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Shohei Ohtani is the only player in modern MLB history
with over 10 pitching wins, 40 homers,
and 15 stolen bases in the same season.
In the All-Star Game,
he was the sole player selected as both a designated hitter and a pitcher.
His strikeout and home run count surpassed records set by Babe Ruth
over 100 years ago.
This is the story of the most unique player in baseball history.
Born in 1994,
Shohei Ohtani grew up in a small town in Iwate, Japan.
No one expected a legend in the making to come from such a rural area.
I grew up in the countryside of Japan with only a few baseball teams around,
where most of the teams had never been to big tournaments.
I was sure plenty of other players outshined me in talent.
This is where his journey began.
Sure, I wanted to become a great baseball player,
but had no conviction it would come true.
As a kid, Shohei watched Major League Baseball,
and dreamed of playing there one day.
We had a computer at our house.
I definitely looked pitchers, but also searched for sequence shots
and videos of various players.
You started being able to look up these things online.
That process had a significant influence on me.
Even as a kid, it was obvious.
The players in the MLB were on a different level.
Watching them on TV and other media,
Ichiro-san, Matsui-san, before them were Randy Johnson, Pedro Martínez...
Barry Bonds, the list goes on, Ken Griffey Jr. ...
Even as a child, it was clear to me that MLB was the place for top-tier baseball.
I've always been the type to take on challenges.
I was inevitably drawn to see how far I could make it in the MLB.
I studied his batting form and this...
I bet everyone's done it.
I had a bat at home that I would swing whenever I wanted to.
I was just freewheeling back then.
I'm very flattered.
Knowing that Shohei, who has come so far and has a huge presence in the MLB,
looked up to me when he was in little league is meaningful to me.
I'm very happy to hear that.
I doubt he wants this.
Thank you.
This is awesome.
I'm not really the kind of person who likes to ask for favors.
I will treasure this.
In the year of 2009,
Shohei watched Pedro and I face off in the World Series.
Pedro Martínez is one of my favorite pitchers.
Particularly, the earlier days of his career
were what I really enjoyed watching.
Seeing players like him and the handful of Japanese players who made it in the MLB,
facing off on the big stage of the World Series was a special moment for me.
Especially since I was a fan of both players.
Yes, I saw it. A home run into the right field.
Pedro Martínez might not be a big-bodied athlete, but despite that,
he efficiently imparts power to the ball.
Not to mention his repertoire.
Compared to him, I'm on the larger side of pitchers.
My size actually makes it difficult for me to pitch like him.
I knew I needed to practice a lot more to do what he was doing.
If a pitcher with a large build like mine can execute such moves,
I believe that player would perform very well.
I'm thankful for him being a great example for me.
Throughout the long history of baseball, there have been many pitchers.
But delivering a smooth pitch like his,
there aren't many pitchers who can match that.
Of course, I'm probably biased.
My parents took me to baseball practices every week.
They let me pursue what I wanted. I also took swimming lessons at that time.
That was the role my parents fulfilled...
How should I say this?
They are wonderful parents, but not my mentors.
I really respect my parents for who they are,
but hearing the exact same words
from a teacher I really respect at school hits differently than
hearing them from my parents.
There's a difference in how those words convey meaning to me.
I love my parents and am thankful for their support.
I would never have been able to do any of this without them.
But when it comes to the question of the most influential person in my life,
that's a different story.
Back when we were negotiating to bring him to the Fighters,
his mom was always there for us.
There was a sense of generosity about his parents.
They care for him a lot and love him dearly,
yet they always let him decide for himself.
His dad taught him the basics of baseball, like playing catch and running hard.
Teaching him those important things had a huge impact on him.
As a freshman in high school,
Shohei mapped out his goals on a "dream board."
His dream was to be drafted first by 8 pro teams,
which he planned to achieve by
perfecting 8 factors of his game, each with 8 smaller goals.
This included physicality, mentality, luck, control,
and humanity amongst others.
This is embarrassing.
Honestly... that was...
That was supposed to be something between just me and myself.
I wasn't ready for that to be exposed.
I had hoped to keep that locked in a place where no one could find it.
2010? He would have been in high school.
First of all, to be "drafted first by 8 teams..."
I never had a goal that big.
He wrote this in his freshman year?
I doubt any other players in the league could come up with a plan like this.
In the early stage, I think it helps to put in writing.
People have a tendency to forget.
Writing and posting notes where you can see them is a simple act,
but I think it's effective.
As you continue what you've written,
the things you need to do will eventually become second nature.
There're many ways to go about it. It's not about which one is right.
This is simply one approach.
I think it's worthwhile.
It's just what came to mind.
I wasn't trying to think too hard.
It was simply a list of what was important to me at that time.
I chose and wrote down what I saw as being necessary.
That's really all that was.
At 6, Shohei wrote that his favorite sport was baseball.
His dream job was to be a baseball player.
And as an adult, he wanted to be "ordinary."
This is from first grade?
This really surprises me.
You'll have to ask him why he wrote this. I wonder what's behind his words.
I'd love to know the answer.
Does it mean, as a first grader, he already felt that he wasn't ordinary?
There must've been something that made him stand out from others.
What impresses me is that even as a first grader,
he has an understanding about humility, that you shouldn't brag about yourself.
It shows how he knew that actions speak louder than words.
His parents deserve even more credit for what they've taught him.
I was just a normal kid.
A slightly larger-than-average kid.
Actually, I was probably way larger than average in middle school.
At 18, Shohei was scouted to be a pitcher in the US.
However, a pro team in Japan made an offer that caught his attention.
He was given the chance to be both a pitcher and a hitter,
something that hadn't been seen in over a century.
The offer to play as a two-way player first came from the Nippon-Ham Fighters.
Initially, I had hoped to go directly to the US after high school.
Back then, aside from the Fighters,
all of the other Japanese teams only wanted me as a pitcher.
There were also offers from some US teams,
but they also only saw me as a pitcher.
It was very clear that no one really seemed interested in me as a hitter.
So the Fighters were the only team to propose such an idea.
I thought it through and made my choice.
In the end, that was the path I decided to pursue in my career.
It's important to develop your own style.
As I listened to Shohei,
I could see that he was more confident as a hitter than a pitcher.
It seems he had been aware of the choices he was making from the beginning.
So in that sense,
it appeared that he was the one who wanted to continue on his own volition,
and the Fighters provided the environment for him to pursue his challenge.
That's very intriguing to me.
Since Shohei couldn't have been posted to MLB without the Fighters' approval,
I'm sure he had discussed it for a number of years.
That's definitely not the case at a professional level.
It's possible until high school.
In high school, they don't play games every day like the pros do.
Maybe at a tournament, it could happen.
At the high school level,
a player who can play any position, pitch, and hit well is likely to lead the team.
Once you reach the professional level, you have to make a decision.
It's very normal to choose a specialty to focus on.
The biggest reason was their proposal to let me try both.
I hadn't thought of that possibility.
Until then, there weren't any teams that considered me as a hitter.
Amidst all this, when Kuriyama-san suggested that I
try both, it got me thinking, "I could give it a try."
That's where the whole conversation began.
Had he chosen one position, I assume he would've thrived in the US much sooner.
When it came to doing both,
there was a question of how far he could really go.
I wanted him to truly excel at both, at a level where
he can compete in the MLB.
He had the potential, and I was determined to get him to that level.
I sometimes wonder...
Was he truly convinced that I could genuinely become a two-way player?
I would love to know the truth about what he thought back then.
I see him as one of the very few people who believed in me,
but did he see it as a 100% attainable goal?
Or maybe, at that point,
the team was just trying to test things out and see the outcome.
When I chose to join the MLB, some members of the ballclub actually told me,
"We never really thought you could do it."
I can totally understand. So perhaps, for Kuriyama-san as well,
it's understandable if it was simply a strategy to recruit me to their team.
If I failed to do both, I could opt for just one.
I knew those were generally the expectations around me back then,
but I was willing to take a bet on my determination to make it work.
It naturally makes me wonder Kuriyama-san's... well...
His true intention at that time.
How much faith did he have in my potential?
From the Fighters' perspective, I can see it was a win-win either way.
Either of the results should have been a success for them.
If my hitting failed, they could simply use me as a pitcher.
Once drafted, I would be at the mercy of whatever the team decided to do.
Given that, I figured I might as well take the chance.
I felt I could pull it off.
I was happy to have the opportunity to prove it.
I was very sure he could do it.
Shohei as a hitter and a pitcher,
I had no doubt that both aspects of him would be the best in Japan.
That was one side of my intention.
Mr. Yoshimura, the GM of the Fighters back then, and I
had extensive talks and came to a conclusion.
We had five years.
If Shohei didn't make it to the MLB in five years,
then we'd failed him.
That's how much talent he had.
That's how we went about it.
My ultimate dream was to make it as a player in the MLB.
While that final goal didn't change,
another dream emerged within me.
To become a successful two-way player.
With a new aspiration, I aimed to thrive as a two-way player on the global stage.
Darvish-san had left the Fighters before I joined.
So I ended up inheriting his jersey number 11.
- There was some tension there. - There was.
Some people thought it was too early for the number 11 to be passed on.
It's a special number to the team,
and to Darvish-san. It was an honor to get to wear it.
It felt different from any other number.
Yes, there were some issues about this.
I knew that the scouts and the team had done their research on Shohei,
and it showed how high their expectations were.
Number 11 isn't mine to begin with.
It was just the number I pitched with.
Some said, "Shohei hasn't earned it yet."
But I never saw it that way.
Rather,
I knew the team valued the number. So, when they passed it to him so soon,
it made me very excited and eager to see the kind of exceptional player he was.
While people know how hard it is to become a professional ball player,
Shohei needs to work twice as much to reach that level.
His ability wasn't the issue.
His body would be the one to reach its limit.
I had to figure out how to balance the two.
That was one of the crucial points.
I never told Shohei what he needed to do.
As he kept pushing forward, I was just there for him,
making sure he had a clear path to move on.
He was doing his thing. My job was to back him up.
What he was trying to achieve wasn't something you can teach.
102.5 mph, a new record!
At the Nippon-Ham Fighters,
Shohei broke the boundaries and records in hopes of one day making it to the majors.
Maybe he thought he had what it took. He felt he could pull it off.
But I think he was more driven by the idea of doing what no one else had.
At least for me, that would have been the case.
You'll never know until you try.
Going for what nobody's done before...
Maybe 100 years ago, there might've been players doing both.
But in today's competitive world,
attempting and achieving what's never been done?
The challenge itself must've been the biggest drive for him.
Even if you fail, it's still worth the ride.
After 5, 6, or 7 years, I was sure he'd be physically ready
to handle this tough challenge.
For that period while he was building up, he mustn't overdo it.
This was a crucial rule for me, but Shohei sometimes fought back.
He'd insist on playing, especially for important games.
We had a lot of those exchanges over email.
However, it was my role to stop him when I needed to.
In order to succeed in the MLB,
he had to build a solid foundation in Japan.
I truly believed that was his shortest path.
I was sure that Shohei would understand, and he eventually did.
However, whether my approach truly succeeded or not,
we'll only know when Shohei stops playing baseball.
I honestly can't tell which was the right path to choose.
I believe that going directly to the US should be a viable option.
I really can't say which is better.
For me, it wasn't much about staying in Japan,
it was more about the opportunity to be a two-way player.
Well, when it comes to something that you really want to achieve,
there would always be some kind of criticism you need to face.
There would always be an obstacle that you need to overcome.
At the end of the day, I know myself better than anyone else,
and no one knows what I'm striving for better than I do.
I think I'll only be able to reflect on what I dedicated myself to
at the end of my career, after giving everything I have as a player.
From what I know of Shohei,
he has always been very sure of himself, even from a very young age.
I know he's not the kind of person that would be easily deterred.
The most important factor was how serious they were about me playing both positions.
Given the limited time and few meetings,
it wasn't really possible to fully gauge their intentions.
But in the end, I had conversations with a few teams and decided.
I thought he would end up choosing either the Rangers or the Padres,
but he surprised everyone and signed with the Angels.
I never had a chance to find out his reasons.
To be really honest, I went with my gut feeling.
When I chose my high school,
when I first decided to try for the MLB at 18,
and when I ended up with the Fighters, my decision was made the same way.
In the end, I rely on my intuition.
That might sound arbitrary but it isn't.
For example, if I'm given three options,
I'll look at all three,
and examine every aspect of them so I can truly understand what I'm given.
But at the end of the day,
I go with what feels right to me. That's how it works.
It's a little bit difficult to explain.
It's similar to your batting stance.
It's about choosing what matches the vision of your future self.
When considering what could be the best decision
for both myself and those around me,
the Angels just seemed to stand out the most.
That's the main reason.
Of course, there were the meetings along the way,
I talked to people from various teams.
So I believe my intuition was based on
all of those meetings and conversations I had prior to making my decision.
Ultimately, it led to my decision to go with the Angels.
His gut feeling?
I expected a more specific reason than that,
although going with your gut doesn't sound bad at all.
It's your life. Relying on your intuition might work the best.
Starting next year,
I would like to formally announce that...
I plan to go and do my best in the USA.
After 5 years in Japan,
Shohei finally decided to come to the US.
He had chosen the Los Angeles Angels.
The spring training in 2018 was a disaster. My results were terrible.
But in a way, that's what I had signed up for.
Time is limited for a pro baseball player.
If I make it to 50, that would be a miracle in itself.
I want to dedicate my time and push my limits to see how far I can go.
You could say that it's sort of my hobby.
While I struggled with my hitting,
I was also excited and aspired to achieve results.
I didn't expect to do well right off the bat.
That goes for when I entered high school, or when I started playing professionally.
It almost never went well from the start, but it was my decision to be there.
The excitement of following my dream outweighs any of those difficult times.
I felt like I was stuck during spring training.
How can I say this...
I'm not really the kind of person who likes to ask other people for their help.
There were moments at camp when I felt hopeless.
But in the end, I trusted myself and what I've always done.
It was still spring training,
I had enough time and was open to making adjustments.
I made big changes in my swing and tweaked many things.
That's how I've managed to get this far.
We've built a great relationship so far.
We enjoy working together every day. I'm confident I made the right choice.
I'm very relieved to hear that. What I constantly tried to tell Shohei,
even when he headed to the US, is that "What matters is what Shohei decides."
Whatever you decide to do, the gods of baseball will support you.
I told him not to get caught up in what others tell him to do.
Looking at him making his own decisions and trusting in himself,
it genuinely makes me happy.
For rookies or players with limited MLB experience,
this might seem exaggerated,
but it often feels like you have no rights.
People will nitpick everything you do.
All I wanted was to play baseball here,
so I had a tough time understanding that mentality.
I had put in my time with the Fighters. I developed my own routine and style,
and I believe it was on that basis I was signed on.
Yet, back then, I often got laughed at when I did things my way.
It was a tough time for me.
The MLB has made big changes since then. Today's clubhouse has a different energy.
But those first few years were a real struggle for me.
There were many times I wanted to return to the Fighters.
In my case... I haven't been through it myself.
I've never played for another MLB team, so I can't say for sure.
But you do hear rumors, and you take those in as information.
Because you're a rookie or Asian, things can unfold in certain ways.
Since I tend to inflate my assumptions negatively
and often expect the worst, that was what I was prepared for.
But that wasn't the case. They were all really nice people.
It's true, how do I put it...
Everyone is very easy to work with.
I've never had any negative feelings
when it comes to relationships.
I'm definitely lucky. I find it a very good environment for me.
There have been tough times, including injuries,
but I'm very happy being able to come this far as a part of this team.
Fortunately, I haven't really encountered those kind of issues.
I had a different outlook. I expected I'd be dealing with a lot more.
Especially among Angels fans, there's a homey vibe.
They made me feel very welcomed and supported me a lot.
That's one of the reasons why I was able to focus on my performance.
I consider myself very lucky and thankful for my situation.
I am surrounded by an incredible support group.
Having Ippei-san help with the translation has been a big asset.
I consider his presence crucial.
You never know when a statement might be received differently.
For example, when it comes to jokes.
They can easily backfire due to misinterpretation.
He's very good at capturing nuances when he translates for me.
That has been definitely a huge help.
By the time Shohei came in 2018, things had greatly improved in every team.
There was an ethical shift towards accepting one another.
So I can't really say if he had a similar experience as mine.
But in Shohei's case, I am sure he had his rough time.
His injury in the midst of all that media attention
mustn't have been easy for him.
Even then, Shohei's path in the major was filled with twists and turns.
After the Tommy John surgery in 2019, the following year was also a struggle.
I didn't feel that I was recovering how I should.
I started to doubt.
I thought it might be better to focus on one position to obtain results.
That was the time when I honestly considered dropping the two-way path.
There's one thing I didn't get the chance to ask Joe.
Back in spring training in 2021, I was called into the manager's office.
I was told there would be no more rules for me, and
they'd play me without any restrictions that season.
Joe was there along with our GM, Perry Minasian.
When I first heard them tell me that,
how do I put this?
I sort of figured they were giving me an ultimatum.
That this might be my last chance to prove I could play two-way.
At least that's how I took the conversation we had in that room.
Obviously, I can't be sure what was on their minds.
Maybe they meant "We are counting on you," or
it could've been a final warning.
As a player, that's not something you can ask the manager about.
But now that he's not in charge anymore,
perhaps this is an occasion for me to approach him directly.
I'm glad to hear that.
So there wasn't any underlying meaning to what they told me.
I misunderstood their intentions.
However, I think that extra pressure actually helped me to perform better.
I was really disappointed with my performance in the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
I could understand if they felt things weren't going as they had hoped.
So, I entered spring training in 2021 with a strong determination.
Turns out the management had faith in me just as they said.
Wanting to meet those expectations, I had a great season.
I think it worked out for the better that I misunderstood their words.
If you ask me,
from the perspective of the manager,
for better or worse, I'm just one piece for him to use in the game.
That's merely a simplified way to look at it.
With 30 teams in the league, there are only 30 managerial positions,
while there are many players out there.
When it comes to strategy,
or perhaps the ability to lead a team, the managers look at the big picture.
Their impact on the team is far greater than any individual player.
I'm sure that's something I can't handle,
and I find their role absolutely remarkable.
It's not just a matter of respect, it's more than that.
They're extraordinary. There's so much to learn from them.
At least, that's how I see it.
I agree. That's the fundamental reason why I play baseball.
When it comes down to it,
baseball is...
Even though baseball is my profession,
that's not all it is to me. It's more than a career.
Whether it's playing catch or hitting a pitch, it's what I love to do.
My love for the sport is what has driven me to this point.
Baseball has given me a purpose. It's become a way of life.
And this sentiment largely defines who I am today.
To be honest,
I don't really know what kind of influence I have on other people,
but I hope it's positive in some way.
That would be the reason enough to keep doing what I do right now.
I see it differently.
He's achieved something no one else has.
How should I put it?
Calling him a "seeker of baseball" might not be quite right,
but I believe the journey he's on will inspire future generations.
Sorry, Shohei, but keep pushing forward. That's my genuine wish.
When he and I trained together,
I ended up learning a lot from him.
The speed at which he improved was on a different level from anyone else.
Looking back now,
I've never encountered another athlete who is already outstanding yet aims higher.
I'm very grateful to have shared such an experience with him.
It was a privilege.
We won't truly understand the extent of his success until he's done.
Everything looks great now,
but at times,
I question whether I really made the right choices.
All I can say is, I believe I've made the right choices.
Once you make a decision,
it sets you on a unique path, which leads you to a distinct experience.
And you can never compare it to what other options might have brought.
You've only got one path to take.
I've had bad seasons. I was injured.
But looking back at everything, I'm happy with the choices I made.
As for the future,
whenever I make a decision,
I'll reflect on it and believe it was the right call, and work to make it true.
Despite all of the hardships, Shohei persevered.
In 2021, he unanimously won the American League MVP award.
The following year, he was runner-up.
He became one of the best players in all of the MLB.
Shohei isn't afraid of challenging himself in a way I can't.
I recognize that and see it as a quality I wish I had.
I've never faced him in a game, but I'm eager to know what it would be like.
I wonder how I would react once I step into the batter's box.
I'm really looking forward to that moment.
I get anxious when I struggle throwing strikes and keep pitching balls.
I don't know if Shohei feels the same anxiety in those situations,
but he pitches as if he's totally unbothered.
Simply put, I imagine what would throw me off if I was the pitcher.
When I'm pitching, it's the opposite. I do what would bother me as a batter.
I think that's probably a different approach from other players.
But I still need more experience. Things have changed since my first year.
My pitching varies based on who the batter is and which team he's from.
My mentality is also affected.
As Pedro said, I need to gain more experience.
Batters adapt to any changes pitcher makes.
Since Shohei is the only player in such a circumstance,
only he knows how being a pitcher benefits him as a batter.
I've never considered limiting myself to just one role,
so I'm not sure which approach is better.
But I can say that I always have two things to think about.
And I simply enjoy that.
In 2023, Shohei wrote a new chapter in his story.
Shohei messaged me to see if I would consider participating in the WBC.
He said he wasn't confident enough to win the championship without my help.
It's not that I was flattered by what he said.
Despite his consistent performance, he's still hungry for more.
The WBC is unrelated to the regular season.
Just how much does he want to win?
I guess he truly loves it.
I think it was already August when he reached out to me,
but his hunger for victory really struck me.
If you play long enough,
that kind of spirit fades away.
You start to see baseball more from a business perspective.
Even in a contract year, fully aware of the importance of his health,
he still took the risk of the tournament.
He said he wanted the title and needed to beat the US team.
He usually doesn't let people know his emotion,
but his determination was clear in his messages.
Near the end of the game, I checked if he still had enough stamina to play.
He gave a vague reply, like "Probably."
I knew he meant, "Send me out to close."
WORLD CHAMPION
We had two outs and no runners on base.
By the time Mike Trout came up to bat,
it felt like the momentum was on our side.
The count was full.
Reflecting on my pitch selection and how the game had unfolded,
I felt everything was in place.
I sensed that the game was heading to a close with me striking Mike out.
From this tournament,
it's clear Shohei has now become a figure even MLB stars look up to.
When I first saw him play in high school,
I instantly noticed that he was special.
The future was in his hands, and the sky seemed to be his only limit.
My impression began to take shape during his time with the Fighters.
Now, I feel he's reached a point where his physical condition is no longer a concern.
I believe he feels the same way.
I'm finally seeing what I had always believed.
That incredibly talented high schooler has become a fully-fledged player.
That's my sentiment now.
I don't see myself as having done any favors for him.
I was just one of the many cogs
in a machine naturally drawn to support him.
At the WBC,
Shohei finally became a world champion baseball player.
Now that he has won the WBC,
is he still writing down his dreams?
I don't write down my dreams like I used to.
But writing does help remind you of things you need to remember,
especially technical details.
When it comes to baseball,
your skills might progress one day but deteriorate the next.
Just because it worked today doesn't mean it's right.
So I still keep track of my technical records.
I find those notes to be very useful when I want to reflect on myself.
Ideally, basic values shouldn't need to be written down,
Like making eye contact when greeting.
If you feel it hasn't become a habit for you yet, I recommend writing it down.
When you look at your note, it will always remind you to do so.
This is an effective process.
Once that habit becomes a part of you, you no longer need your notes.
And this is really the ideal outcome for every process you make.
I have a feeling he still keeps a list of his current tasks.
He probably wouldn't share it with anyone now,
but perhaps in 10 years, he might reveal it to us.
At 18, Shohei wrote,
"Life doesn't make dreams, dream makes life."
"My life is for baseball."
Given Shohei's extraordinary achievements in baseball
and his relentless dedication to it even in his daily life,
I doubt there's anyone who can tell him what he should do.
Perhaps Joe Maddon?
I think what awaits Shohei,
he will figure it out himself naturally.
If he's committing 100% to baseball now,
that's his current priority.
Then someday,
he may look back at his path and recall these times of full dedication.
If he does, I believe it's a wonderful thing for him.
There are very few players who can do the same.
I understand managers have seen much more of life than we have.
I'm sure they've witnessed many players burn out along the way.
But Shohei has done something everyone thought was impossible.
Even if it's Joe Maddon's advice, Shohei doesn't have to comply.
At this stage in his career, and if he wants to keep going,
I don't see any reason to change what he is doing.
That's exactly right.
I do have a vision for my future, but nothing is set in stone.
Sure, thinking about the future is important,
but it's a separate matter from what I should be doing at this moment.
For me, it's all about being all in on
what feels right in my life right now.
Shohei keeps on doing the unexpected.
He's on a path no one's ever been on, and that's beyond our imagination.
I'm convinced that he's going to blow us away even more in the future.
Ever since I started playing,
I've just followed a series of steps.
Those little steps simply led to a much larger goal.
I still have goals and aspirations that I've yet to achieve.
That's what keeps me moving forward.
He needs to win the World Series.
I've always believed he could round out as a three-way player with defense.
I totally have faith in him for that.
Thank you. There's a message too.
I'll put it up with Matsui-san's ball.
He's not just a top Japanese player, he's one of the greatest in the MLB.
He brings back the feeling I had as a child when I watched the top players.
At this point, I'm content with the decisions I made along the way.
I'm part of a great team, working together
with outstanding players every day.
But was it the absolute best decision?
Unless I could go back in time and try out the other options I had,
I'd never know for sure.
I often say this, but
all you can do is trust your past decisions were the best ones at the time.
That mindset allows me to truly enjoy the game.
I genuinely believe that.
When it comes to deciding what's the best,
all I know is that whatever I choose for myself is the right choice for me.
He's pursued his dreams this far,
but I wish to let him know that the future of baseball now rests on his shoulders.
I know he can take on that mantle.
WORLD CHAMPION
Translated by Eika