Shohei Ohtani’s Heartfelt Video Message at Kagitani’s Retirement Ceremony

Ohtani on Kagitani: “I Want to Join the Team at the Same Time and Work Hard Together”

Rakuten secured a 3-1 win against Nippon Ham on the 25th at Escon Field.

Nippon Ham pitcher Yohei Kagiya played his retirement game against Rakuten at Escon Field on the 25th. A video message from pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who joined the team at the same time as Kagiya, was played during the ceremony.

Ohtani’s video message was met with a roar of applause from the home stadium. “Hello, and it’s been a while. By the time you watch this video, you’ll probably be so overwhelmed you won’t be able to see straight ahead. If that’s not the case, I’ll be a little sad,” he said with a smile.

Ohtani continued, “I joined the team at the same time as Kagitani, and after watching him work hard as an active player for a long time, I’ve always wanted to work hard with him. I’m a little sad to hear that he’s retiring, but it makes me want to work even harder myself. I’ll continue to support him,” praising Kagitani’s 12 years as an active player.

Ohtani and Kagitani have a long history together, having joined the team in the same year. Despite being different ages, they have spent a lot of time together and inspired each other. Kagitani expressed his gratitude, saying, “Shohei was also in a tough position competing for the championship, and I think he was also busy with his own records, but I’m glad he sent me a message like that from far away America.”

Kagitani also shared his thoughts on Ohtani’s future, saying, “From now on, I will continue to support him as a baseball fan, and as a fan of Shohei, so I just want to convey that.”

Watch the full video message from Shohei Ohtani to Kagitani below: