Tsubasa Aizawa as “Player-Coach,” Daichi Osera’s “13 Consecutive Wins,” and Ryosuke Kikuchi’s “Game-Winning Hit with a Broken Bat” — The “Veterans Becoming Background Figures” Reflect the Design of the Carp Organization

In the 2024 season of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, there were repeated instances where veterans functioned not as “main characters” but as “parts of the system.” Tsubasa Aizawa, Daichi Osera, and Ryosuke Kikuchi each held different positions, yet they shared a common structure in their roles. It seems a bit wasteful to consume their stories merely as individual anecdotes.

This article discusses the organizational transition of the team, designed around the question of “who will be made easier.”

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Why Does a Player with Zero First-Team Appearances Remain? — Tsubasa Aizawa as “Player-Coach”

Tsubasa Aizawa, 39 years old. In his 21st year as a professional. In the 2024 season, he had no opportunities to play in the first team. Looking at the numbers alone, it would not be surprising if he were to receive a notice of release. Nevertheless, the team granted him the title of “Player-Coach” and decided to continue his active career for the next season.

The background of this decision lies in the Carp’s catching situation. While the starting catcher, Shogo Sakakura, shoulders the middle of the batting order, the younger catchers like Takaki Ishihara and Taiki Mochimaru are still developing in terms of game management and building relationships with pitchers. The unique position of a catcher requires not only technical skills but also experiential knowledge that is difficult to quantify, such as “the context of pitch selection for each pitcher” and “how to pace oneself within the flow of the game.” Aizawa’s accumulated knowledge over 21 years is of a type that cannot be found in coaching manuals.

The role of player-coach is not uncommon in NPB. However, what is noteworthy is that Aizawa has taken on this role not as a “grace period for retirement” but as a “device to convey knowledge while actively participating.” He sits alongside young catchers in the bullpen, receiving pitches and advising them on how to position themselves. The view from the bench during a game differs from the perspective seen through the mask. Aizawa maintains the latter perspective by remaining an active player.

For the organization, having a player-coach who can share the atmosphere of the field while providing guidance is rational compared to the costs of hiring external coaches. With an estimated salary of around 15 million yen, which is not significantly different from that of a dedicated coach, there is added value in his “persuasiveness as a player.” As a system, it seems somewhat beautiful.

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From Starter to Reliever — The Structural Significance of Daichi Osera’s “13 Consecutive Wins”

Daichi Osera’s achievement of “13 consecutive wins” in the 2024 season was accomplished in a context that was rather understated, despite the glamorous nature of the numbers themselves.

In 2018, he won the most wins award and supported the Carp during its golden era as the ace right-hander. However, in recent years, he has struggled with right elbow injuries, and in 2024, he found himself yielding the role of the starting rotation to pitchers like Masato Morishita, Hiroki Yokoda, and Akiyoshi Kuri. In the middle of the season, Osera made his first relief appearance in ten years. The choice for a starting pitcher to transition to a reliever is one that questions pride.

Yet, Osera became the winning pitcher in that appearance, achieving his 13th consecutive win, tying the club record held by Shinji Sasaki. “As long as I can contribute to the team’s victory in any form, that’s all that matters” — it would be a waste to read Osera’s words merely as humility. Here lies the quiet resolve of a pitcher who has accepted the change in his role.

This transition from starter to reliever reflects the organizational philosophy regarding pitcher utilization. In 2024, the Carp solidified a starting rotation centered around Morishita and Yokoda while steering towards strengthening the bullpen. Osera’s use as a reliever fits within that context. An ace pitcher changes positions according to the structural needs of the team. While it may be a bittersweet personal story, it is logical as a system.

The record of 13 consecutive wins, conversely, signifies that he has remained a part of the first team’s strength for 13 years. Whether as a starter or reliever, his continued presence in the role required by the team that year is what sustains this continuity. The beauty of the record lies in its flexibility.

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A Broken Bat and the Brink of Last Place — Ryosuke Kikuchi Embodies the “Change in Role”

In the late stages of the 2024 season, in a game where a loss would drop the team to last place, Ryosuke Kikuchi delivered a game-winning two-run hit. The bat was broken.

“The bat was broken. But I carried it with my spirit,” Kikuchi reflected. Manager Takahiro Arai praised it as “a good hit that he fought for with his spirit.” While it is easy to depict this moment as the “veteran’s pride,” a broader perspective reveals a different picture.

Ryosuke Kikuchi was once a defensive master who won the Golden Glove award ten times and was an aggressive second baseman who ranked high in batting. However, in 2024, his batting performance has clearly declined compared to his peak. Still, the reason Kikuchi often appears in the starting lineup is not only due to his defensive skills but also because he retains the ability to sense what is needed within the team and respond accordingly.

The game-winning hit with a broken bat was a product of judgment and tenacity rather than technique. In a pressured situation, knowing what to discard and what to keep is crucial. The ability to make such choices serves as a lesson for the younger players — Shota Suekawa and Shunsuke Tamura, among others — who are the next generation of hitters. Kikuchi is conducting a wordless lesson at the plate.

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The Common Structure Among the Three — The Design of “Veterans Becoming Background Figures”

Aizawa, Osera, and Kikuchi. While their roles differ, there is a common structure.

It is the point that the transition from “main characters to background figures” is supported not only by individual will but also by the design of the organization.

The Hiroshima Toyo Carp operates under a unique management structure as the only “citizen team without a parent company” among the 12 teams. Unable to rely on major reinforcements, the lifeblood of the team lies in nurturing players and smoothly progressing generational transitions. While constantly facing the risk of losing players to free agency, maintaining the team’s competitiveness requires embedding the “system for development” within the team itself.

The backgrounding of veterans is part of that system. Instead of inviting coaches from outside, players who share the team’s culture and context pass on their experiences to the next generation while remaining active. Aizawa conveys catching techniques, Osera demonstrates flexibility as a pitcher, and Kikuchi exemplifies judgment in critical moments — each functions as a “conveyance device” in their respective areas of expertise.

For this design to function, it is essential not only for the veterans to have the resolve but also for the organization to redefine their roles. The decision to renew contracts for players without first-team appearances, the choice to move an ace to the bullpen, and the strategy to continue using a player in the starting lineup despite declining batting performance — all these actions operate under a logic that differs from maximizing short-term results. They can be seen as investments aimed at “team strength three years from now” rather than just this season’s winning percentage.

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Who Does This Design Make Easier?

When discussing systems, I always think about one thing: “Who does this make easier?”

The Carp’s design of “veterans becoming background figures” directly makes it easier for younger players. Access to experiential knowledge becomes embedded in their daily routines. There is no need to knock on the door of the coach’s office. The senior sitting next to them in the bullpen shows them the answers during the game.

However, at the same time, this system also makes it easier for the veterans themselves. Instead of shouldering the “decline” as a personal issue, they can reposition it as a “change in role” within the team’s structure. This is also a system that prevents the loneliness of their twilight years as players.

In the 2025 season, what will Aizawa convey through his mask? On which mound will Osera stand? In which at-bat will Kikuchi showcase his skills?

The three have completely different specialties. However, they are all facing the same direction — how to use their current selves for the benefit of someone who will stand in their place next. It is a bit heartwarming to realize that it is not just individual effort but a system that is functioning.