Sitting through the 2020 ikusei (development) draft Monday evening proved a long wait for Junichi Tazawa.
Even three hours after its 5:15 p.m. start, when the Yomiuri Giants declared they had no more players to pick up, his name had not been called.
The 34-year-old had hoped to become the oldest-ever player to be selected in the annual event, but instead failed to eclipse Norio Ichimura, who was 30 years and 5 months old when he was drafted by the Chunichi Dragons in 1982.