Thanks to my best friends Yuito Mori and Toru Hosokawa who retired.
Softbank announced on the 29th that pitcher Dennis Sarfate will retire from active duty only this season. Sarfate was aiming to recover from right hip surgery, but his condition in the affected area deteriorated and he underwent total hip arthroplasty in October last year. Although he continued to rehabilitate, he did not pitch this season either. The three-year contract expired and I decided to retire.
The full message sent by Sarfate through the team is as follows.
As of today (November 30th), my contract with Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks has ended. The last three years have been the toughest season of my career, but the great ones will come to an end. I had the opportunity to play in the best team with the best front offices, coaches and players. During that time, I was able to win the league championship three times, the best in Japan five times. I would like to thank the Hawks for giving me a chance from the 2014 season.
First of all, thank the grandson owner. He wants to win at all costs, and thank you for always preparing a team to win and trusting me as a player. I would also like to thank President Goto and GM Mikasa for encouraging and supporting me while I was out of order and unable to contribute to the team.
Mr. Akiyama who was the first Hawks director for me. Thank you for starting to use me as a closer in 2014 and for always believing in me. And I have to thank Mr. Kudo. As you may not know, Mr. Kudo and his wife have always supported me. He sent me a lot of messages, and he came all the way to Arizona for a surprise while I was rehabilitating. .. .. Thank you for his leadership and support, and for my love for my family. We also thank all the coaches involved in the eight years spent at the Hawks. You are very big in my life and the seasons I have spent together are very important to me.
We also thank all of our teammates for their long-standing support and love. You have accepted me like a family from the first day I joined the Hawks, and the many victories, suppers, and painful days I have fought with are all precious memories for me.
And there are a few players who have to comment separately from their other teammates. First of all, Mr. Hosokawa. From the first day I met, he let me throw a split, letting me take on new challenges and leveling up. Mr. Takatani, you always took the lead with my feelings and made the innings I throw easier. Takuya-san, you often stole bases even though I wasn’t good at quick. A big thank you to all of you for making me a better pitcher.
All the starting pitchers. Thank you for always trusting me and creating a save opportunity. I loved seeing everyone doing their best and taking training seriously. Relief everyone. Thank you for laughing at my joke with a bullpen, letting me talk when I don’t want to hear me, and always doing my best when I’m invited to a match. I think we were the best bullpen team in NPB. I think everyone has the highest level of talent. I miss the time I spent with you.
Yuito Mori. Thank you for being my best friend. Thanks to you, I was able to level up. I knew that you would take my closer job as soon as I got rid of it. You worked very hard, always training together. I miss your character at dinner with you and your friends. You are now because of your hard work so far. 9 times is yours. Please do your best to save 250 !!!
And finally, I have to thank all the fans. Everyone really supported me enthusiastically. Even when I was suffering from a breakdown, when I was walking around the city with my family, I got a lot of affection from everyone. It was very comfortable and I loved it. Thanks to everyone, I was able to overcome many difficulties. Japan is my second home. Much of what I learned during my 11 years in Japan, many of my friends I met, and incredible amount of delicious food. I love them all, but above all, I’m totally into a part of Japanese culture. I want to cherish the time I spent in Japan forever.
Baseball life in Japan couldn’t end in the way I wanted, but I think it’s also baseball. I am grateful that I was able to play baseball in Japan and enjoy the success with the help of God. People are not the result, but the time and effort they have spent and what they have done for the community. This is what I am most proud of. I’ve been training recently and I feel like I’m getting better and better, so I was thinking of trying my best to return to the mound next year, but the other day it turned out that my wife was pregnant, and I’m doing this. If you challenge her to return like this, it will be a burden to her.
As a family who believes in God, we talked and decided to put a period in my active baseball life here. I won’t play baseball anymore, but in the future I hope I can use my experience and the experience of supporting the growth of my teammates to help Hawks continue to be a winning team. I am. This is not an eternal farewell, but a temporary one. see you soon!
King of Closer
(Full-Count editorial department)
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