Three catchers in a team who used to be representatives...Catcher Kingdom, created by catcher legend Abe, recruited 18.6 billion FA and hand over his number 10

Dec 27, 2024

Guy, a former Japanese national team catcher, said at a press conference for joining the Yomiuri on the 26th that he decided to transfer to the Yomiuri due to manager Abe. Guy succeeded the number 10 that Abe wore when he was a player. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

Coach Abe Yomiuri delivers the No. 10 uniform to Guy. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

Japan's national team's main catcher, Takuya Guy (32), entered the Yomiuri Giants. At the joining press conference held on the 26th, he wore a Yomiuri uniform with his jersey number '10'. This is the number used by catcher-turned-legendary coach Abe Shinnosuke Yomiuri (45) when he was a player. In other words, Abe, who led Guy's recruitment, handed over his uniform number and pointed it out as a successor. Guy, who was born and raised in Oita, Kyushu, said he developed his dream from a young age by watching Abe, the main catcher of the Yomiuri Giants.

Guy started as a softbank Hawks upbringing player and grew into a top catcher. Softbank started with number 130 and used number 62 and 19. As he became an official player and established himself as a main player, the number of times changed. He wore No. 10 uniform for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Japanese national team.

His career as a representative player is spectacular. He participated in the 2017 Asian Professional Baseball Championship, the 2019 Premier 12, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and the 2023 WBC Japan national team and won the championship medal. He went to the international competition held recently and kept his national team home.

Softbank's main catcher, a strong player in the Pacific League, moved to Yomiuri as a free agent. It's an unconventional surprise that was hard to predict. Japanese media estimate that Guy signed a contract with Yomiuri for '5 years-2 billion yen (about 18.6 billion won).' The best catcher was treated with the best treatment. However, when it comes to investment, SoftBank is a stronger and more active team than Yomiuri. The strongest player in the offseason recently was Softbank. Regardless of the ransom, Abe and Yomiuri moved the player's mind. Asked why he moved to Yomiuri, Guy said "Director Abe"

The stage will change from the Pacific League to the Central League. Even the best catcher is bound to be a burden. In the Central League, pitchers also hit without designated hitters. Pitchers usually enter the batting order of number nine. Guy said he would study a lot in the new team, the new league.

Coach Abe is watching Guy's press conference for joining Yomiuri from the side. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

He signed a five-year-2 billion yen contract with Yomiuri. Moving to the Central League is a new challenge for Guy, who has only played in the Pacific League. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

This season, the Yomiuri Giants went with three catchers. Takumi Oshiro (31), Yukinori Kishida (28), and Seiji Kobayashi (35) wore catcher masks. Oshiro played 96 games, Kishida played 88 games, and Kobayashi played 46 games. The proportion of Oshiro, who was the main catcher, has decreased. He played 133 games as a catcher until last year, but only 45 games this year. He entered first base for the first time in three years and played in 39 games. Kishida's role was growing. Kishida has a steal-strike rate of 475 this season. The Central League ranked first in the category.

Guy joined and became three catchers from the national team. Oshiro was a backup catcher for the Japanese national team in the 2023 WBC. Kobayashi competed in the 2017 WBC and won the 2019 Premier 12 championship. Under catcher legend Abe, Yomiuri became a catcher kingdom.

Regarding Guy, Abe said "He is a catcher who can talk to a pitcher only with his facial expressions. It is often said that the catcher acts like a wife, and he is a player who gives that feeling." He also said, `I expect it to have a good impact on the players because it is inclusive.'

He said he had dreamed of a catcher while watching Yomiuri catcher Abe from his childhood. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

He represented Japan at a recent international competition. At the 2023 WBC, he contributed to the championship as a main catcher. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

Among the 12 Japanese professional baseball teams, the catcher lineup is the best. Guy joined and the competition between the catchers became fiercer. Yomiuri expects synergies from this. It can serve as a strength of Yomiuri, who is aiming to win the Japan Series.

Yomiuri advanced to the Japan Series for two consecutive years from 2019 to 2020 and looked to win the championship. However, he failed to catch even one game for the second consecutive year. He has won four consecutive games for two consecutive years. It's a humiliation I don't want to think of again. The opposing team was Softbank, and Guy kept the home ground.

Masahiro Tanaka (36), who was recruited earlier, also has a bad relationship with the Japan Series. Tanaka, a former Rakuten Eagles ace, pitched in two games as a starter in the 2013 Yomiuri and Japan Series. He entered Game 7 as a closing player. He led Rakuten to its first championship.

He started as a training player at Softbank and grew into the best catcher in Japanese professional baseball. Sports Nippon Headquarters Partnership

Since his last win in 2012, Yomiuri has reached the Japan Series three times. All three failed, but two of the opposing team's main players came to Yomiuri at the time.

huelva@sportschosun.com