No Murakami, No. 1 and No. 2 Home Runners, Okamoto was out, and even the most winning pitcher was injured and left 'Premier12' Japanese national team begins training camp tomorrow

Oct 28, 2024

Murakami (left) and Okamoto, who contributed to the championship by representing Japan at the WBC last year, failed to play in the Premier 12 due to injuries. Photo capture = Japanese baseball team homepage

Yomiuri's No. 4 hitter Okamoto. He posted 27 home runs-83 RBIs this season, ranking second in home runs-run RBIs after Murakami. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

Nihonham Kiyomi, who has hit 15 home runs in 67 games since July. Instead of Okamoto, who was out due to injury, he was additionally selected for the Japanese national team. Photo capture = Nippon-Ham Fighters SNS

Ryu Joong-il, head coach of the national baseball team, who is leading the convocation training, is likely to lose sleep these days. Son Joo-young (LG Twins), a left-hander, left immediately after the playoffs due to an elbow injury, and right-hander ace Won Tae-in (Samsung Lions) also became difficult to play due to a shoulder injury. Both players had abnormalities in their bodies during the postseason.

Key players who have to play in the 'Premier 12' to be held next month failed to participate one after another. Moon Dong-ju (Hanwha Eagles), who was at the front of the mound generation change. He was excluded early due to injury during the season. Park Se-woong (Lotte Giants) is also not on the list. The impact is greater because the players are not wide.

There is no case that the plan is 100% implemented. There is always an injury variable. Japan, which is seeking to win consecutive championships following 2019, has also changed its players due to injuries.

There is no "monster hitter" Murakami Munetaka (Yakurt Swallows), and Kazuma Okamoto (Yomiuri Giants) is also excluded. He is a home run hitter representing Japan's professional baseball league and will participate in this tournament without a major hitter who contributed to winning the WBC (World Baseball Classic) in 2023.

Murakami, who was injured just before the end of the regular season, was excluded from the national team list from the beginning. Okamoto was eliminated due to back pain during the final stage of the Central League Climax Series with the Yokohama BayStars. His team also failed to advance to the Japan Series. 4 for 18 (one home run) and 2 RBIs in 6 games. As the fourth batter, I was disappointed.

Murakami and Okamoto are sluggers who have divided the Central League's home run king for five years from 2020. He won the home run title three times each, including the joint first place in 2021. Murakami hit 33 and Okamoto hit 27. They ranked first and second side by side. The RBI also competed fiercely and finished the season in first and second place. Murakami had 86 RBIs and Okamoto had 83 RBIs.

Japanese media reported that Kotaro Kiyomiya (Nihonham Fighters) will replace Okamoto and join the national team led by coach Hirokazu Ibata. 올 시

Manami, who hit a home run against Asian Pro Baseball Championship Hip Korea last year, was excluded from the Premier 12 national team list due to an injury. Photo capture = Japanese baseball team homepage

He is the main hitter who led Nippon Ham to second place in the Pacific League as the center hitter of the season.

a seven-year professional left-handed infielder. Kiyomiya, a former rookie of the year, met coach Tsuyoshi Shinjo's expectations this season. It has been hot since July. He hit 15 home runs in 67 games in the second half. Like Okamoto, he can defend first and third bases. He will wear his national team uniform for the first time in seven years since a warm-up match against Mexico in March 2019, when he was in his second year as a member of Nippon Ham.

Kiyomiya made four hits in Game 2 to Game 3 of the Pacific League Climax Series First Stage with Chiba Lotte Marines. He also hit two hits in Game 2 of the Final Stage against the Softbank Hawks. After the second half, the batting feeling is very good. However, it is inevitable that the weight is lower than Okamoto.

Along with Okamoto, second baseman Naoki Yoshikawa, who led the Yomiuri lineup, was also excluded. Yoshikawa finished seventh in the Central League batting average (0.287), fifth in hits (154), and sixth in runs scored (65). Due to injury, he did not play in a single game in the Climax Series.

Two of Nippon Ham's pitching players are also missing. Right-hander ace Ito Hiromi and outfielder Manami Jusei failed to play due to injuries. Ito is from Nippon Ham this year

Ito, who tied for first in the Pacific League multiple wins this season. He was excluded from the national team list due to injury. Photo capture = Nippon-Ham Fighters SNS

He is the starting pitcher for the opening game. He tied for first place with multiple wins with 14 wins. Manami, who has strong throwing ability, is a long-distance hitter who posted 18 home runs-60 RBIs.

The Japanese national team will convene in Miyazaki, Kyushu, on the 28th and start training camp on the 29th.

huelva@sportschosun.com