``I want to aim for double-digit wins and the best ERA,'' declared Hanshin pitcher Tomoki Murakami, who won the Central League's MVP = Most Valuable Player last season, when he made his first batter appearance on the 13th. He pitched to the opponent and showed that he was making good adjustments.
Pitcher Murakami quickly won 10 games after his first win last season, won the title of best ERA with a 1.75 ERA, and became the first player in Central League history to be named MVP and Rookie of the Year at the same time.
This season, he is aiming to improve the quality of his fastballs and increase his average ball speed in order to make further progress.
So far in the camp, they have continued to make adjustments by throwing in the bullpen, but on the 13th, they took on the role of batting pitcher for the first time in a batting practice during lunch time, with second-year player Kyosuke Noguchi and sixth-year player Ryuhei Obata. Each player threw 20 pitches.
Pitcher Murakami pitched while being conscious of the timing of his form, and had only 5 hit balls against Noguchi, and no hit balls from Obata, including a straight shot and a whiff.
Pitcher Murakami, who showed smooth adjustment, said, ``I felt good with the feel, so it's okay.'' He vows to become the second player in team history to win the title of best ERA for two consecutive years.
Pitcher Murakami said, ``I'm glad that I was able to pitch well.In the second half of the camp, I'll be playing actual games, so I want to check out how to distribute pitches to batters and how sharp the breaking balls are.Two wins and the best ERA. I want to aim for that,'' he declared, occasionally showing a smile.