The Rakuten Group holds five brand concepts: "Noble Cause," "Noble Character," "Meticulous Preparation," "Unwavering Conviction," and "Unity." What if you mapped each of these five qualities to a player on the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles? Naturally, a perfect lineup emerges. "Righteous Cause" goes to Takahiro Norimoto. The undisputed ace who also serves as players' union president, supporting the team's very foundation ― his presence drives the team to victory with a force like no other.

If you were to ask a professional sports player what their “righteous cause” was, you might imagine the answer to be: for the fans who would live a victory. But I thought Norimoto would have a deeper perspective on that. A homegrown Eagle who, in his rookie year of 2013, contributed to the team’s first championship and Japan Series title. Then, the following year, when Masahiro Tanaka announced he would be joining the Major Leagues, Norimoto inherited the title of ace even though he was only in his second year. The “righteous cause” of this team ― surely, he knows what it is.

“Becoming the players’ union president was a defining event for me personally. It was in the off-season of 2019. The most important thing has always been, and continues to be, winning games―but I feel like my thinking around how to achieve that has changed. It’s not just about winning, we have to win as a team. And get stronger as a team. I want my younger teammates to give their best. And I want our fans to see that.

The players’ union president serves as a go-between for player-to-player matters as well as between the players and the front office―listening to both sides and conveying each other’s needs. In corporate terms, it’s something like middle management. Honestly, it’s a difficult role. I understand the players’ feelings, of course, but I also understand that not all of their requests can be passed on to the organization. Having accumulated years of age and experience, I can also see the front office’s perspective. Even so, you have to keep listening to both sides and work toward solutions.

When I was young, I was always thinking about how to perform well myself, how to keep batters down. I desperately wanted to be at the top. Of course, I’ve always believed I’ve put in more effort in practice than anyone else, going all the way back to when I was a kid who started playing baseball―so the desire not to lose to anyone is something I still cherish. But the role of players’ union president made me realize that I was starting to put the team ahead of everything else. Instead of focusing solely on my own performance, I became mindful of creating an environment where all the players could focus more easily. That kind of mindset is probably what can be called a “righteous cause.”

That said, my primary job is still, first and foremost, being a professional baseball player. Naturally, I want to keep putting up solid numbers. Right now I’m pitching as a starter, so it’s about continuing to deliver performances where I can pitch as many innings as possible and bring victories to the team. Of course, maintaining a high level of performance over an entire year is difficult. But it’s about how I can create as many opportunities to win as possible―even when things aren’t going well, I want to pitch in a way that gives the team a chance to win. I want to step up to the mound fully prepared and ready to contribute to the team’s victory.”

TEXT: Chiharu Abe