Dome's diary - Jun. 1st

Dome keeps his diary posted on his website once or twice a month, and here's quick summery of what he wrote on June 1st.

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- 8-game losing streak was too long. I thought we never win to the end of this season... All of us tried to wear cap inside out - it was not just as a lucky charm but we just wanted to do all the thing we can do for a win. Locker room was not in good mood, indeed, and sometimes too much excited, but it was good we could go out of the jam in anyway.

- My homer? Well, it was good one for the team so far, as well as for me. I wanted to play throughout to 9th inning, because I was on starting lineup, but it was a sort of blessed rain as we snapped losing streak.

- Kyosuke Sasaki (Former Dragons hitting coach when Dome joined Dragons, and still active as his personal coach) came into the town the other day. He checked my hitting form, stance and everything generally (see some photos on his diary). My current numbers through May don't make much difference with last year, but I definitely feel much better this year. I asked him to come again in July... if he come early, you can imagine I got some problems ;-). Anyway I would express my appreciation for him.

- I found my name in the recent round of fan voting for All Star Game. This is fantastic and I gained more confident. Thank you so much for all the fans voted for me.

- We are finally going to visit Atlanta, and I am going to face up to my long time teammate Kenshin Kawakami in game 1. This is thrilling! We also have to pay attention to hide our grins when we see each other from plate and mound :-) I don't know when yet but I definitely want him to buy me a dinner sometime there. You know, Kenshin :-)

- Many of Japanese players are struggling with injury this year. I have to take good care to myself.

- It's getting warmer here in Chicago, and I would try harder, upbeat with the temperature.

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Kenshin and Dome had been Dragons teammates for 9 years, and they were true leaders of the team and good friends. Sometime they faced off in spring training in my neighborhood, Chatan Okinawa, but this would be very first time in the regular season. This is fun to watch as a Dragons fan, they continue to wear number #1 and #11,  and the game will be televised live on my satellite channel.