Message

If there is something you love, just go for it.
I am now a professional baseball player, so I have been lucky enough to make my childhood dream come true. When I was a kid, I was a really lousy player. But it was a lot of fun to feel that I was getting better.
If you love the sport, I think that you will improve quickly and be able to take hard training.
When I was a kid, I would swing a bat every day. To be honest, though, I sometimes didn't feel like doing it. But my father would always ask me, "Did you swing a bat today?" (laughter). Now I appreciate him leading me to stay on the course in those days.
I think there is nothing more enjoyable than devoting yourself to something you love.

(Interviewed by Ichiro Enokido)

Profile of Takayuki Kajitani

Baseball player of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars
Graduate of Kaisei Senior High School in Shimane Prefecture

Mr. Kajitani was picked in the third-round draft by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in 2006 when he was a senior high school student.
He made a record of 33 stolen bases in 2010 when he was playing for a farm team (then known as the Shonan Searex) to become the stolen base champion in the Eastern League.
In 2012, he made his first appearance in the starting lineup as the short-stop lead-off hitter.
Mr. Kajitani took a leap forward in 2013, playing in 77 official games and hitting 16 home runs.
In 2014, he had his uniform number changed to 3 and was converted to an outfielder. He now looks to continue on his quest for excellence.

Today, Mr. Kajitani receives a lot of attention as one of the players deemed most likely to achieve the "Triple 3s" (batting average of .300, 30 stolen bases and 30 home runs), a feat that has been accomplished only by eight players in Japan.