Lotte announces retirement of Tetsuya Kokubo and Masaki Minami for this season Only talks with team on 29th | Full-Count

Kokubo joined from Hinokuni Salamanders in the middle of this season

Lotte announced on the 29th that Tetsuya Kokubo and Masaki Minami will retire from active duty only this season. On this day, we had a discussion with the team about the future and decided to retire.

Kokubo joined Hiroshima from Aoyama Gakuin University in the third round of the 2007 university student / worker draft. After only three games in 2020, he became a free contract and joined the Hinokuni Salamanders of the Kyushu Asian League this season. The transfer to Lotte was decided in August, and in the game against Orix on September 9, he hit his first hit and home run after the transfer.

Minami, who joined Lotte from Rissho University in the second place in the draft in 2010, developed a nationally designated intractable disease “Ossification of the ligamentum flavum” in the middle of 2018. After undergoing surgery, he returned to the 1st army in the match against Nippon-Ham Fighters on August 15, 2019, but this season he did not pitch in the 1st army.

The comments announced by both players through the team are as follows.

Kokubo
“I was able to come this far with the support of various people. It was a really happy professional baseball life. I couldn’t do this with my own strength. Thank you to everyone who supported me again. I want to do it. I won the carp, every day in Kumamoto, and so far after joining Marines. I remember many things. Especially, this year was a turbulent year, but various things. I think I was able to experience it. I have played at ZOZO Marine Stadium even during the Carp era, but I played it again and thought that it was a really good stadium. It contributed more to the victory of the team. I wanted to do it, but I was delighted to win with my friends and felt the happiness of facing baseball every day when I made a high touch. Carp fans, Salamanders fans, and Chiba Lotte Thank you to all Marines fans. With your support, I was able to live a happy baseball life. “

South
“Thank you for your support for 11 years. I am full of gratitude to all the fans, managers, coaches, and players. I wanted to show more that I can do it even if I get sick. I’m sorry I couldn’t get the result. My best memory is the match against Nippon-Ham at Tokyo Dome on August 15, 2019, which was the mound for returning to the first army after the operation. I’m really happy with the cheers, and I’m still firmly in my heart. And finally, let me express my gratitude to the family who have supported me so far. From now on, I want to be a person who can support me firmly. I think, everyone, thank you very much for 11 years. “

(Full-Count editorial department)