Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 493 - 97: Rivalries in the Making

On the pitcher’s mound at the Sapporo Dome, Ohtani Shohei is practicing game-like pitches under the guidance of the Ham Team’s pitching coach.

"157 kilometers! 158 kilometers!! 160 kilometers!!!"

Looking at the rising numbers on the speedometer, Atsuo Kazuyuki, the pitching coach of the Japan Ham Team, appeared more and more satisfied. He then glanced at Ohtani Shohei, who was showing slight signs of fatigue beside him, and said, "Shohei, let’s end today’s practice here for now. You’re in good form today, keep it up!"

The praise from the coach didn’t change Ohtani Shohei’s mood; he simply wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead with the back of his hand and shook his head as he replied, "Coach, let me throw a few more. I feel like I’m still far from my best state..."

"No way!" Atsuo Kazuyuki’s answer was firm, leaving no room for negotiation, "We have a game against the SoftBank Team tonight, and you’re our starting pitcher. Over-exertion during practice will only affect your performance in the game."

Seeing the coach’s firm attitude, Ohtani Shohei had to temporarily suppress his desire to continue practicing—though from his expression, he clearly felt somewhat unsatisfied inside.

"Shohei, I know what you’re thinking..." Seeing the slight displeasure on the face of his superstar rookie, Atsuo Kazuyuki softened his tone a bit, "But you should understand the principle that too much is as bad as too little."

"You’re only 19 now, and your competition with Lin and Fujinami is not limited to just a year or two, but will take place over several decades, even as long as twenty years. The current highs and lows can’t determine your future trajectory."

"Do you remember the training plan that Coach Kuriyama showed you before you joined the team? Trust me, if you follow the rhythm outlined there, by the time you’re over 25, you’ll absolutely be able to surpass those two—your talent and your insight are like nothing I’ve ever seen, so trust yourself, Shohei!"

Hearing such earnest words from his coach, Ohtani Shohei found it hard to persist further; he tossed the baseball back to the substitute catcher training with him nearby and slowly walked off the mound toward the rest area on the sidelines.

Thanks to the outstanding performances displayed by players like Lin Guanglai and Fujinami Jintaro in high school and professional baseball, players born around 1994 have been dubbed the "Golden Generation" by the Japanese media; and as one of the best among them, some have even emulated the previous so-called "Matsuzaka Generation" by referring to them as the "Lin·Fujinami Generation."

The 2013 season has already passed, where Fujinami Jintaro played 24 games, had a record of 10 wins and 6 losses, and an ERA of 2.45, becoming the nominal third starter for the prestigious Hanshin Tigers and receiving the "Special Rookie Award" at the end of the season. He is seen by Hanshin fans as the future ace and the most watched young pitcher in the Central League;

As for Lin Guanglai’s performance, it was even more remarkable; he excelled both in pitching and hitting and seized the opportunity in his rookie season to become the ace recognized throughout the team and among fans. His stats already surpassed those of numerous star players, leaving many veteran stars in the professional league embarrassed—not for Tanaka standing in the way, Lin Guanglai would have likely achieved an undisputed grand slam of personal honors in his debut season.

In comparison, Ohtani Shohei’s rookie season was somewhat bitter:

As a batter, he had 204 plate appearances, 45 hits, 3 home runs, and a batting average of a mere .238, although affected by the small sample size, the data as a hitter was still not satisfactory;

As a pitcher, he had 13 appearances and a record of 3 wins and 0 losses, which might look decent, but his ERA of 4.23 and WHIP of 1.46 indicated his lack of control and average strikeout ability, which rendered him less dominant in professional games. The outcome of games depended more on his teammates’ offensive support and the bullpen’s maintenance than on himself.

And when comparing team performances to the other two, it was even more dismal:

The Hanshin Tigers, where Fujinami played, finished second in the Central League and were eliminated in the first round of the climax series; the SoftBank Hawks, with Lin Guanglai, finished second in the Pacific League and lost in the decisive round of the climax series to the ultimate champion—what about Ohtani Shohei?

Before he joined, the Ham Team was the Pacific League champion and the Japan Series runner-up; after he came, they ended up at the bottom of the league—though this had little to do with the newcomer, Ohtani Shohei still blamed himself for part of it as a highly competitive person.

During his high school years, Ohtani Shohei’s supporters could still find excuses for him, believing that the background of Hanamaki East couldn’t offer him better guidance and a higher platform compared to Osaka Tsubaki or Waseda Jitsugyo; but after entering professional baseball, even this last fig leaf was mercilessly stripped away.

Especially since he was wearing the legendary number 11 jersey of the Ham Team, it meant he was constantly compared to the previous owner of this shirt by the media, which was both pressure and motivation, and also meant he needed to bear the corresponding responsibility. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Though Coach Kuriyama and the team’s other coaches kept reassuring him, saying such comforting words as "everyone blooms at different times" and "don’t fret over the present" and "Lin/Fujinami are finished products while you’re an unpolished gem," he understood them, but seeing the other two already far ahead of him, he couldn’t avoid the feeling of disparity in his heart.