Yoshihisa Hirano, a veteran pitcher for Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball Orix Buffaloes, held his retirement ceremony on the 25th, marking the end of his active playing career at the conclusion of this season.
The venue was a match against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks held at Osaka's Kyocera Dome.
However, what became more of a topic that day was not the retirement ceremony itself, but an unexpected action by a fellow pitcher toward him.
Three-Line Summary
1. Yoshihisa Hirano held his Orix retirement ceremony on the 25th
2. Machado knelt and presented a rose, causing fans to burst into laughter
3. Hirano's career total saves reached 250
Machado Knelt and Presented a Rose
After the match between the Orix Buffaloes and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks held on the 25th at Osaka's Kyocera Dome, Orix held a retirement ceremony for Yoshihisa Hirano (42), a pitcher and coach stepping down from active play at the conclusion of this season. Before the game, the club posted a team photo on its official Instagram showing all players wearing Hirano's commemorative t-shirt, and the pitching staff presented him with a signed box and a rose, according to sports media Full Count.
What caught the eye at this occasion was the action of Andres Machado (33), who was active as a closer. Machado, who was sitting next to Hirano, suddenly knelt on his right knee and presented a red rose. With a gesture reminiscent of a marriage proposal, laughter erupted among the players and fans watching. On the club's social media, responses followed such as "Machado, are you proposing?" and "The sight of kneeling on one knee and presenting a rose is so cool that I'm embarrassed just watching," the media reported.
A Pitcher Who Left Behind 250 Saves
Hirano was Orix's representative closer, having won Most Valuable Relief Pitcher in 2011 and Save King in 2014. He advanced to Major League Baseball after recording 250 saves in Japan's professional baseball career, then returned to Japan. Fukuya Yamzaki (34), a junior pitcher currently playing for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, shared through Doshin Sports the bond he had with Hirano during his time with Orix. Yamzaki recalled, "After returning from the major leagues, his control seemed to have improved even more, and while his skill was tremendous, he was an approachable senior with a down-to-earth personality."
The SoftBank manager Gokubo, who faced off against Hirano on the same day, also mentioned his bond with Hirano, stating that he was a pitcher who was the protagonist of one of the most memorable games in his own baseball life, according to Sponichi. However, the specific game he was referring to was not confirmed in the relevant report.
Two More Players Will Retire the Next Day
On the 26th, Orix will continue to hold retirement ceremonies for Nobuyoshi Yamada (35) and Masahiro Nishino (36) at the same Kyocera Dome. Both are also removing their uniforms at the conclusion of this season. Yamzaki conveyed messages of gratitude to them as well and stated that he plans to witness their final moments in person. As a single team is seeing off three long-serving players within two days, it appears that this weekend at Kyocera Dome will be a venue with an unusually heavy sense of farewell for fans.
References
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