[Player Introduction] #19 Tetsuya Kokubo

[The Red Legend]

The scoop that suddenly broke in June surprised the fans.
The leadership he demonstrated as team captain in Hiroshima was fully displayed in Hinokuni as well, where he anchored the batting lineup and created further upward momentum.
Despite joining mid-season, he appeared in 18 games, contributing to the team with a batting average in the .400s and an OPS of 1.061.
Although he was only with the team for two months until his signing with Lotte was finalized just before the deadline in August, he led Hinokuni to a KAL championship.
The home run he hit off Orix's Tajima in September must have been etched into the hearts of Hinokuni fans.
The "Red Legend" brought vitality and dreams to the team.

A go-ahead hit that stuck to the fundamentals

Hello, this is Saku-rai.

This time, I will be picking up player Kokubo, a Hinokuni alumnus and the team's first player to join the NPB.
Kokubo left Hiroshima after the 2020 season.
He received no offers from NPB teams and was waiting for an offer at a training facility.
Seeing that news, President Kanda reached out to him.
He was persuaded by the benefits of playing in an independent league and joined the team on June 4.
With the goal of returning to the NPB, he set off with high spirits on the newly established team.

As I mentioned earlier, his time from joining to leaving was a short period of just two months, but the impact he had was tremendous, and I believe it gave a further boost toward winning the championship.

Regarding his performance, there was nothing to complain about; with a batting average of .420 and an on-base percentage of .500, it can be said that he fully demonstrated his NPB-level talent.

Luckily, I was able to witness everything from Kokubo's first game to his first home run with my own eyes (see the article below).

It is said that there was a change in attendance after Kokubo joined, and it can be said that this was something baseball fans, not just Hinokuni fans, had been waiting for.

Kokubo, who was mainly entrusted with the top of the batting order, won a contract with Lotte on August 31, just before the deadline (at the time, the deadline had been extended due to the Tokyo Olympics), achieving his initial goal.

In September, when the championship race was heating up, Kokubo made his first-team appearance early, partly due to the team's situation.

His opponent in his return to the NPB first team was Orix, who were also aiming for the championship.
He caught a fastball from starting pitcher Tajima and hit a home run.

I remember how the Salamander group LINE chat went wild when he hit a home run.

However, he didn't get any more hits after that and retired from professional baseball that off-season.

Kokubo-senshu has now been appointed as a coach in Hiroshima.
I am still grateful that he chose the Hinokuni Salamanders, even if it was for a short time.

I have picked the game against the Kagawa Olive Guyners in July as a match where Kokubo-senshu played an active role.

21 Season 7/2 vs Kagawa OG @ Fujisakidai

A game played against Kagawa from the IL.
Kokubo-senshu started as the 3rd batter and third baseman.
We fell behind in the first inning due to an RBI hit by Kagawa OG's Reo Yamaguchi, but we tied the game with a wild pitch in the second and an RBI hit by Uraki-senshu in the fourth.

In the fifth inning attack.
Takayama-senshu led off with a walk, and Uto-senshu's sacrifice bunt created a one-out, runner-on-second opportunity.
A perfect chance came to Kokubo-senshu, who was 0-for-2 until then.

He drove the second pitch from Hashizume-senshu for a go-ahead RBI double.

Kokubo-senshu is working hard to develop young players in Hiroshima.
Keep an eye on his future success.

Bonus

A dignified Tetsuya Kokubo

Tetsuya Kokubo at the plate

Tetsuya Kokubo's first KAL hit

Detailed information

Performance