Akinori Otsuka
Akinori Otsuka
Akinori Otsukais a retired Japanese baseball pitcher who coaches for the Chunichi Dragons in Nippon Professional Baseball. He was formerly the set-up man for the San Diego Padres and the Texas Rangers. He was also the closer for Japan's 2006 World Baseball Classic winning team...
camp days faced fastball rangers slider stopped
I stopped by Rangers camp for just two days and only pitched one of those days. I have not faced any batters, but in the bullpen, my fastball and slider look good.
celebrate confidence japan practice teammates
I'd like to be in Japan and celebrate with my teammates and the fans, but I have to practice here now. These are my teammates. I have to get ready. Because of this experience, I have more confidence than I have ever had. I feel stronger. My mind. My body.
domestic economy flying stuck team tokyo
The whole team is going to Tokyo and I'm stuck flying an economy domestic flight. Seriously, I'm pretty sad.
grip hooked
I couldn't get a grip and hooked it a little too much.
brings helping hitters striking win
Striking out two hitters like that, and helping us win the game, brings a lot of confidence.
invited manager means oh personally win
Manager Oh is the one who invited me to be on the team. So it means a lot to me personally to win for him tonight.
good great inside lose lost power states united unusual
This time, as a country, we couldn't lose it. The United States lost and we got a really good chance, so we had an unusual power inside us. That was a great game.