Yomiuri Giants slugger Shinnosuke Abe on Wednesday officially announced that he is retiring at the end of this season in which the team won the Central League title for the first time in five years.
The legendary 40-year-old catcher said he made up his mind when he had a talk with Giants manager Tatsunori Hara on Sunday, the day after Yomiuri won the league.
"[Hayato] Sakamoto is now the captain and our team won the league title, taking the weight off my shoulders," Abe said at a press conference in Tokyo. "My passion for baseball has driven me up to now."
Abe would not divulge any details about his future.
"I want to concentrate on the important upcoming games," he said. The Giants will play in the Central League Climax Series in October for the chance to advance to the Japan Series.
"If anything is decided, I'll let everyone know," Abe said.
"I hope I will be able to show my gratitude to the Giants in some way," he added.
The following are edited excerpts of a question and answer session during the press conference:
Q: How do you feel now?
A: I made a surprise decision to retire. I feel sorry if I've shocked some people.
Q: This season, you tried to make a comeback as the team's catcher while struggling with your injuries.
A: It was very frustrating. I said I would do it, but I couldn't. I believe I caused some trouble to the team.
Q: What is your proudest record?
A: I'm not a fast runner, so I bet I have the fewest infield hits of anyone who's gotten to 2,000 hits.
Q: What was your happiest homer?
A: My 400th because I finally made it after wondering whether it would remain beyond my reach.
Q: What do you think of how Hayato Sakamoto led the team this season?
A: We had meetings whenever the team was doing bad. It dawned on me that everyone was learning by following the lead of our captain, Hayato Sakamoto.
Q: What was the most exciting moment in your life in baseball?
A: The moment our team won the league, as I believe it was the fastest I ran this year, like a young boy, heading for the mound.
Q: Any thoughts about your family?
A: My children asked me, "Why can't you hit?" These words have inspired me. I've sometimes made them ashamed, but I'm extremely thankful for them.
Q: What would you say to your rookie self?
A: I would say, "Never give up in anything, even though there are so many great veterans around you." Never give up.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
