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00:00Thank you very much for coming to this important event in the city of Los Angeles.
00:26I'd like to thank the Los Angeles Dodgers organization for hosting this press conference and everybody for attending today during such a difficult time for the city of Los Angeles.
00:56Putting on this Dodgers uniform today, I'm reminded that my journey is just about to begin and it makes me feel more focused than ever.
01:26As I transition to the major leagues, I am deeply honored that many teams reached out to me with such enthusiasm, especially considering I haven't achieved much in Japan.
01:46I'm truly grateful to all the team officials who took the time to meet with me during this process.
01:56I spent the past month both embracing and reflecting on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to choose a place purely based on where I can grow as a player the most.
02:26Every organization helped me in its own way, and it was an incredibly difficult decision to choose just one.
02:43I am fully aware that there are many different opinions out there, but now that I've decided to come here, I want to continue moving forward.
03:14I want to move forward with the belief that the decision I made is the best one, trust in those who have believed in my potential, and conviction in the goals that I set for myself.
03:28As I've also lived through a difficult time due to an injury, I want to continue moving forward with the belief that the decision I made is the best one, trust in those who have believed in my potential, and conviction in the goals that I set for myself.
03:54As I've also lived through a difficult time due to a natural disaster, I've always made sure to never lose sight of my goals and keep looking forward.
04:06Los Angeles is facing challenging and difficult times right now, and as a member of the Dodgers starting today, I am dedicated to give my best and strive forward together with the people of this city.
04:36Lastly, I'd like to thank everyone with the Chivalote Marines who encouraged and supported my pursuit of this challenge, and to all the fans who have supported me over the past five years. I am truly grateful and always will be.
05:06And I want to express my deepest gratitude to my agent, Joel Wolf, and the entire Wasserman team for prioritizing my needs during the negotiations.
05:36And to everyone who has supported me in my life so far, both on and off the field. And most of all, I am eternally grateful to my family for always being there for me, no matter the circumstances. Thank you very much.
06:37So we'll do the Q&A session now. We're going to start off by taking questions in English, and Will will interpret for Rokey, and then we'll open the floor for questions in Japanese.
06:51And if you could raise your hand, and we have microphones coming around yourself and the outlet that you're representing. Thank you.
06:58Hi Rokey. First, congratulations and welcome to the Dodgers. I'm Kirsten of the Dodgers and Sportsnet LA. First, you obviously were courted by a lot of teams. What made the Dodgers the right choice for you?
07:28I had the opportunity to speak to a lot of teams, and they had a lot of appealing features.
07:54But overall, when I looked at the general consensus, I thought that the Dodgers were at the top.
08:02Hi Rokey. Fabio Dia with The Athletic over here. Congratulations. So what made you want to do the homework assignment that you gave the team when it comes to your velocity, and what did you learn during that process?
08:32Because there was going to be limited time for me to be able to understand the differences among many teams, I just felt like this homework assignment was a really good opportunity for me to be able to find out how the teams think.
09:02Hi Rokey. Jack Harris with the Los Angeles Times. What about the Dodgers pitch resonated most with you, and how important was having guys like Shohei Otani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on this team already when it came to making your decision?
09:33I think the number one thing that stood out was the stability of the front office.
09:46Darren Haynes, KCOW Sports Central. Can you tell me about maybe the reaction when you decided you were going to join the Dodgers for maybe a conversation with Yamamoto and Shohei Otani? Just the conversations you guys had when you knew you were coming here.
10:16I communicated to them through text message, letting them know that I'm joining the Dodgers, and in some shape or form they said,
10:46Welcome to the Dodgers.
10:50Hey Rokey. Gerard Moncure, Fox 11. Welcome to LA. What do you think is going to be your biggest challenge, from pitching in Japan to coming over to the major leagues?
11:16I know this year I'm going to have a lot of new experiences, and since I signed a minor league contract, my goal is first and foremost to beat the competition.
11:46And make sure that I do get a major league contract.
11:51Hey Rokey, Bill Plunkett, Southern California Newspaper Group. How much of an influence did Otani and Yamamoto have on your decision?
12:16I don't know how much influence they have on my decision, but Otani and Yamamoto are great fighters, and there are a lot of great fighters out there, so I'm looking forward to playing with them.
12:47It wasn't a priority for me if there was or was not a Japanese player on a team, as I was looking at all the teams, and being able to play with Otani and Yamamoto, both exceptional players, I'm really looking forward to playing with them, and not just them, but the rest of the team, which is incredibly talented as well.
13:10So I hope, and I'm going to work towards making sure that I can stand side by side with them.
13:20JP Hornstrom, Newsweek. Rokey, when Shohei Otani got number 17, it cost him a Porsche. What did number 11 cost you?
13:39I'm really grateful that a veteran like Miguel Rojas has let me be a part of his team.
14:10And I haven't decided yet on what I'm going to give, but I'm going to start thinking about that.
14:26Beth Harris, AP. Rokey, we all know about Otani's dog. Tell me about the dog on your socks, and is it your dog in its name and breed?
14:39It's a black toy poodle, and we share the same birthday.
15:09Mikey Hirano, RAFU SHINPO. Los Angeles has a huge Japanese and Nikkei community. I'm wondering if that was part of your deciding factor to join LA?
15:25I'm wondering if that was part of your deciding factor to join LA?
15:33I don't know if it was part of my deciding factor to join LA, but I don't know if it was part of my decision to be a part of LA.
15:47As I said before, it wasn't a priority if there were Japanese players on the team,
16:13but I did want to check to make sure that a Japanese player would be embraced in the team and the city.
16:44Did you decide to join the team because you've been watching the team for 6 or 7 years?
16:52Excuse me?
16:55You said you've been watching the team since you were in high school. What did you think of the team?
17:14I thought it was a good team.
17:35Congratulations on joining the team.
17:38Why did you choose the number 11?
17:51I've been using the number 11 since I was a student. It's a special number for me.
18:03I'm grateful that I was able to use it.
18:13I'm going to be a minor player in the Major League, so I'm going to do my best to play in the Major.
18:26What do you think is lacking in the Major League?
18:48I don't think there's anything lacking in the Major League.
18:58I think there are more fights than in Japan, so I have to do my best.
19:10Congratulations on your right elbow injury.
19:25How big of a deal was it?
19:32I was told to wait another two years, but I don't know if I'll be able to do that.
19:52I decided that the time I spent in the Major League was more valuable to me than the time I spent in the Major League.
20:04Do you have any concerns about the number of injured fighters in the Major League?
20:23I've been injured a few times in Japan, and I don't think it has anything to do with the team.
20:51There are a lot of things I can improve as a member of the team.
21:01Of course I'm worried, but I have no choice but to do my best.
21:11Do you have any memorable moments from the last meeting?
21:39I kept telling Betts to come to Arizona to eat ice cream.
22:01What do you want the fans to see from you?
22:29I want the fans to see that I have a lot of straight and hook balls.
22:44I want the fans to see that I have a lot of straight and hook balls.
23:10What is your next goal?
23:24My next goal is to win the Major League, and then fight in the Major League.
23:53Thank you, Roki Sasaki.