Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto practiced pitching for the first time at a training camp in Arizona. Pitcher Yamamoto rated his performance as ``85 points,'' with excellent performances such as striking out the team's main players.

On the 17th, pitcher Yamamoto held his first actual pitching practice at the Dodgers camp in Glendale, Arizona.



As it was a holiday, a large number of fans were watching, and the team's main players such as Betts and Freeman, who lead the team's batting lineup, played fastballs with a maximum speed of 153 km, as well as curves, splits, and cut balls. He threw 28 pitches, keeping the number of hits to just one.



In addition to getting a whiff from Betts, the first pitcher he faced, he also got an overlooked strikeout from Freeman.It was a fulfilling performance, and when pitcher Yamamoto finished practice, the fans who had gathered gave him a big round of applause.



Although he was not particularly aware of the ``pitch clock,'' a time limit between pitches, he was generally able to get into the pitching motion within the time limit.



They also tried out an electronic device called ``Pitchcom'', which is not used in professional baseball, and allows players to exchange signatures such as the type of pitch they are pitching with the catcher.



Pitcher Yamamoto said, ``I was able to concentrate and pitch. I was able to see what it feels like to play against a batter. I threw with good control, especially when it came to fastballs.'' He also commented on his own pitching, ``About 85 points. It was better than I expected.'' I was evaluating it.



As for future challenges, he says it is necessary to improve the accuracy of his breaking balls.



Regarding the fact that he was playing against a major player, he said, ``I was looking forward to it, and I tried to pitch calmly.It was great to be able to pitch against a top-level batter.I'm happy, and I'm grateful.'' He was smiling.

Teammate: “It’s amazing beyond words.”

His teammates, who saw Yamamoto pitch for the first time from the bat, also praised the pitch highly.



Freeman, who had a batting average of .331 and 29 home runs last season, said, ``It was a very impressive pitch.I saw it on video, but when I actually stood at the plate, I saw that the control was great and the split was quick.'' "It felt like he had disappeared into the world. It was so amazing that I can't express it in words. I'm glad he was on the same team."



Regarding his unique form of stepping without raising his feet, he said, ``It's a timing that you don't often see in America.He can throw the ball anywhere he wants, and the batter freezes at the plate.It takes batters a while to get used to it.'' It will take a while,'' he said, expressing his impression.



Also, Hayward, who hit 15 home runs last year, said, ``He can throw a lot of quality balls into the strike zone.This is practice, not a game, but he focuses on the objective and... I was doing my job. All the balls to me were controlled around my hips, and I don't think any of them missed. It was amazing."

Shohei Ohtani did not bat on that day, but practiced with individual menus, and after training in the gym, he made adjustments by pulling weights like a tug-of-war on the grass and repeatedly sprinting.



During a training session in which he threw a medicine ball, which weighs several kilograms, straight up into the air, Otani effortlessly threw the ball into the air with both hands to a height of nearly 10 meters, causing the children of the players and officials watching to widen their eyes. I was surprised.



The children tried to imitate Otani and threw heavy medicine balls, but they only went up to about above their heads, and there was a heartwarming scene where Otani watched on with a smile on his face.



Also, on this day, Freeman's 7-year-old son Charlie, who is the mainstay of the team and won the season MVP (Most Valuable Player) in 2020, also visited the camp and took a commemorative photo with Otani.



After practice, Freeman said, ``After I took a two-shot with Shohei, Charlie came back to my locker. Look at his face. Shohei is really amazing,'' and said, ``Charlie came back to my locker with a shy smile.'' I was showing photos.