St. Louis Cardinals outfielder So Taguchi left Japan for the United States on Saturday determined to establish himself as a regular in the Cards' lineup and become a world champion.
"As far as the team is concerned our target will be to win the World Series. For me personally I want to establish myself as a regular in the team," Taguchi told reporters before leaving Osaka.
Taguchi had his best season in the major leagues last year. He had a .288 batting average with eight home runs and 53 RBIs in 143 games and looks set to become the Cards' first-choice left fielder.
Taguchi was stunned by the death last December of Akira Ogi, his former manager at Pacific League club Orix BlueWave (now Orix Buffaloes), but said he would draw on the strength given to him by his mentor to try and achieve his goals.
"I believe the manager (Ogi) will be watching over me. I want to borrow strength from him and do my very best," he said.