these 10 days and the future.
Q. If you are going to appear, will you decide on the premise of dual wielding?
A. Of course, I don't think there's a problem with batting, so it's more about pitching.
Of course I can't throw 100 or 120 balls from this time.
Because it's the same in every country.
I'm not the one who takes command, I'm the one who's appointed, so I won't know unless I talk about how it feels and how I'm thinking about how to appoint it.
Q.I think pitching needs to be adjusted early, but are you thinking about that?
A.Regarding the season, it's been a little over a week since spring training started, and the specific number of balls is probably about 40.
If it is a starting pitcher, I have to finish it so that I can throw up to 60 or 70 pitches.
If you don't have to be the starting pitcher, there's no need to make adjustments so quickly.
Q. Do you want to participate from the first round at Tokyo Dome?
A. As I said earlier, I don't know what will happen if I throw as a starting pitcher, a middle pitcher, or a closer.
I haven't talked about it at all yet, and I haven't talked about that stage since it was during the season, so from now on.
Q. What is the guideline for the condition when deciding to participate?
A. As long as the training is progressing smoothly without anxiety, I don't think there is a problem. If possible, I think that it will be in the same state as usual.
If I stumble at that stage, I wonder if it will be difficult to participate.
Off is "making form while imagining the feeling of pitching"
Q. What is your current physical condition?
A.No problem.
Right now, recovery is my priority, or rather, I don't do high-intensity training that much.
I'm not in a good physical condition yet.
Q. What do you focus on when you are off?
A.Technically, the best is *Because there is a "pitch clock".
I want to work on making a form while imagining the feeling of pitching.
I can't make it in time if it's the timing so far.
(*This rule will be introduced in the major leagues next season. The pitcher must start pitching within 15 seconds if there are no runners, and within 20 seconds if there are runners.)
WBC "Short-term decisive battle There is no particular commitment to the starting pitcher"
Q.Is there an interest in Samurai Japan's warm-up match in November?
A. I don't go to see it directly.
I don't know if that member will be selected, and of course I think there will be a strong player, but if it's on TV, I wonder if I'll see it.
Q.Will you speed up the pace from the usual year?
A. As I said earlier.
If you're a middleman or closer, you don't have to rush as usual, and if you're told to start, you have to throw 60 or 70 pitches, so you have to speed up accordingly.
Q. I think you don't have a lot of experience with intermediates and closers, but are you considering all possibilities?
A.Yes.
It's a short-term decisive battle, so I'm not particular about the starting pitcher.
Q. If you are told to do it, a closer.
A.Yes.
As expected, it is said that he will be used in the starting lineup, but when it comes to closers, it is not a mental preparation, but it is different from fighting during the season and becoming like this in the final postseason, so to some extent including the timing. I think it's going to be difficult if it's not as expected.
"I want to relax on days when I don't have work or training."
Q. Will batting consciousness change if extreme defensive shifts disappear next year?
A. It's not like it's going to disappear completely, it's just that you have to have at least two players on each side, so there were a lot of teams that were trying out the end of this season, and that's all about defense and batting. I don't know if I don't try it, or I think it's the first time for any team.
In particular, I think that it will be difficult for any team to collect data on whether it is more efficient to shift at the last minute without trying data on defense for about a year.
Q. Do you have any plans to prepare for changing the batting off?
A. How is it?
I think that it is easier to hit a ball that is pulled a little, and if anything, even if the right side is shifted, the defense is shallow, so there are many hits that come out from the data, so it is a good rule especially for left batter. I think the balance will come into place.
Q.What do you want to eat in Japan?
as a reward.
A.Is there no such thing as this?
I think it's a little easier to go than last year, so I didn't go out last year, but I want to eat it if I have the chance.
Q. What do you want to do while you are in Japan?
A. I want to relax on days when I don't have work or training.
Now that the season is over and I've finished as much as possible in America, I haven't been able to take it easy, so I want to take it easy on the days I can.