Terry Ito Column Vol.18 This year's Giants!

Japanese professional baseball is finally entering spring training! Each team is training hard at their respective training camps, aiming to open the season in April and win the championship in October. This may be the most enjoyable time of the year for fans, as they don't have to worry about winning or losing. All you need to do is analyze your favorite team's positive strengths this season based on the media coverage you hear. Of course, I'm keeping my eye on the Giants. Last year, they failed to make it to the Climax Series, finishing in a disappointing fourth place. I was depressed after Manager Hara resigned, but with the new year and new manager Abe, I'm determined to cheer them on with renewed enthusiasm.

First-round draft pick pitcher Yuharu Nishidate (Chuo University) is apparently quite good. YouTube videos reveal his quick, impactful pitches. (A quickball is a pitching technique in which a pitcher uses a small, quick throwing motion to prevent base stealing.) He's probably the best in professional baseball today. Even more impressive is his powerful cutter, reminiscent of Yu Darvish (Padres) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers). (A cutter is characterized by a small, sharp curve at the batter's hand, with a speed not much different from a fastball.) Even the oldest outfielder, Nagano, looked amazed behind the cage, watching Nishidate's pitching, which was beyond his rookie year. I'd like him to start in official games, but Nishidate could also be considered a closer if the team's closers are hit hard. Last year, the team had the worst ERA among the 12 teams, so rebuilding the relief corps is urgently needed. I also have high hopes for Keller and Baba, the two players acquired from Hanshin.

On the offensive side, Rougnet O'Dour (Padres), who has 178 career home runs in the majors, has joined the team as a potential regular right fielder, but with a batting average of just under 20% last season, he may be at the mercy of Japanese pitchers' well-controlled pitches. I'm looking forward to seeing Kadowaki, a second-year player who has already become a leader on the team. I recently spoke with Dave Okubo, who was the Giants' hitting coach until last year, and he praised Kadowaki, saying, "Giants' main players, Okamoto and Sakamoto, never had captaincy in their school days, so they're at their own pace. Kadowaki, on the other hand, was captain in high school and college, and he takes the lead in team practice." There will be times when the Giants suffer a string of losses. That's when Kadowaki is needed. Akihiro slowed down in the second half of last season, but still managed a .273 batting average. His 10 home runs and 41 RBIs are impressive numbers. This season, they can hit 25 home runs. To do that, they need to improve the defensive skills of the outfield, which made many errors... Not good! Even before the season has even started, I'm already worried about the Giants.

Terry Ito (director)

Born in Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1949. After attending Waseda Jitsugyo Junior and Senior High School, he graduated from Nihon University's School of Economics.
In March 2023, he completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University.
He joined the television production company IVS Television, where he worked on variety shows such as "Tensai Takeshi's Genki ga Deru TV" and "Neruton Benikujidan."
He then went independent and worked on planning and directing a number of television programs, including TV Tokyo's "Asakusabashi Young Clothing Store."
His book "Comedy North Korea" became a bestseller, and he subsequently made numerous media appearances under the name Terry Ito.
In addition to his work as a director, he is also active in a variety of fields as a producer, entertainer, and commentator.
YouTube channelTerry Ito's Comedy Backdrop'
Currently writing a column in LALALA USA
https://lalalausa.com/archives/category/column/terry