Former Baseball Star Replies to Fans Worried About His Thin Look
Listen to the story
Daisuke Motoki, a former professional baseball player for the Yomiuri Giants, has become a topic online after a baseball event for children.
Photos from the event showed Motoki wearing his old Giants uniform. He shared these photos on social media.
Many fans quickly wrote comments under the photos. Several people said he looked "too thin" and worried about his health.
Some comments also said the uniform looked too big and loose on him now, calling it "baggy."
A few fans even wrote that they almost did not recognize him because of how thin he looked.
Motoki did not ignore the worried comments. Instead, he wrote his own reply directly on social media.
According to reports, his response was clever and funny, and many fans praised it as an excellent answer.
The story has been widely shared, with people complimenting both his honesty and his sense of humor.
Motoki remains well known in Japan for his career with the Giants, and fans continue to follow his life after baseball.
Vocabulary10 words
- former
- someone who had a job before, but not now
- uniform
- special clothes worn by a team
- social media
- online apps where people share posts and pictures
- comment
- a short written reaction to a post
- baggy
- clothes that are too loose or big
- recognize
- to know who someone is by looking
- respond
- to answer or reply
- praise
- to say good things about someone
- honesty
- telling the truth
- humor
- something that makes people laugh
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Quiz
Answer key
1. A baseball class for children 2. Too baggy 3. They praised it
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Daisuke Motoki, a _____ professional baseball player for the Yomiuri Giants, has become a topic online after a baseball event for children.
Photos from the event showed Motoki wearing his old Giants _____. He shared these photos on _____.
Many fans quickly wrote _____ under the photos. Several people said he looked "too thin" and worried about his health.
Some comments also said the uniform looked too big and loose on him now, calling it "_____."
A few fans even wrote that they almost did not _____ him because of how thin he looked.
Motoki did not ignore the worried comments. Instead, he wrote his own reply directly on social media.
According to reports, his response was clever and funny, and many fans _____ it as an excellent answer.
The story has been widely shared, with people complimenting both his _____ and his sense of _____.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think fans were worried about Motoki's appearance?
- Do you think celebrities should respond to comments about their looks? Why or why not?
- Have you ever worried about someone's health based on a photo?
- What makes a good online response to criticism, in your opinion?
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