38 years old, no training, no participation in the 1st team, out of strength → Return to the opening rotation…What happened to the Chunichi transfer veteran group | Full-Count

Chunichi announced the acquisition of Hiroyuki Nakajima on the 24th… 73 hits remaining until total 2,000 hits

On the 24th, Chunichi announced that they had acquired four new players from outside the Giants’ lineup, including infielder Hiroyuki Nakajima. The veteran, who is in his 24th year as a pro, is 73 hits away from reaching 2,000 hits. Will he be able to revive in a new world? Here, we take a look at what happened to the veteran players who moved to Chunichi after their heyday.

As for the pitcher, pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka was 38 years old and signed with the team after undergoing a joining test. He pitched only once in three years at Softbank, where he was a member until the previous year, but in 2018, his first year in Chunichi, he made a comeback with 6 wins, 4 losses, and an ERA of 3.74. The following year, he suffered with an ERA of 16.88 in his two appearances, and retired from active duty at his old club Seibu in 2022.

Pitcher Tomoya Yagi was also notified by Orix during the 2014 off-season that he was not eligible for active duty and joined the team after a joint tryout. In his first year, he entered the starting rotation and made a comeback with 4 wins, 6 losses, and an ERA of 3.92 in 14 games. He is currently enrolled in Chunichi as a scout.

Among fielders, Ogasawara Michihiro infielder transferred as a free agent in the 2013 off-season during his 40th year. Until the previous year, he had a batting average of .250 and one home run in 22 games with the Giants, but in 2014 he appeared in 81 games as a pinch hitter and made a comeback with a batting average of .301. He retired the following year with a batting average of .294 in 53 games. In addition, infielder Norihiro Nakamura, who joined Chunichi in 2007 in his 34th season, recorded 20 or more home runs for two consecutive years.

Hitoshi Tamura did not have a training contract…he was not registered under control and retired from active duty.

Outfielder Hitoshi Tamura suffered. He was notified by DeNA during the off-season of 2015 that he was not eligible for active duty, and signed a training contract with Chunichi in his 39th season. He was five hits away from hitting 200 home runs, but he was not signed to a controlled contract and retired in the same year. In addition, infielder Takahiro Saeki, who was declared unavailable by Yokohama, signed with Chunichi during the 2010 off-season. He appeared in 64 games, but was out of action for the second consecutive year with a batting average of .202, one home run, and six RBIs.

Some players have returned. Infielder Takeshi Yamazaki returned to Chunichi in 2012 for the first time in 10 years. He retired after two years and only one home run. Outfielder Kosuke Fukudome also returned to his old club in 2021 for the first time in 13 years and played for two years.

Nakajima will turn 41 next season. This season, the team struggled with poor hitting, with a league-worst batting average of .234, 71 home runs, and 390 runs scored. The presence of veterans not only helps produce results. I want to see the light of day again as a key player to bring the team to the forefront.

(Full-Count Editorial Department)