If Seishiro Sakamoto were an employee at an online retail company → A specialist behind the scenes, the 'Customer Support Manager' who serves as the pillar of trust
A Phenomenal 'Pitching Kingdom'
The biggest factor in the Hanshin Tigers' strength lies in their overwhelming pitching prowess. Despite the intense heat, the team ERA has reached an otherworldly figure of 1.92.
The individual ERAs of the main starting pitchers are as follows.
Hiroto Saiki: 1.58
Masashi Ito: 0.59
Jon Duplantier: 1.31 (already recorded 2 shutouts)
Ryoto Ihara: 1.26 (1st round draft pick left-hander)
Shoki Murakami: 1.76 (8 wins, tied for league lead)
The Contribution of Catcher Seishiro Sakamoto, the Pillar of the Defense
Supporting this solid pitching kingdom is catcher Seishiro Sakamoto. He has worn the mask for a team-leading 61 games this season, and is held in immense trust, particularly by pitcher Duplantier, who calls him a 'genius of pitch calling.' His skillful game management and ability to grasp the pitcher's intentions are highly regarded, and he has received numerous accolades from fans, such as 'Great catcher, Sakamoto,' 'Without a doubt, the main catcher,' and 'The unsung hero of this year's surge.'
Seishiro Sakamoto: The Pillar of the Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers player Seishiro Sakamoto is a professional baseball player (catcher) born on November 10, 1993, in Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture. He bats and throws right-handed and wears jersey number 12.
Before Turning Professional
He began playing baseball in his first year of elementary school and was a member of the rubber-ball baseball team at Yabu Municipal Yabu Junior High School. After advancing to Riseisha High School, he became the starting catcher in the autumn of his first year and participated in the Koshien tournament in the summer of his second year and the spring of his third year. He reached the semifinals in the spring invitational tournament during his third year. He served as captain in his third year, and one grade above him was Tetsuto Yamada.
At Meiji University, he played in league games starting from the spring of his first year and established himself as the starting catcher by the autumn of his first year. In his second year, he was selected for the Best Nine for two consecutive seasons. He served as captain in his fourth year and played alongside players who would later become his teammates at Hanshin, such as Shun Takayama and Kento Itohara. He demonstrated high leadership skills, including serving as captain of the Japan national university team.
After Turning Professional
He was selected by the Hanshin Tigers in the 2nd round of the 2015 draft and joined the team.
2016: He made his first appearance in a top-team official game on July 19 against the Yomiuri Giants. He recorded his first professional hit off pitcher Hiroki Kuroda and also hit his first professional home run in August.
2017: Despite a fractured right thumb, he increased his playing opportunities as a primary catcher in the second half of the season and achieved his first professional multi-hit game.
2018: Due to the success of starting catcher Ryutaro Umeno, his first-team appearances were limited to a career-low 15 games, but he contributed to the second-team's league championship. He announced his marriage after the season ended.
2019: Despite undergoing surgery to clean out his right elbow, he appeared in 20 games, primarily on days when Umeno was resting.
2021: He appeared in a career-high 45 games. In the off-season, he was chosen as the new captain by a player vote and contributed as the team's mood maker.
2022: He appeared in a career-high 60 games. During the Interleague play, he won the Monthly Best Battery Award along with pitcher Koyo Aoyagi.
2023: At the direction of manager Akinobu Okada, he was used in rotation with Umeno, and he caught every game started by pitcher Shoki Murakami and pitcher Kotaro Otake. After Umeno was sidelined, he started every game, contributing to the league championship for the first time in 18 years and the Japan Series title for the first time in 38 years. He also won his first Golden Glove Award.
2024: He acquired domestic free agency rights but chose not to exercise them, remaining with the Hanshin Tigers. He signed a 4-year contract worth 100 million yen plus performance-based incentives.
Characteristics and Evaluation as a Player
Sakamoto is a catcher whose strengths include inside work that brings out the best in pitchers and accurate throwing. He is also highly regarded for his framing (catching technique), and pitcher Yu Darvish, who plays in Major League Baseball, has named Sakamoto as one of the Japanese players he would like to form a battery with. He also utilizes modern baseball tactics, such as using data from the pitching motion analysis device "Rapsodo" to determine his pitch calling.
He possesses language skills strong enough to have passed the Eiken Grade Pre-2 test in junior high school, and he also possesses outstanding leadership, having served as captain in high school, university, and for the Japan national university team.
If Seishiro Sakamoto's performance were compared to an online retail company
Seishiro Sakamoto's performance is exactly like that of a "Customer Support Manager" at a small-to-medium-sized online retail company—a behind-the-scenes specialist who serves as the cornerstone of trust.
A presence that builds trust and supports from behind the scenes
In the online retail industry, where attention tends to be focused on flashy advertising strategies or best-selling products (home-run hitters or ace-level pitchers), Sakamoto might not seem like a standout figure. However, his role is indispensable for maintaining the highest level of customer satisfaction and increasing repeat business.
He does not just respond to inquiries; he takes on the following roles:
Precise information sharing and coordination (Leading): He deeply understands the characteristics and needs (favorite pitches, pitch types) of each individual customer (pitcher) and derives the optimal response strategy (pitch calling). He also utilizes data (Rapsodo) to provide accurate instructions (leading) so that the customer (pitcher) can perform at their best.
Resolving customer anxiety and providing peace of mind (Framing, reliable catching): No matter how difficult the inquiry (a pitch that looks like a wild throw) may be, he responds calmly and accurately (great catch), ensuring the customer feels no anxiety. This allows the customer (pitcher) to provide their service (pitching) with peace of mind.
Troubleshooting and problem-solving (Stolen base prevention): Even if an unexpected problem (stolen base) occurs, he deals with it quickly and accurately, minimizing any damage.
Customer interaction as the face of the team (Captaincy): He gathers the trust of customers (pitchers) and provides service filled with professionalism and a sense of security that makes them think, 'If I leave it to this person, it will be fine.' This directly impacts the evaluation of the entire team (team ERA).
Steady improvement proposals (Efforts behind the scenes): He takes customer feedback seriously, identifies areas for service improvement, and implements them steadily. This leads to an improvement in the quality of the entire company (leveling up the entire pitching staff).
A key player who helps the company grow, even without standing out
Because he is there, the sales and development departments (the hitters and other fielders) can focus on their work with peace of mind, and the entire company (team) can continue to grow steadily. Without his presence, the company's rapid progress (Hanshin's runaway success) would be impossible. Indeed, Sakamoto can be called the 'unsung hero' of a small-to-medium-sized online retail company and a true 'key player in sales expansion.'
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