From the recent tub within the Dodger Stadium clubhouse, Yoshinobu Yamamoto noticed his interpreter on his technique to take a bathe.
Yamamoto known as out to him.
“What are those colors?” Yamamoto requested him.
Yoshihiro Sonoda, 48, wore solely a pair of boxers that depicted a rabbit with rainbow-colored lasers capturing out of its eyes.
Sonoda defined bashfully, “These are my shobu pantsu.”
For greater than a 12 months, Sonoda had worn shobu pantsu — or recreation underwear — for every one among Yamamoto’s begins.
Sonoda chuckled as he recalled the incident. A number of weeks have handed since then, and the superstitious interpreter nonetheless wears his fortunate boxers on days Yamamoto pitches.
When Yamamoto takes the mound for the Dodgers in opposition to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday in Sport 2 of the World Sequence, beneath Sonoda’s team-issued sweatpants would be the rabbit and rainbow-colored lasers.
The child is slightly completely different.
Sonoda recalled pondering that final 12 months on the primary day of spring coaching. On a grass area close to the gamers’ parking zone, he watched Yamamoto throw javelins as a part of his exercise routine.
When the Japanese right-hander was completed, Sonoda began gathering the projectiles.
Yamamoto stopped him.
“Please, you’re my interpreter,” he mentioned. “You’re not my servant.”
Yamamoto picked up his javelins and carried them again to the clubhouse.
Within the months that adopted, Sonoda observed how Yamamoto handled others. He wasn’t form solely to different gamers. He was additionally conscientious of the group’s rank-and-file workers.
“He pretends he’s not watching, but he’s watching,” Sonoda mentioned. “He seems like he’s not listening, but he’s listening.”
Each day the Dodgers are on the highway, Yamamoto has Starbucks espresso delivered to the staff lodge. He all the time orders one thing for Sonoda.
“I think Yamamoto is quite the gentleman, quite the high character,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “He treats everyone from Hiro to myself to all the support staff with the highest of respect.”
Two days into the job as Yamamoto’s interpreter, Sonoda wished to resign.
A former collegiate judo standout in Japan, Sonoda spent the earlier 20 years working within the leisure business as a lighting engineer, his credit together with “Men in Black,” “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “Succession” and “Nurse Jackie.”
He had no earlier expertise as an interpreter and was certainly not a baseball knowledgeable. He was aside from his spouse, who remained in her native Texas.
“I don’t want to quit, but I can’t do this,” Sonoda advised touring secretary Scott Akasaki.
Akasaki, who was as soon as an interpreter for Hideo Nomo, requested Sonoda to rethink.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, left, speaks to reporters along with his interpreter, Yoshihiro Sonoda, in a press convention earlier than Sport 1 of the 2024 NLDS in opposition to the San Diego Padres.
(Ashley Landis / Related Press)
“You can learn about baseball if you study it,” Sonoda recalled being advised by Akasaki. “But Yoshinobu chose you for a reason, and that’s something no other person has.”
Sonoda by no means shared his insecurities with Yamamoto, as a substitute throwing himself head first into his work. He was taught how you can interpret ball-tracking knowledge by assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness and efficiency science supervisor Tyler Duncan. He consulted with veteran interpreters, together with Shingo Horie of the San Diego Padres and Hiro Fujiwara of the New York Mets.
Final 12 months at World Sequence media day, Yamamoto was requested about Sonoda.
“We were both rookies this year,” Yamamoto mentioned. “Sonoda-san especially, he came from a different industry and I would think he endured a lot of hardship. But he didn’t let on about that being the case.”
Standing by Yamamoto’s aspect, Sonoda fought again tears.
Sonoda has a small pocket book during which he tracks each pitch thrown by Yamamoto. In an evening recreation in Baltimore final month, Sonoda took notes as typical, jotting down pitches varieties and their places.
Yamamoto carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning.
When there have been two outs, Sonoda had Shohei Ohtani on one aspect of him and coach Yosuke Nakajima on the opposite.
Sonoda stopped taking notes.
“I thought I should prepare to celebrate,” he mentioned.
Jackson Holliday homered, and the no-hitter was gone.
Sonoda blamed himself.
“If only I had taken notes on that at-bat …” he mentioned.
Sonoda was a considerably higher interpreter this season than he was final season. On his commutes to Dodger Stadium, he listens to audio of Horie deciphering for Yu Darvish or Fujiwara for Kodai Senga.
Yamamoto observed.
“His efforts in the shadows have been to where I can feel them,” Yamamoto mentioned. “He’s a very pure and straightforward person. I think he’s really wonderful.”
Final 12 months, Sonoda acquired a set of national-park-themed underwear from his spouse, who knew of his affinity for the outside. The Yellowstone Park pair featured a roaring bear, which reminded Sonoda of Yamamoto screaming on the mound. Sonoda began carrying the boxers on days Yamamoto pitched, switching to a distinct pair for the following begin if he misplaced or didn’t pitch nicely.
A brand new season known as for a brand new set of underwear, however a stretch of insufficient run help prompted Sonoda to unretire a pair he wore on the Dodgers’ World Sequence run final 12 months, those with the rainbow-emitting rabbit.
“I’m very superstitious,” Sonoda mentioned.
Sonoda can be grateful.
“I think there are 14 or 15 Japanese interpreters in the majors leagues,” he mentioned. “I feel like I’m the most blessed.”
Blessed as a result of Akasaki talked him out of resigning. Blessed due to the baseball training he acquired from McGuiness and Duncan. Blessed as a result of he has mentors corresponding to Horie and Fujiwara. And above all, blessed as a result of he was paired with a participant whom he considers nearly as good an individual as he’s a pitcher, the type of high-character particular person for whom he would put on radiant underwear within the off likelihood it may enhance his fortune.
