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Kotaro Tsunematsu, a fourth-year student in the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law, held a press conference on January 19 at Hiyoshi Campus after announcing the signing of a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB).

In the waiting room, Tsunematsu could be seen hurriedly practicing his signature that he would be signing on paperboard at the press conference. "I'm actually better at signing in English," Tsunematsu remarked with a wry smile as his parents and juniors came to watch him practice his Japanese signature assiduously. The audience managed to catch a glimpse of the true face of a budding baseball star just before his debut on the world stage.

At the press conference, he renewed his determination to venture onto the world stage, reaffirming his faith in his own potential. He considered his future course in earnest after the Nippon Professional Baseball Draft Meeting last fall. "I want to take on the greatest challenge while I am at my physical peak in my 20s," Tsunematsu said.

He also touched on his childhood in the U.S., and his formative years at Keio, where he spent roughly a decade, from being a student at Keio Shonan Fujisawa Junior High School to becoming an undergraduate at Keio University. "The environment here at Keio nurtured me deeply," Tsunematsu reminisced. He hailed Tetsuya Horii, the head coach of the baseball club, as his "mentor in life," expressing deep gratitude for the four years of tutelage he received under Horii's wing.

With fond memories of the days spent at Keio University in his heart, Tsunematsu is now moving on to a new stage. We look forward to your warm support for his future endeavors in baseball.


◆ To view the post-press conference video message from Kotaro Tsunematsu, please click this link.