Fukuya Yamazaki thanks three retiring Orix veterans

The ceremonies for Yoshihisa Hirano, Nobuyoshi Yamada and Masahiro Nishino are scheduled at Kyocera Dome Osaka on Sept. 25 and 26, Doshin Sports reported. Yamazaki, 34, played with the three at Orix and plans to watch their final appearances.

The three Orix veterans

Hirano’s ceremony is set for Sept. 25. Yamada and Nishino are scheduled to hold theirs the following day. The three players were part of Orix teams during Yamazaki’s time with the club, and he has described each as an important senior figure from that period.

Hirano built a career as a relief pitcher. He won the Nippon Professional Baseball award for top middle reliever in 2011 and led the league in saves in 2014. He also reached 250 saves in NPB and played in Major League Baseball.

Yamazaki spent part of his own career as a reliever, which gave him opportunities to work with Hirano. Yamazaki recalled Hirano’s support before and after his move to the majors, including taking him out for meals. He also praised Hirano’s control and steady personality.

Yamazaki’s message to Hirano

Yamazaki said Hirano combined high-level pitching with an approachable manner. He portrayed Hirano as a senior teammate who treated younger players warmly and remained easy to speak with despite the gap in their ages.

That relationship is one reason Yamazaki intends to be present for the ceremony. His message is not limited to Hirano’s statistics. It also recognizes the everyday help Yamazaki received while developing as a professional pitcher.

The timing at Kyocera Dome

The ceremonies come as Orix continues its season. The Okinawa Times’ results report listed Orix’s 9-0 loss to SoftBank on Sept. 25, with Haru Matsumoto earning the win and Muheng Chen taking the loss. The result is separate from the retirement events, but it places Hirano’s ceremony on a game day for Orix.

Yamazaki now pitches for Nippon-Ham, while his farewell messages look back to the Orix clubhouse where he worked with Hirano, Yamada and Nishino. Hirano’s ceremony is scheduled first, followed by Yamada’s and Nishino’s on Sept. 26.