People :
Our pitcher/captain last year, now a member of a professional baseball team, the Nippon Ham Fighters.
Mr. Ken Miyamoto

Mr. Ken Miyamoto Born in Okayama Prefecture in 1984. Graduate of Kansai High School; graduated from the School of Sports Sciences this spring. Participated in the seminar of Jun-ichi Kasai. Becomes the captain of the one of the best four teams in the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament in spring . Captain of Waseda Baseball Team in 2006, runner-up in the Meiji Jinguu Tournament. Joined Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters this season. Hobby: watching Oowarai comedy DVDs.

The baseball club of Waseda University has a long history, but there have only been three pitchers out of the 96 so far, including Miyamoto, to be appointed as captain. One of the main reasons is that it seems to be too much extra work for a pitcher, but Miyamoto smiles, saying "I am actually thankful that I was chosen. I didn't want people to think that I wouldn't be as good a pitcher because I became captain, so I was able to make myself work hard in the training sessions. Also I didn't want it to be thought that I was chosen to be captain because there wasn't any one else, but because I was the right person for the role, so my own living habits and mindset completely changed." From primary school till now, Miyamoto has always been captain. "I wonder why...," Miyamoto says, tilting his neck to the side, but then continues firmly with a strong look in his eyes, "When you are not trusted, people won't listen no matter what you say, so I always try to take the lead by taking action myself. I am always very active, and am the first one to move!” He isn't the type that makes long speeches at meetings, but tries to tell each player at the right time what he thinks he ought to say. "I realized that even the slightest things I say to juniors are things "that Captain Miyamoto had said,” and therefore sometimes really cheer them up. I tried to talk a lot to the members just a step away from being regulars, but having a hard time." This kind heart of his must be the quality that made him captain.

In January, when we interviewed him, Miyamoto was working hard to be a starting member at a freshmen camp in Chiba. From now on, Miyamoto will be playing on the severe field of the professionals, but he is still positive about it. "Tsuyoshi Wada, a Waseda graduate playing for Softbank who is also a southpaw, is providing vaccine for children of the world. I also want to be a sportsman contributing to society one day. Also, I really have to do something for my parents, who did so much for me." His eyes were crystal clear. "This is my starting point. There is no end to my dream!" Miyamoto's games have just begun. We wonder what awaits us in his next inning.