The Japan National Baseball Team players of the WBC = World Baseball Classic practiced for the first time since arriving in the United States on 17 September, and five players, including pitcher Aki Sasaki and Masanao Yoshida, made light adjustments.
After defeating Italy in the quarterfinals at the Tokyo Dome on 16 September, the Japan National Team flew to Miami, Florida, where the semi-finals and subsequent matches will be held.
After a flight of about 13 hours, we arrived at the hotel at 17:4 a.m. local time on the 5th, and most of the players spent the day resting.
In addition to pitchers Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who are expected to start after the semifinals, a total of five pitchers, including pitchers Daiya Miyagi and Hiroto Takahashi, and fielder Yoshida, entered the university facility in Miami at 11:26 a.m.
After playing catch on the field, the players adjusted to light menus such as long throws and outfield runs, and worked up a sweat for about an hour in the sunny Florida weather with a temperature of 1 degrees.
After the practice, Sasaki said, "I thought the weather was warm and pleasant, and things have been going well so far. First of all, it is important to perform as well as I can, so I want to be in good shape."
Yoshida also commented on how to deal with the time difference, saying, "I slept well on the plane and slept for about four hours after arriving at the hotel. I want to soak up the sun today so that I can sleep well at night without taking a nap."
Pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto: "It was very warm and comfortable"
Yamamoto said, "I wanted to exercise well today, and I was able to practice with short sleeves and shorts during this period, and it was very warm and comfortable. We have a lot of time before the match, so I want to get used to it."
He was enthusiastic, saying, "We have no choice but to win the match, so we will do our best in terms of physical condition and technique."