Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 469 - 86: The Grand Talent-Snatching Show

The game has now reached the bottom of the ninth inning.

The scoreboard towering above the outfield remains unchanged—the score was turned to 1-0 by the SoftBank Team in the top of the second inning, and since then, it's as if the scoreboard has frozen in time, with subsequent inning scores continually being logged, creating an illusion of time being frozen.

On the far right of the scoreboard, next to the strike count display, two red lights have quietly lit up; in the batter's box, the last batter of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles is ready to strike.

The familiar figure still standing on the pitcher's mound is Lin Guanglai, slightly hunched over, continuously patting anti-skid powder onto his right hand, trying to keep his hand dry; after finishing, he continuously rubs the baseball thrown by Hosokawa Kei in his palm as if performing a mysterious ritual.

All sounds have vanished from the stands around Miyagi Stadium; in the broadcast booth isolated by thick glass, Takeshita Yohei, who is responsible for commentating this game, seems influenced by the strange atmosphere on-site, suppresses his excitement, and softly says: 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"So far, Lin Guanglai has eliminated 26 Rakuten Team batters—just one more out, and he can achieve a complete-game shutout victory on the rookie year climax stage..."

"Most importantly, across the nine innings, eliminating 26 batters, Lin Guanglai's pitch count so far is... 92 pitches."

"This number means that if he can get the last out within 8 pitches, he can achieve a 'Maddox Game'—an extraordinary achievement for any starting pitcher; a scene no baseball lover can refuse."

"Lin Guanglai's rookie season has created countless history... Let's see if he can add another dramatic chapter to this epic season..."

With a "beep", Itabashi Kenji pressed the remote control, turning off the large television screen in front of him; then, he sat at the forefront seat of the conference room, looking at the big group of subordinates beside him, and slowly said:

"The final result of this game, as Mizuno Baseball Department employees, I suppose everyone is well aware—rookie player on the climax stage, facing the Pacific League champion and eventual Japan's Number One winner, 95-pitch Maddox shutout... As long-time employees cultivating baseball affairs, you should know this data concept better than I do."

"So, the question arises: what cost do we need to spend to acquire this kind of player, making him the spokesperson of our new generation players? Everyone, it's time for you to roll up your sleeves..."

Time has reached early November, all mysteries of the 2013 Nippon Professional Baseball season have unfolded:

Despite Lin Guanglai helping SoftBank Team level the series to 2-3 with a Maddox 100-pitch shutout in the fifth game when Tanaka Masahiro returned to peak form in the next game without Lin Guanglai's triple home run, SoftBank ultimately could not complete the miracle comeback and ended the 2013 season with a total score of 2-4.

Shortly after, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles faced Japan's biggest franchise, Yomiuri Giants, in their franchise debut in the Japan Series. After seven fierce battles, Rakuten ultimately won the championship at home, becoming Japan's Number One of 2013; Manabu Mima, who contributed two victories in this series, was named the Most Valuable Player of the Japan Series.

With the offseason arriving, players who have fought hard for a season finally welcome a relatively leisurely short vacation; but for professional baseball club workers and employees like Itabashi Kenji, who belong to highly baseball-related sports brands, their season has just begun.

Who was the most dazzling domestic player of the 2013 season? Besides the unrivaled Tanaka Masahiro with 24 wins and no losses, the remaining people would probably cast their vote for Lin Guanglai.

And in the eyes of these baseball sponsors led by Mizuno, Lin Guanglai's appeal surpasses even Tanaka Masahiro:

Tall stature, handsome appearance, exceptional strength, outstanding personality... Beyond these personal advantages, most importantly, he still hasn't signed with a sponsor!

What does this mean? It means Lin Guanglai is like a sparkling gold mine, waiting for someone to tap into his vast commercial value; any brand that successfully signs him will inevitably experience a significant rise in both wealth and fame.

As Japan's most renowned sports brand, signing up the most professional baseball players, Mizuno still maintains its dominant position in Japan's baseball equipment market in recent years but has also faced continuous challenges from numerous competitors and emerging private brands.

Previously, leveraging Ichiro Suzuki's performances in the Major League as a lifetime spokesperson, Mizuno could rely on A51 series sales and numerous professional players' endorsements to make substantial profits, imperiously overlooking the competition, without needing to lower themselves to compete with other brands.