【ABEMA】 Itoi Yoshio reveals the inside story of the legendary superhuman! The truth behind the surprise trade, transfer to Hanshin, and retirement decision / “Shikujiri Sensei” shocks and laughs with “the most blunders ever” in the studio
ABEMA Press Release: September 9, 2025 Itoi Yoshio reveals the inside story of the superhuman legend! The truth behind the surprise trade, transfer to Hanshin, and retirement decision / “Shikujiri Sensei” shocks the studio with “the most blunders ever” and erupts in laughter The latest episode of the bad example variety show “Shikujiri Sensei: Don’t Be Like Me!!” is now available for free on “ABEMA” after the broadcast on Friday, September 5th. ABEMA, the new TV of the future, aired the latest episode of “Failure Teacher: Don’t Be Like Me!!,” a negative example variety show in which “Failure Teachers” who have made big mistakes in the past share their own experiences and impart life lessons. (Missed broadcast URL: https://abema.tv/video/episode/88-77_s1_p331
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/64643/1894/64643-1894-11a898f15989147efb25f6eefdc5f3f5-2608×1464.jpg ■ Itoi Yoshio reveals the inside story of the superhuman legend! The Truth Behind His Surprise Trade, Transfer to Hanshin, and Retirement Decision The Studio’s Most Blunders Ever Shocks and Laughs On the September 5th (Friday) broadcast, we brought you the second half of former professional baseball player Yoshio Itoi’s class, “Shocking Legends of Superhuman Blunders.” Professional baseball fan Hikaru Ijuin assisted with the class, and in the previous class, Itoi revealed the story behind his surprising transition from pitcher to fielder. This time, he reveals the many hidden mistakes that occurred throughout his baseball career. Originally entering the professional league as a pitcher, Itoi won the monthly MVP award for the minor league just five months after switching to a fielder. In 2007, he recorded his first hit and first stolen base, and the following year, he was in the starting lineup for the opening game, continuing his smooth-sailing career. Itoi also received advice from his
then-teammate, Yu Darvish, who told him, “Muscles don’t lie!” He worked hard at training, and as his physique improved, so did his performance. In his fourth year as a fielder, Itoi-sensei won both the Best Nine and Golden Glove Awards and contributed to the team’s league championship. However, behind the scenes, he confessed to a blunder: “I couldn’t remember the signs at all, so I had to get them by clapping my hands.” Itoi-sensei also revealed that around this time, his eyesight improved from 1.0 to 2.0 after LASIK surgery, but “I can now see the advertisements at the stadium very well.” He shared an unexpected story: when Ichiro, who trained with him, said, “It’s better not to see the ball clearly” and “It’s better to have poor eyesight,” he seriously considered getting reverse LASIK. Then, in 2013, while he was playing as a key player for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, it was suddenly announced that he had been traded to the Orix Buffaloes during the off-season. Itoi recalls feeling a complete panic. “I got a call from the team saying, ‘Put on a suit and come over here,’ so I went,” he said. “Actually, two people were being traded, and the first person was already in the room…” He revealed the truth behind the sudden trade. “I didn’t expect to be told (about the trade) either,” he said. “It was so sudden that my mind went blank.” He recalled his feelings at the time. ■After a surprise trade, he made a great run with Orix, but made a huge blunder in a game against his former team, the Nippon-Ham Fighters. “Is there really a player like that?!” Though bewildered by the sudden trade, Mr. Itoi once again enjoyed a stellar career with Orix, winning the batting title and stolen base title, and becoming captain. However, after hitting a home run in a game against his former team, the Nippon-Ham Fighters, he revealed a shocking blunder: “I yelled ‘Yosh!’ so much that I became oxygen-deprived and had to be replaced.” The studio erupted in excitement, with fans shouting, “Is there really a player like that!?” He also mentioned his battles with Shohei Ohtani during his time with the Nippon-Ham Fighters. When asked, “Which of Ohtani’s pitches was the best?” Mr. Itoi shared his personal impressions, saying, “All of them were amazing,” and “His sweeper (slider) was especially brutal.” Mr. Itoi’s explanation, full of points to point out, had the entire student body bursting into laughter, exclaiming, “That’s a lie!”
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/64643/1894/64643-1894-a51f80e95951329f84f0ebfddb4e86d4-2608×1464.jpg ■ Also find out the secret story about former manager Tomonori Kanemoto, who was the deciding factor in Itoi’s transfer to the Hanshin Tigers. What was the pick-up line that moved him…? After five years with Orix, Itoi became a free agent at the age of 35. He received offers from several teams, but the last one to contact him was former Hanshin Tigers manager Tomonori Kanemoto, he revealed. Although Itoi had already decided which team to accept the offer from, Kanemoto repeatedly invited him to meet him, saying he wanted to talk to him, so he went to meet him. There, he passionately persuaded him, saying, “You’re my first love!” This led him to decide to transfer. “He listed all the bad things about other teams, one by one. Before I knew it, I was only able to nod,” he revealed. After that, Mr. Itoi won the hearts of Hanshin fans with a “smashing grand slam” in the opening game, but behind the scenes, he made a “big blunder” that would change his career…? Toward the end of the lesson, Mr. Itoi reveals his feelings about deciding to retire and the final blunder of his baseball career that awaited him after retirement. The episode is packed with laughs and surprises, so much so that comedian Masayasu Wakabayashi of the comedy duo Audrey was surprised, saying it was “the most blunders ever.” The episode is available to watch for free for seven days after it’s released. Be sure to check it out.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/64643/1894/64643-1894-47217a257fcbe04996abad3ded5f3462-2610×1464.jpg ■ABEMA “Fukujiri Sensei” “Don’t Be Like Me!!” Broadcast Summary Broadcast Date and Time: 1st to 3rd Friday of every month, starting at 9:30 PM 4th Friday, after the terrestrial broadcast ends Program URL: https://abema.tv/video/title/88-77 Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7WWaOF8NL-h_9b-KPiBFRg
