Masahiro Tanaka (36) is the hottest player in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) these days. The biggest issue for NPB these days is where he is going after breaking up with his former team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles.
However, Tanaka’s view is not just beautiful. Between her performance and box office success, Tanaka is in the middle of it.
“Where will the legendary right-hander be heading? With only three wins to go until the 200th win in total in the U.S. and Japan, behind the scenes, Yakult Swallows, who are seeking to strengthen their starting lineup, is showing signs of gaining ground,” Japanese sports magazine Tokyo Sports said on Sunday. “However, many are skeptical about Tanaka’s performance as he will mark his 19th anniversary next season.”
When Tanaka met with reporters at Rakuten Mobile Park, Rakuten’s home stadium, the day before, Tanaka said, “The most important thing in my career is how rewarding I can be. I had a lot of worries because I thought about it first,” adding, “I came to this answer in the end.” Tanaka said the meeting lasted only 15 minutes, adding, “I was offered an offer, but I personally felt that there would be no place for me. I was under the impression that you don’t expect anything from me anymore.”
Since joining Rakuten in 2007, Tanaka has become a symbol of Rakuten. In 2013, he won the league MVP award and the Sawamura Award with his remarkable performance that will go down the path to NPB history with 24 wins and no losses. After the season, he joined the Major League Baseball (MLB) and joined the New York Yankees.
Tanaka, who had 78 wins (46 losses) in seven seasons with the Yankees, returned to Rakuten in 2021. However, he only had 20 wins (32 losses) in three seasons until last year, and only one loss in one game this year
No matter how legendary it is, it is too much to pay a large amount of money to a pitcher who has not won a single game. Rakuten is also known to have offered a big cut during the salary negotiations, which Tanaka rejected. However, Tanaka said, “It doesn’t matter how much you are offered. The most important thing is that I want to play baseball where I can expect and feel rewarded,” stressing that he is not leaving simply for money.
However, it is undeniable that Tanaka lost his form in his heyday and his skills have declined significantly. Tokyo Sports quoted a 카지노사이트 League official, who pointed out, “Tanaka is becoming a style of striking out, not striking out, like he did in his heyday. If that happens, he has to have good control to survive, but there is no sign that it will improve at all.” “I saw Tanaka’s first-team appearance a few times until last year. However, it was certainly reasonable for opposing main hitters in any game. The fastball speed is around 140 kilometers, and if his ball control is not supported, it will not work in the professional baseball world now. He pointed out that he may be aware of what needs to be corrected, but his ball control does not improve rapidly in a short period of time.”
He also said that the “pressure” that the teams that recruit Tanaka will experience is also a factor that makes Tanaka reluctant to recruit. The media outlet explained, “Since there are three wins left until the 200th win of the U.S.-Japan career, Tanaka will want to throw for this record no matter what. In that case, the club that recruited Tanaka must always leave a first-team position empty for him.”
On the contrary, however, considering the box office success, there is a high possibility of a scramble. The media quoted a club official as saying, “The box office success is important in professional baseball as well. That’s why popular players or fans want to get their hands on it no matter what,” and explained, “If Yakult truly goes for (Tanaka), he will pay attention to that point.”
Whether he does it well or not, he has made a mark in NPB history and went all the way to the MLB, and Tanaka, who is on the verge of a milestone, is always the subject of interest. If Tanaka takes the mound, the media and fans’ interest in the game are indescribable. If he wins 200 games in all of the U.S. and Japan, it will be at its peak.