Aoyama Gakuin University pitcher Kaisho Shimomura, who was drafted No. 1 by professional baseball team Hanshin, signed a tentative contract with the baseball team and expressed his enthusiasm for winning the rookie title after a year without injury.
Shimomura is a right-handed pitcher who throws a fastball with a maximum speed of 155 kph and a changeup with good control, and was the No. 1 pick by Hanshin in last month's draft.
On the 26th, Shimomura negotiated with the team at a hotel in Yokohama City, and signed a tentative contract with an estimated contract fee of 1 million yen, plus a piecework payment of 5000 million yen and an annual salary of 1600 million yen.
After the negotiations, Shimomura said, "After the Meiji Jingu Tournament, I finally felt that I had become a professional baseball player, and I wanted to give something to my parents, who took care of me with the contract money."
He also expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "The number of matches is different between college and pro, so I have to train my physical strength to do it throughout the season.
When asked which player he is aiming for, he mentioned his teammate pitcher Yoshiki Murakami and said, "They are similar in physique, and even though they are not that big, they are active in the first team. I also want to win the title of best defensive percentage someday."