Pitcher Yu Darvish of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) Japan National Team “Samurai Japan” answered questions from the press after practice on the 21st. Q: What kind of pitch was your first actual pitching? Darvish: It was the first time in a while that I had the chance to pitch in Japan, so many fans came to see me, and overall I think it was a lot of fun. Q: Does pitching in Japan feel different than in the US? Darvish: It doesn’t feel that different. For example, on the mound, things like that are different, but I’ve never faced so many Japanese players all at once, so there was something fresh about it. Q: What kind of theme did you stand on the mound today? Darvish: Just throwing to the batter who came to hit, I didn’t think about how to distribute the pitch or how to sharpen the curve ball, I just went to check the feeling. Q: How was your match with Munetaka Murakami? Darvish: The moment I hit it, I thought it was gone. But being publicly executed in a place like this…for me, it’s a little sad. Q: How did you feel when you threw the ball to Murakami? Darvish: I tried to hit the two-seam from the inside course, but it blew up high and went high in the middle, but even a major batter can’t hit that ball that easily. I was surprised because I hit it with one shot. Q: Was the hit unexpected? Darvish: I felt like it was a foul, but I got it firmly to the core. The person himself said, “It’s the wind!” Q: How did it feel to see Murakami as Japan’s No. 4 candidate? Darvish: I’ve been watching videos for a long time, so I thought it was real, and there’s a real atmosphere in the eyes at bat. He’s usually a very bright player, but I felt scared when I was concentrating. Q: Was it your own wish to change the confrontation with Murakami? Darvish: No, it was a bit embarrassing result that I was hit hard for another second (laughs). That is also a slider from the outside, and it’s a ball that can pass through quite easily, but I waited patiently and hit it in the opposite direction. He said he thought the sliders would come from outside, so I thought he was smart in that regard. Q: Did you feel reliable in Murakami as Japan’s No. 4? Darvish: I think so, and there is a possibility that he will go to a major in the future, so I think he is a player who can change the evaluation of Japanese players. Q: How did you feel about today’s pitching? Darvish: I’m glad I threw it to the batter, but the temperature was very low, and when I woke up in the morning, I checked the temperature and thought I should stop. In the United States, it works well, but since it’s already announced here, there was a difficult part where I had no choice but to throw it away. But I really enjoyed it. Q: Were the fans cheering after every pitch? Darvish: I couldn’t hear your voice because I was concentrating on the hitter, but I am very grateful that you watched me all the way. Q: Do you want to play against Murakami again? Darvish: Right. Next time, I think I can go in a different state. However, when it comes to live BP, I haven’t played against other players yet. Everyone says they want to play against each other, so there is a balance between that and that, but I still have the feeling that I want to play against them again. Q: After pitching in live BP, what was the story with catcher Takuya Kai? Darvish: They really care. He asked me, “How is my stance?” I think Kai has always been Japan’s number one catcher, so I didn’t want to say too much, so I told him that it was okay. Q: A word about future adjustments Darvish: The number one thing is how you spend the cold days. I have a certain amount of experience, so I would like to do some basic things, such as not drinking too much alcohol, but I would like to condition myself in terms of meals. Q: What did you talk about with Murakami on the bench after the match? Darvish: (Murakami) asked me, “How do you feel about yourself?” “I’m away, but what do you think?” Also, what were you talking about? I thought I was a great batter, and we had a conversation like that. Q: Have you ever heard from pitcher Darvish, “How was this ball?” Darvish: No, I haven’t heard. I know my ball. Q: Regarding the cold weather, what was your intention in wearing long sleeves in the bullpen and short sleeves during the live BP? Darvish: I wanted to change because the material of Samurai Japan’s uniform would get cold if I just threw it in short sleeves. I didn’t want to throw it with my skin exposed in the cold, so I threw it in long sleeves as much as possible, but at the last minute, I wore short sleeves. I always pitch in short sleeves in matches, so that’s how I played. Q: In today’s pitching, did you catch misses and fouls with sliders? Darvish: I think the sliders were good. There were various things such as the opening of the body early today, but the body is thrusting. At times like that, there are times when the straight is not so good like today, but the slider is basically much better. Even with a slider, you can mix horizontal and diagonal strokes, and if you’re a right-handed batter, you can move your head a little. Q: What was the intention of asking Kai catcher to sit up in the bullpen? Darvish: I don’t think there are many Japanese pitchers who throw high, but I’m basically a pitcher who wants to throw high, so I told him. I think that Kai thinks that he has to set himself low. Especially since he himself is doing framing. That’s why I said that I want you to set yourself up a little higher. Q: It’s not about baseball skills, but it seems that Yuki Udagawa is worried about not fitting in with the team. How did you follow up on the “Udagawakai” held yesterday? Darvish: To put it in a certain way, it was a normal pitchers’ meeting, and (Udagawa) was in the center, and he was talking very happily. At the end, we were all talking about taking a commemorative photo outside, and there was an article about that (that Udagawa wasn’t used to it), so Udagawa-kun folded his arms in the middle and let’s take a picture with everyone around him. I was talking to him and he seemed very happy. It was good in that sense. Originally, it was just like a pitchers’ meeting. Q: Udagawa is trying to lose weight, but Darvish told him, “There are a lot of fat American pitchers,” and that made you feel better. Udagawa said, “I ate a lot of ice cream.” Darvish: I ate a lot (laughs). It’s called weight loss, so I don’t think I’m that fat when I look at my body, and when I touch my stomach, I don’t think so. The problem is not the weight, but rather the inability to move, so we have to take approaches to move. But when it comes to weight loss, if my body is like that, the speed of the ball will drop, and the feeling in my hands will be strange, so I called out to him. Just like yesterday (what happened at the pitcher’s meeting), a year ago I was training, and then suddenly I came to Samurai Japan and lost weight here. I hated it. *There is no narration in this video. note that.
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