Chapter 193
The excitement of the WBC still hasn't worn off, but recently interest in sports other than baseball, such as soccer and rugby, has increased, so I once again realized how interesting baseball is. I happened to see the final match of the 1st WBC tournament in 2006 at a sports bar in LA, where I was visiting on a business trip. Top class players such as Ichiro (Mariners) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (Seibu) participated as representatives of Japan, because the top class major leaguers did not participate and the excitement was lacking and they were eliminated early. I was the only one watching the broadcast. However, this time, the United States came to win seriously, so it was a lot of fun. In particular, I couldn't take my eyes off every move of the genius Shohei Ohtani (Angels). Two-sword style, which is common sense, is a style that is considered impossible for a professional because it is not possible to maintain physical strength and break down. was too amazing. Also, in the 9th inning of the final game, he went up to the mound and struck out the last batter, the strongest hitter in Major League Baseball, Trout (Angels). Even with match-fixing, such a scenario is impossible. It is not an exaggeration to say that seeing such a scene is once in a lifetime. It was the moment when I truly felt glad to be Japanese. The reason why it was interesting, not just Otani, was its unconventional baseball style. In other words, it was not the honor student play that baseball should be like, but the clash of talents that was interesting. In high school baseball, if there is a runner on first base, there is a standard style of bunting, but manager Hideki Kuriyama has a strong sense of trusting the players and leaving them to him. This was possible because the athletes themselves made judgments based on experience and understood what they should do. Moreover, players with various personalities demonstrated their strong individuality and made a lively performance. Kensuke Kondo (SoftBank Hawks)'s skillful bat control, Masanao Yoshida (Red Sox)'s dynamic home run, and good pitching by the starting pitchers, middlemen, and closing pitchers are unavoidable. It was full of elements that could win. The chemical reaction caused by the high-level players worked in a positive direction due to the precise command of Kuriyama. I myself had fewer opportunities to watch baseball, but I felt like watching it again. Perhaps, the reality that the popularity of baseball as a whole is on the decline, not only by other sports, but also by smartphones and other forms of entertainment, has led to a sense of crisis that something must be done. Otherwise, Ohtani's dual wielding would never have materialized. Kuriyama, who made it a success, is an entrepreneur in terms of business sense, and Japanese managers in particular should learn from him. Didn't we tell you that we couldn't do it before we did it? In Japan, where the declining birthrate and aging population are progressing, it is impossible because there are few young workers, it is impossible because the government is reluctant to support, and it is impossible because the employees are unmotivated. By the way, on the stage of WBC, the young players of Japan, whose birth rate is declining, showed the top of the world. I myself have greatly regretted it, and have renewed my resolve to do what I should do.
Beautiful night view of Tokyo
April 6, 2023
What WBC Samurai Japan taught me
