Chapter 264: The Shout From Center Field
"Inashiro Industrial!"
"Inashiro Industrial!"
The synchronized chant erupted the moment Yamaoka began rounding the bases.
"Eh? Why did the fielders just let him run like that?
Shouldn't they try throwing the ball or something?"
A girl sitting beside Ichiro asked in confusion as Yamaoka completed his home run trot.
For someone who doesn't understand baseball at all, her confusion was very normal.
Coach couldn't understand her, so the translator girl beside him chuckled and slowly explained everything to her.
Ichiro also repeated the gist of their conversation to Coach.
....
"You can… score without the fielders doing anything?
Like, they don't even try to stop him? That home run…?"
"Yes," the translator nodded.
"And unlike tennis or volleyball, baseball doesn't require a two-point lead to win. It also doesn't alternate offense and defense for fairness in the final point. Baseball is an inning-based game. If the bottom of the ninth is tied, and the batting side scores even one run, the game ends instantly. The defense doesn't even get a chance to fight back. That's why the hit that ends a game is called a 'Sayonara Hit', or if it's a home run, a 'Sayonara Home Run.' Baseball is… honestly a terrifying sport."
The translator explained while laughing awkwardly.
Even though she was foreigner, she still knew the basics of baseball well enough to chat.
....
"That really is terrifying…So the pressure on the last pitcher or batter must be insane?"
"Exactly! And the batting order cannot be chosen.
If a weak hitter happens to come up in the most critical moment, the team might lose even if they had a chance. Basketball allows you to choose who takes the buzzer-beater. Baseball doesn't. Also… innings can theoretically go on forever if the defense can't get three outs. It's a scary, unpredictable sport."
Hearing this, the entertainers who were listening finally understood how intense baseball truly was.
.....
"Baseball is that intense? And isn't the opponent batting last today?"
Ichiro said, sounding like a total beginner.
"Yes," Coach nodded.
"That's why Seido must extend the lead before the final innings. A pitcher's mentality can collapse under ninth-inning pressure. And Seido's pitchers… their mental stability is honestly terrible. Only one freshman has real guts, but he's still just a first-year kid. Ideally, the senior or current ace should finish the game."
Hearing this, Ichiro's face instantly filled with worry for his son.
After all, Sendo had never experienced real adversity growing up. Everything he ever did, he excelled at naturally.
....
"If Seido loses… honestly, it might be a good thing,"
Coach continued.
"It could force that boy to learn baseball seriously.
Long ago, there was a very talented player who only blossomed after a bitter defeat… And that failure forged the foundation for his school's Spring–Summer consecutive championships."
....
"…Really? Is my son actually that talented?"
Ichiro asked.
Coach nearly spat blood.
"He's your son… what do you think…?"
But he explained patiently:
"You saw that inside-the-park home run, didn't you?"
....
"Yeah, but… what about it?"
"Do you know who has the most home runs in the entire Tokyo tournament this summer?"
"…Who? Don't tell me—wait.…It's him, isn't it!?"
Five games before this match, and Sendo already had five home runs, the highest in Tokyo.
Even powerhouse hitters like Harada only had three.
And today's inside-the-park home run doesn't even count as a proper home run.
The entertainers gasped.
The translator froze.
Everyone was stunned.
...
"Then… if he plays baseball seriously, how far can he go?" Sendo asked quietly.
He never forced a future on his child.
But as a father… he had to be prepared.
Coach answered without hesitation:
....
"Major League Hall of Fame."
"Potential to fight for the title of the greatest player in history."
Ichiro blinked.
"The… the what?"
"The Major Leagues. The highest baseball stage in the world. If he grows as I predict… he will enter MLB already worthy of the Hall of Fame. He will become the best player in the league, and hold that throne until the end of his prime."
"Soka… that sounds incredible," Ichiro muttered.
He clearly had no idea what the Hall of Fame was, but the name alone told him it was something extraordinary.
The entertainers silently stared, jaws on the floor.
A future greatest-of-all-time… sitting right in front of them?
....
Back on the field, Miyuki immediately called for a timeout.
"Reset your mindset, Tanba-senpai! Now's the time to be thick-skinned and ambitious!" Sawamura yelled—although nobody understood what he meant.
"Ambitious…?"
Miyauchi looked confused, but weirdly enlightened.
....
"It's okay. It's okay."
Ryousuke lifted 5anba's hat with a gentle smile.
"Yahaha!"
Kuramochi burst into laughter at the shiny reflection off Tanba's head.
"We're still leading by one," Yuuki reminded sternly.
"Just pitch like you always have!"
"One out at a time!"
Isashiki added.
"Mm…" Tanba swallowed hard, nodding.
....
When Miyuki returned to the plate, he turned back once more.
"Calm down. Let them hit it. Sendo—say something too!"
"I don't know what to say! And it's hot—I need to save my stamina!!"
"Don't give me that excuse! You just don't want to shout!"
Sendo looked seriously offended.
This time he really wasn't lying.
....
"Seventh batter! Second baseman, Hirai!"
"Tsubasa-kun!"
Only one person would call him that—Narumiya Mei.
"Keep attacking!"
"Flip the game in one go!"
At this moment, the more Tanba tried to force himself to pitch properly, the less he could do it.
The fact that he had to repeat those words to himself over and over meant only one thing—his mind was already in chaos.
He couldn't throw into the strike zone at all.
He walked the runner.
Even Sendo felt helpless.
Seidou's eight fielding positions—if it were a full-power lineup with Shirasu in right field and Ryosuke uninjured—would practically be the Galactic Battleship.
Even now, though not perfect, thanks to Sendo's coverage the defense was nearly airtight.
But if the pitcher self-destructs, even the strongest defense is useless.
Miyuki called for another pitcher–catcher mound conference.
This type of timeout has no limit—he could call as many as necessary until Tanba calmed down.
The infielders shouted like mad to cheer him up.
Tanba's stiff shoulders and frozen expression could be seen clearly, even through the TV broadcast.
Seidou's supporters were terrified.
Ota was already panicking.
....
"Fwoosh!"
"Pop!"
"Ball four!"
And after the timeout, Tanba threw his second consecutive walk.
Two straight walks.
The situation grew even more dire.
Now it was guaranteed that the lineup would turn over to the top.
Even Coach Kataoka's face was dripping with sweat.
"D-D-Don't worry!!"
Even Isashiki was shaken, struggling to find the right words to cheer Tanba on.
"Don't rush! One out at a time!"
"Let them hit it!"
"Ugah!"
Even Mine beside them thought:
"Before the team collapses completely, it might be better to pull Tanba out…"
At least they would still have a chance to fight.
....
"Ninth batter! Right fielder, Fujikawa-kun!"
Inashiro's No.9 batter was also left-handed.
Miyuki glanced at the bench to check the coach's intentions.
Despite the pressure, Seidou was still leading—and hadn't allowed a run yet.
Kataoka did not want to replace Tanba unless absolutely necessary.
As Nakanashi had said earlier: If the game ultimately had to be closed by Kawakami, it would be too unstable. Kawakami's mentality might collapse under pressure.
Right now, the only pitcher they could truly trust was Tanba.
Sawamura?
Good mentality, good energy—but too risky.
So Kataoka left the situation to Miyuki's judgment.
....
"Hey! What are you doing, Tanba-san!!?"
Sendo let out a long sigh—and shouted.
Though Sendo disliked yelling, that didn't mean his voice was weak.
For a moment, his voice echoed across the entire stadium.
Since only a few people shout during a duel to avoid distracting the players, the field wasn't that loud.
So Sendo's voice cut right through.
"Sendo!"
Tanba jerked his head around.
The stiff expression cracked—color returning to his face.
....
"Senpai, you know this, right?! If you collapse here—
your last summer ends right here and now! Do you understand that or not!? Is this really how your final summer is supposed to end?! No matter how many runs you give up—we will DEFINITELY take them back from those guys!!!"
Sendo was so emotional he even dropped the honorifics.
He straight-up yelled "you" at his senior.
Those words struck their hearts like a hammer.
Every senior on the field felt it.
But no one more than Tanba.
....
"Right…This is our final summer…! How much trouble have I caused the team all this time…? Even now… at the most important moment…I'm dragging everyone down again…Our final summer…was about to end because of me…What the hell am I doing…
Tanba Koichiro!!"
Tanba's eyes twisted—rage and resolve mixing.
"AAAHHHHHH!!!"
He clenched his fists, lifted his head to the sky, and roared from the bottom of his lungs—as if trying to tear the pressure out of his body.
....
Sendo watched and muttered:
"Do I seriously have to spell it out for you!? Figure it out yourself, you idiot!"
He didn't say it aloud.
If he did, Isashiki would've put him in a chokehold again.
But it was true—honest players only explode when you push them hard.
And once they explode, they're terrifying.
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