Tomohiro Anraku, who sexually assaulted and harassed a teammate, has been released from the Rakuten Golden Eagles. And ‘signature star’ Masahiro Tanaka bowed his head.
Rakuten, the Japanese professional baseball organization, recently experienced a very shocking incident.
On April 26, multiple Japanese media outlets reported that several Rakuten players claimed to have been harassed by Anraku, revealing a long list of assaults and sexual assaults committed by Anraku.
Anraku was Rakuten’s first-round pick in the 2014 Rookie Draft.
He didn’t make much of an impact in his rookie year, but he began to blossom in the 2020 season.
After going 1-5 with a 3.48 GAA in 27 games in 2020, Anraku had a “career-high” season the following year, going 3-3 with a 2.08 GAA and 22 saves in 58 games.
The sparkle didn’t stop there. Anraku was also a “must-win” last year, going 6-2 with a 4.38 ERA and 13 saves in 52 games, and 3-2 with a 3.04 ERA in 10 games this year.
Anraku’s biggest problem was not his performance, but his character.
Rakuten was in the midst of negotiations for his 2024 contract after completing the 2023 season when the incident happened.
Several players claimed to have been assaulted by Anraku during the salary negotiations.
According to reports, one player was punched in the head by Anlaku and was unable to train properly, while another junior was sexually harassed in the locker room by making him strip to his underwear.
The abuse didn’t stop there. Anlaku also verbally abused a teammate after she declined an invitation to a meal, and became obsessed with her by persistently contacting her.
In the past, players who have been victimized have not come forward for fear of retaliation and further harm, but this time was different: shortly after the story came to light, Rakuten indefinitely postponed Anraku’s contract negotiations for the 2024 season.
Rakuten then conducted its own investigation, interviewing 137 players and club officials, and found that 10 players had been directly harassed and 40 had witnessed or heard Anraku’s behavior.
Nippon Professional Baseball was required to submit a “suspended player list” on March 30, and Rakuten ultimately did not include Anraku’s name on the list. 호텔카지노
President Masayuki Morii said, “We have decided not to place Anraku on the list of suspended players.
We sincerely apologize,” and Anraku was released from Rakuten and became a free agent as of the first of this month. Given the severity of the incident, it’s highly unlikely that Anraku will ever see the field again.
Rakuten’s “signature pitcher,” Tanaka, who has 197 career U.S.-Japan wins, bowed his head as Anraku was forced to hang up his Rakuten jersey due to harassment.
Tanaka, who has one of the best careers and is one of the most senior players on the team, apologized on his social media on the 1st, saying, “I apologize for causing worry to the fans with this incident,” and that “bullying is unforgivable.
As a senior member of the team, I should have been more concerned about the appearance of the younger players, not just the club,” he said.
“I should have consulted with the younger players and taken the initiative to pay attention to any problems, but I am sorry for my complacency,” Tanaka continued. “
I know that each player and the club have talked about this issue and are listening.
However, as a member of the team, I will do everything I can to help the fans feel more secure and support us as we fight for the pennant race.”
