Underdog legend Masahiro Tanaka confirmed a giant transfer that beat Japan Series 11 years ago...Yomiuri's official announcement
Dec 25, 2024
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On the 24th, the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Yomiuri signed Tanaka, who was released from Rakuten on a free contract, on its official website" he said.
This is Yomiuri who is on a rampage this winter. Following Junichi closer Raidel Martinez, he succeeded in recruiting catcher Guy Takuya, and even Tanaka, whose long-standing loyalty to Rakuten has cracked. Even after winning the Central League title this year, I have prepared not to repeat the nightmare of falling to Yokohama Dena BayStars in the climax series.
Tanaka was a legend of Rakuten. Tanaka is the main character who led Rakuten to win the only Japan Series in 2013. At that time, he had a monstrous year with 24 wins and no losses (1 save) in the regular season and a 1.27 ERA, and also completed the legend of finishing Game 7 after 9 innings and 160 complete throws in Game 6 in the Japan Series.
At that time, the opposing team was none other than Yomiuri. Although it is the prestigious Yomiuri of Japanese baseball, the last Japanese series victory was in 2012. Tanaka, who blocked the challenge to win, became a 36-year-old veteran and joined Yomiuri.
It is a legend with 197 wins in the U.S. and Japan with 119 wins in 12 years with the NPB Rakuten and 78 wins in 7 years with the New York Yankees in the Major League Baseball. He will be able to aim for his 200th win in the Yomiuri Giants.
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He even missed the season with injuries this year. He only took the mound in one game and lost one game (four runs in five innings). In the end, he announced his separation from Rakuten, who proposed a large-scale salary cut.
Once in danger of missing children, a legion of giants reached out.
Manager Abe Shinnosuke, a former master catcher, has experience in battery with Tanaka in the Japanese national team when he was active. He said "Without Tomoyuki Sugano, there is no leader in the pitching staff. There are already many young pitchers. I needed Tanaka", he explained.
Yomiuri's franchise star Hayato Sakamono, who was a team mate in elementary school, was also doomed to reunite. The Japanese media Sports Hochi commented that "Even with cartoons, a story that is not realistic has become a reality.'
The Yomiuri team simply announced Tanaka's recruitment as the official website news without a picture. Is it a sign of Tanaka's changed position or consideration for the veteran. This is what Tanaka has to prove next season.
lunarfly@sportschosun.com
