At age 40, Takeshi Yamasaki is enjoying the career-defining phase of his life as a ballplayer.
Though the team suffered a painful walk-off loss to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Wednesday's Game 1 of the Pacific League Climax Series second stage, as far as the veteran slugger is concerned, he is nearly red hot.
Yamasaki was 4-for-12 with two home runs and seven RBIs in three games in this postseason entering Thursday's Game 2.