In this video, Yu talks about Hideaki Wakui. Wakui is a pitcher, and he was recently traded to the Tohoku Eagles. Wakui has been Yu’s long-time rival and close friend. Yu have no idea about Wakui’s trade, and he has nothing to say about it. But Yu wants to talk about how the two met and knew each other. Yu got to know about Wakui for the first time when Yu was 15 years old. A baseball magazine picked up both Yu and Wakui as a young prospect in a same page. Yu read about the article, and assumed Wakui did the same. Then the two went to high school. Yu went to Tohoku high. Wakui went to Yokohama high. Yu and Wakui faced off for the first time in Akita, Japan. It was in May or June of their senior year. Both started a game as a starting pitcher. Wakui completed the game with whole 9 innings throwing 92 miles per an hour fastball. In the same game, Yu threw a 93-miles fastball, which was the fastest ball he pitched during his high school years. Yu remembered Wakui was very very good in that game. Wakui was really good at command. Yu had never seen someone with that good command before. Then in summer, their schools both played in the national tournament. Yu was impressed by Wakui’s command again. Wakui was able to pitch exactly where he intends to throw on both corners. Yu was wondering “How could Wakui do that?” After the national tournament, both pitchers were selected as a member of the national team, and Team Japan played in Taiwan. Before going to Taiwan, Team Japan had a training camp in Osaka. The two shared the same hotel room. Yu found out Wakui was funny. The two soon became a close friend. In Osaka, Yu was surprised by Wakui’s great athletic toughness. Wakui’s Yokohama high was well known for its tough and hard training. Yu was less confident at the time to think about competing against someone like Wakui in a professional level. Then the two both were drafted as No.1 pick. Yu joined the Hokkaido Fighters. Wakui joined the Saitama Lions. In the rookie season, Wakui got a spot in the rotation of the top team of the Lions organization. Meanwhile, Yu was struggling with his knee injuries and rehab in the farm system. Yu was always checking Wakui’s game results on the Internet. However, it was Yu who marked the first career win. It was on June 15th. Wakui followed Yu soon, and he also marked his first career win. One day they face in a same game for the first time since they turned a pro. Yu is usually relaxed even on the day he starts a game. But Yu knew he was going to pitch against Wakui in the same game. Yu was nervous and tense, and he did not talk much before the game. On the next day, Hisashi Takeda, Yu’s teammate said “What happened yesterday? What was wrong?” to him. “What do you mean?” Yu replied. “You were very nervous.” said Takeda. “You were different yesterday.” continued Takeda. Yu is not so sure but he thinks he won that game. Yu and Wakui kept their friendship. They went to have some drinks together on and off season. They exchange texts often. They also played in the national team for World Baseball Classics and Beijing Olympic qualifiers. They are at the same age. They sometimes made fun of Tanaka (Yankees pitcher). Years later, Yu decided to play in the majors. Even after Yu started to play in America, he checks Wakui’s news just like before. Yu considers Wakui as the biggest rival even now. In the 2017 World Series, Wakui and his wife visited Yu in Houston. They had lunch together. Wakui thought playing in the majors is an option and he considered it carefully. Unlucky for him the free agent market was very slow in 2017 and 2018. Wakui decided to stay in Japan. Now Wakui was traded to the Eagles. They are now 33 years old. Yu wants to pitch against Wakui again. Yu thinks Wakui is a good rival and also a good friend. Yu also thinks his career as a pitcher would be different if he does not know about Wakui. Yu wants to keep this relations with Wakui. Yu wishes him good luck at the Eagles. Thank you for watching.