In his third professional year last season, pitcher Seiryu Uchi made his first appearance in the major league with the Rakuten Eagles. He made a breakthrough by pitching in 53 games as a reliever.This season, the decision was made to switch to starting, marking a fresh start.Where does the motivation come from to keep challenging and to spare no effort in order to win?The "strength to never give up" always makes dreams come true.

――Please tell us about the challenges you felt while spending time in the first team last season, and what you worked on during the off-season.

I felt the difficulty of maintaining good condition throughout the year. There were times when I struggled with my control on the mound. Looking back, there were more times last year when things didn’t go as I had hoped. I want to minimize such instances as much as possible. Even when my condition declined, I made it a challenge to recover quickly, and I devoted myself to practicing this off-season.

――What kind of initiatives did you take specifically?

It’s about the stability and reproducibility of the form. If you could move as precisely as a machine, you could throw the same ball every time, but because we are human, that’s not possible. Therefore, I endeavored to understand more by conversing with my own body. I always value my center of gravity, so I constantly search for things like shifting my center of gravity, or where to place my foot’s center of gravity to feel comfortable. I started to get a feel for things just before spring training camp, and I’m hoping to keep that feeling throughout the year.

――Did the shift from relief to starting pitching affect your off-season preparations?

No, what I’ve been doing hasn’t really changed since the off-season of my first year as a professional. However, the difficulty level is certainly increasing. Clear the task at hand, and then tackle a new challenge. It’s a repetition of that. Understanding the body, shifting the center of gravity is also one of them. I am building a foundation as a pitcher.

――Having made it to the major league last year, I believe you’ve truly taken your first step as a professional baseball player. How close do you think the pitcher has come to the professional baseball player he admired as a child?

To be honest, I couldn’t imagine myself becoming a professional Baseball player in the past. I did want to become a professional baseball player, but somewhere in my heart, I thought it was impossible. I have neither sense nor ability. While persevering, I feel that my current situation exists because luck is on my side. That’s why, if there’s anything I can convey to the children who aim to become professional baseball players, it all comes down to “never giving up”. Because we really don’t know what will happen. I myself started pitching in my second year of  Riseisha High School, but I was completely hopeless and barely able to participate in any games before becoming a third-year student. Furthermore, that year, due to the spread of the new coronavirus, the Koshien (Japanese High School Baseball Championship) had to be canceled. I thought it was hopeless. However, it was during such a time that there was a “Joint Practice Session for High School Students Aspiring to Turn Professional” (*), and my pitching there led to me turning professional. Given that we truly don’t know what might happen, I want everyone to never give up. If you don’t give up, your dreams won’t end.

――What is the ideal player image envisioned by the pitcher?

The ideal is a pitcher who can win. Of course, Baseball is a sport where batting significantly influences the outcome of the game, isn’t it? Even if I manage to hold off without giving up a point for nine innings, there are times when I could still lose. Similarly, there are also times when I could win even if I step down after the fifth inning. But I absolutely believe that I am involved in that result. Whether it’s the tempo, the atmosphere, or the ease of defense.Baseball is definitely a game where offense and defense are connected, and with that in mind, I want to become a pitcher who can win.

――It becomes crucial to maintain a smooth pitching flow and reduce unnecessary pitches.

That’s right.I also believe that the relationship with teammates has an impact. I strive to show a side of me that makes everyone think “for the sake of us,” both in practice and in my daily life. Of course, I want to grow not only in terms of technology, but also as a person.

The future I grasped because I never gave up on my dreams. However, I have no intention of being satisfied with the current situation. The pitcher harbors even bigger dreams, continuing to strive towards them. The experience and effort up to now will surely come into play in this season’s pitching. I look forward to seeing a more evolved pitch on a different stage than last year.

※The “Joint Practice Session for High School Students Aspiring to Turn Professional” was initiated for the first time as a special case by the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Japan High School Baseball Federation. This was in light of many official games being cancelled in 2020 due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, and it provided an opportunity for third-year high school students aspiring to enter professional baseball to appeal to scouts.

TEXT: Chiharu Abe
PHOTO: Yuki Nara
EDIT: Yohsuke Watanabe (IN FOCUS)