Offered a chance to coach in two games against Samurai Japan from Tuesday in Osaka, former Orix Buffaloes pitcher Alessandro Maestri is returning to the venue where he found his greatest success and, for a time, mastered his demons.
Maestri recently spoke about his stint with Orix and his battle with "the yips," which can leave athletes unable to do something as simple as throwing a baseball.
"Japan is a country I have in my heart," the 38-year-old Italian said via video call. "It's a great opportunity for me, and I'm going back to the stadium where I used to play. It's crazy."