Hideki Kuriyama's Two Analogies: How He Persuaded Shohei Ohtani to Start in NPB Before Tackling MLB

Hideki Kuriyama, CBO of the Nippon-Ham Fighters, held a seminar today, sharing how he used the analogies of a sieve and a fishing net to convince Shohei Ohtani to stay in the NPB before challenging Major League Baseball. He praised Ohtani's calm thinking as a key trait for his success. The 'CTBC 60th Anniversary' baseball special exhibition opened today, inviting Hideki Kuriyama, Chief Baseball Officer (CBO) of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, to Taiwan for a baseball exchange lecture titled 'Development and Decision-Making from the Grassroots to World Champions.' Kuriyama, knowing the public's great interest in Shohei Ohtani, shared his observations and conversations from when he first approached him. Kuriyama stated that many things need to be seen in person. He personally witnessed Ohtani hit an opposite-field, down-the-line home run during a high school Koshien game, knowing then that Ohtani could become an excellent cleanup hitter. After watching Ohtani pitch, he was convinced Ohtani had the potential to surpass Yu Darvish. Kuriyama mentioned his determination to keep Ohtani in Japan. When he saw in a media interview that Ohtani wished to 'be an active player' in MLB, he saw his opportunity. Kuriyama analyzed that the Japanese professional baseball system allows time for young players to develop, unlike in American professional baseball. He believed the chance to 'be an active player' in MLB would be greater after going through the complete Japanese system, compared to going straight to the US from high school and fighting through the minor leagues. However, Kuriyama noted that when he first approached Ohtani, he 'never said a single word asking him to join the Fighters.' Kuriyama presented two analogies to Ohtani. He described MLB scouting as using a sieve to catch fish, possibly keeping only one or two they deem good and letting the rest slip away. In contrast, Japanese baseball develops players like a fishing net, scooping up all promising talents at once. Kuriyama also shared his observations from visiting the MLB minor leagues with Ohtani. After thinking it over, Ohtani himself decided to start his career in Japanese professional baseball. Kuriyama believes Ohtani's success is due to his calm mind, stating, 'His judgment is one of the main reasons for his success.'