Iwasada enters active duty with a smile, aiming for Umeno's mitt at the same time - Hanshin Professional Baseball

He was given a grand farewell by a packed house of fans and ended his career with a smile on his face. Hanshin's Iwasada held off one batter and completed the game beautifully. At his retirement ceremony, he said, ``I can't change how happy I was to be able to wear this uniform and play for 13 years.'' He expressed his overwhelming gratitude in words.

His turn came seven times. The person who formed the battery was Umeno, who joined the same team and participated from the previous round. I aim for the mitt of a colleague with whom I have shared joys and sorrows, and throw it as hard as I can. In the end, he used all his strength to hit Suekane with a fastball of 141km/h, resulting in a strikeout. At this point, he was informed that he would be substituted, and hugged Director Fujikawa. Once again, he welcomed his mate Iwasaki to the mound.

Hanshin's left arm. He contributed both as a starter and as a reliever. In 2022, when he pitched in a career-high 53 games, he decided to stay without exercising his right to domestic free agency during the off-season and won the league championship the following year in 2023, something he cherishes in his heart as a ``huge asset.'' “Everything is a lifelong treasure for me.” He has no regrets about his professional life, where he fulfilled his role in a traditional baseball team.