The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters' trip to Arizona for spring camp may have been for work, but it was also an exciting venture for many members of the team. Nippon Ham hadn't held camp abroad in 29 years, so it was a first for this generation of Fighters.
For Shota Ono, it was an inspiring time, and an experience he won't soon forget.
"I enjoyed it," he told The Japan Times. "I wanted to go there and wanted to play baseball there."