Обсуждение участника:A total of 332 pitches, including 101 on the 6th, last year’s Rookie of the Year and MVP Murakami said, “I want to throw for the national team.”
Hanshin Tigers right-hander Shoki Murakami threw a whopping 101 pitches on the 6th. It is the most pitches in the team since Okinawa's spring camp began on the 1st. He threw all kinds of pitches, including fastballs, curves, two-seams, cut fastballs, fork balls, and changeups. He was satisfied and said, "I wanted to check the breaking ball."
Murakami has pitched in the bullpen since the first day of camp. On the 1st, he took the mound of the bullpen and threw 50 pitches, including breaking balls. He said, "I'm glad I was able to throw with a good sense."
I feel like I've been waiting for the spring camp to begin.
Murakami entered the bullpen for four consecutive days from July 1-4. He said he felt "good" after throwing 85 pitches on the 4th, the day before the break. He threw a total of 231 pitches in one to four days.
I took five days off and went back to the bullpen on the 6th. I threw 332 pitches in five consecutive seasons in the bullpen. It's possible because I prepared well for the offseason.
2023 has become a season Murakami will remember forever. He didn't get much attention as he was the fifth pick in the 2021 Rookie Draft. He only played two games and five ⅓ in his debut season. One loss, 16.88 ERA. In 2022, his second year in the league, he didn't play in the first team.
A pitcher who had not won a single game in two years suddenly won Rookie of the Year and MVP honors last year. It is the third time in the history that both Rookie and MVP won the award at the same time. Murakami appeared in 22 games (21 starts) last year, posting 10-6-1 record. He led the Central League with an ERA of 1.75.
Hanshin Tigers' star player Hanshin Tigers won the Japan Series trophy for the first time in 38 years since 1985. The team defeated the Orix Buffaloes in the Kansai Derby with a 4-3 record. In the first game of the Japan Series, Murakami faced off as the starting pitcher against Orix's Super Ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He pitched seven scoreless innings to lead the team to an 8-0 complete victory. 2023 was the best season for both Murakami and Hanshin.
Last year, it basically started at "0," but this year, expectations are different. This year, we are preparing with the starting lineup for the opening game. Hanshin will open an away game against the Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome on March 29.
Murakami aims to win the MVP for the second consecutive year and Hanshin for the second consecutive year.
Japanese national team coach Hirokazu Ibata, who visited Hanshin's Okinawa Jinoza camp, said of Murakami, "We performed well last year, and we expect to level up this year," adding, "It's already a representative level."
Murakami said, "I want to throw in the national team uniform"
The Japanese national team will play a warm-up match against the European team at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka from March 6-7. The 'Premier 12' will be held in November.
Murakami renewed his contract for 67 million yen (about 600 million won), an 857 percent increase from 7 million yen (about 63 million won). It was the highest increase in the history of Hanshin.