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The story
The press conference held by Kaito Kozono after being released by the Hiroshima Carp has become a hot topic. On top of his sudden fall from grace after a strong season the year before, his flat, unemotional demeanor during the Q&A was read by many as “listless” or “sulking,” leaving fans puzzled. Reports also noted that at the conference he denied involvement with so-called “zombie cigarettes” (slang for illegal e-cigarettes laced with synthetic compounds) and with anti-social forces (a common Japanese term for organized crime groups). On the forum thread, opinion split not only over whether his attitude really was “listless,” but also over whether a release notice like this should be understood as an outright “firing” or merely the “dissolution of a contractual trust relationship.”
Video of the press conference
Hiroshima’s Kozono Stuns Fans With “Listless Attitude” at Press Conference — “Don’t Sulk,” “Has He Given Up?”… Manager Arai’s Painful Remark Deepens the Rift
Kaito Kozono of the Hiroshima Carp, who was handed a release notice, is making headlines not just for his sudden one-year collapse but also for the poor “attitude” he showed during the Q&A.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
According to him
he has zero involvement with "zombie cigarettes" or anti-social forces, apparently lol
Baseball really does feel like a dying genre these days
I just wanna quiiiiit——!!
People dumb enough to watch baseball come in levels of stupid beyond imagination
they'll believe even a guy like this is innocent…
That's because he's the one holding the press conference
Stuff like this—do other teams and players do it too?
and yet some people are branding him a villain purely on vibes
that's just insane
they probably believe in trial by boiling water (kugatachi, an ancient Japanese ordeal) and witch trials too
soccer just covers everything up, and when caught goes "Didn't disclose it? That's our call, isn't it?"
a shamelessly rotten attitude you wouldn't expect from a public-interest incorporated foundation
That's just because baseball players keep causing incidents serious enough to need a press conference in the first place
there are plenty of baseball incidents that never got a press conference either
even if Japanese clubs pass on him for compliance reasons
the majors would come calling
No way MLB comes calling for someone at Kozono's level, you're way overrating him
It's just that he lost the team's trust, that's all
Right now it's just that he lost the team's trust, and he's still holding a press conference over it
but that doesn't mean nobody can make sense of the release notice
The Carp probably have evidence and already talked it over with the player
otherwise he'd normally be suing for wrongful dismissal
Of course the contract's been terminated, so what's your point?
There's no one left who can force him to, but holding the press conference is his own choice, and it's just part of baseball culture
Lying is a dealbreaker though
Nanako Fujita got fired for that too
Actually counter it properly
what are you even saying?
https://i0.wp.com/geitopi.com/wp-content/uploads/2026071706-1.jpg
I'm just saying he held a proper press conference, I never said anything like that
whether he actually did anything illegal, I have no idea
I don't get what you're trying to say
just spit it out
If anything, Yamamuro's the one being listless about it
If he was lying, then it's entirely possible
Nanako Fujita got fired over exactly that, didn't she?
The reason for the firing was "because she lied"
it's not some vague "trust relationship" thing, right?
If she lied, trust obviously gets lost
I'm saying it's the same as Nanako Fujita, don't you get it?
Fujita wasn't doing anything illegal either
that's just what happens when you lie
Correction
the reason for the firing wasn't "because she lied"
it's "she had used zombie cigarettes or had ties to anti-social forces, and lied about that specific point"
that's the accurate version
Background and Key Points of This Story
A “release notice” is the procedure Japanese pro baseball (NPB) clubs use each autumn to announce they will not renew a player’s contract, and it’s not unusual for this to apply even to a player like Kozono who was performing well just the year before. The “zombie cigarettes” mentioned at the press conference is slang for highly illegal e-cigarette products laced with synthetic compounds, an issue that has been reported on in pro baseball circles in recent years as an illicit-vaping problem. Opinion on the thread split mainly over two points. First, whether his attitude at the press conference was really “listless” at all (some pushed back, arguing he was simply calm and matter-of-fact). Second, whether a release notice can be framed the same way as an ordinary “firing,” with the debate dragging on due to differing views on the nature of the contractual relationship between a club and a player. It’s also worth noting that he has denied any involvement in the allegations, and the facts of the matter have not been established at this point.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Baseball] Hiroshima’s Kozono Leaves Fans Baffled With Listless Press-Conference Attitude — “Don’t Sulk,” “Has He Given Up?”… Manager Arai’s Painful Remark Deepens the Rift.”
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