SoftBank pitcher Takeshi Wada, who is the last active player of the "Matsuzaka generation" in professional baseball, opened up his voluntary training session in Nagasaki City and expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "I've been training well, and I want to be ready for the start of the season."
Wada, who turns 43 next month, is the oldest player in the Pacific League and won eight games last season, the second-most on the team.
On the 2th, the team held a voluntary training session in Nagasaki City with 8 players, including Hanshin pitcher Kotaro Otake.
After working up a sweat for about two hours in core training, we moved to a shrine near the baseball stadium where we were practicing and ran up a steep 15-meter slope eight times.
Speaking to the media after the training, Wada revealed that he felt tightness in his left leg at the end of the year and in his left side during this voluntary training, and said, "To be honest, I'm not in good shape, but I've been training well, and I think I'll be in good shape when I go into camp."
Regarding coach Yuki Kokubo's announcement that he will be in the starting rotation from the start of the season, he said, "I'm grateful for that, but I take it as a loving severity that says, 'I've left it to you,' and I want to match it for the start of the season."
He also set a goal of starting 20 games this season, saying, "I want to do my best to lift Mr. Kokubo, and I will prepare well."
Wada also commented on the fact that his name was mentioned in some media reports as compensation for Hodaka Yamakawa, who moved from Seibu to SoftBank after exercising his free agent rights, saying, "I don't want to touch it, I don't want to think about it. All I can do is pitch hard for the team and prepare well. That's how I feel."