The brand concept that the Rakuten Group upholds, "On a Mission: Empowerment," "Behave Ethically: Integrity," "Prepare to Succeed: Professionalism," "Complete Commitment: Get Things Done," and "Solidarity: Succeed as a Team."What if we applied these five to the players of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles?Strangely, or rather inevitably, I found a lineup that fits perfectly."On a Mission: Empowerment" goes to player Takahiro Norimoto.While being the absolute ace, his role as the team representative also supports the backbone of the team, leading the team to victory with a force greater than anyone else.

If you were to ask what the noble cause is for professional athletes, one could imagine the answer would be for the joy of their fans who celebrate their victories. However, I wonder if Norimoto, the player, might have thoughts about what lies ahead. A homegrown talent of the Eagles. In his first professional year in 2013, he contributed to the team’s first victory and became the best in Japan. And the following year, Masahiro Tanaka declared his intent to challenge the Major Leagues, inheriting the title of ace in his second year. He surely knows the “mission” of this team.

“Becoming the team representative was a significant event for me. This is about the off-season in 2019.Even up until now, the main premise has always been to win the match, but I feel like the approach to achieve that has changed. I don’t just want to win, I want to win as a team. I want to become stronger as a team. For that reason, I want my juniors to also do their best. And, I want my fans to see that image of me.

The team representative has an important job of standing between the players and listening to each one’s stories, as well as between the players and the team, conveying each other’s needs. It could perhaps be compared to a middle management position in a company. Honestly, it’s a challenging role. Of course, I understand the feelings of the players, but I also realize that not all requests can be passed on to the team. Given the age and experience accumulated, I can understand the perspective of the baseball team as well. Even so, we must find solutions while listening to both sides of the story.

When I was younger, all I thought about was how much I could excel and control myself. I want to stay at the top. That feeling was just overwhelmingly strong. Of course, ever since I started playing baseball as a child, I believe I’ve been more dedicated to practice than anyone else, so I still cherish the feeling of not wanting to lose to anyone. However, having been given the role of team representative, I gradually realized that I was putting the team’s interests above anything else. Rather than focusing solely on my own play, I began to make an effort to create an environment where all players can easily concentrate. Such feelings might well be what you would call a just cause.

That being said, my primary job is, after all, a professional Baseball player. Of course, I want to continue achieving solid results. Currently, I am allowed to start, so I aim to continue performing in such a way that I can pitch for as long as possible and bring victory to the team. Of course, it’s difficult to maintain high performance for an entire year. Even so, how can we create as many winning opportunities as possible? I want to pitch in a way that will lead the team to victory, even if it’s not perfect. “I want to stand on the mound, well prepared to contribute to the team’s victory.”

TEXT: Chiharu Abe