August 27th, clear weather.
2:30 PM.
The semifinal of the U18 World Baseball Exchange Tournament, with Japan facing Cuba, was in full swing.
When it came time for the coin toss, Japan won.
The umpire asked Sawamura whether they would like to bat first or second.
Sawamura confidently replied, "We'll bat first!"
Earlier, Coach Takeda had already made detailed preparations regarding this issue.
He believed that Cuba's newly introduced pitcher, a player named Katro, was not a very stable player.
Moreover, he hadn't had many opportunities to pitch in previous games.
Even if you looked through Cuban news reports, there was very little information available about this player.
From this, one could easily deduce that the player lacked much game experience.
This was a fatal flaw.
"The opponent's game experience is likely limited. If we can showcase our strengths from the start, the chances of scoring in the first inning are high."
Coach Takeda was full of enthusiasm; at this moment, he resembled an ancient tactician strategizing from behind the scenes.
Japan's players largely agreed with his assessment.
They had watched the game footage of Cuba's match with South Korea. Although Cuba displayed extraordinary strength, the Japanese players still felt confident they would win.
As for South Korea, despite their high world ranking, the Japanese players felt like it was a shame not to fight this team.
They were full of interesting talents!
But overall, South Korea was disappointing, and Cuba, which had beaten them, wasn't as powerful.
After all, the score had been 5-2.
The situation for Japan was very different!
They had many top-tier pitchers, and they could control runs.
As long as their opponent wasn't the type that couldn't be broken, scoring was also assured.
From a strength perspective, Japan had no problem winning this match.
Both Coach Takeda and the players were full of confidence about this.
However, considering that the final would be against America, that was the one match Coach Takeda wasn't fully confident about.
As for Taiwan, although they were also very strong, Coach Takeda didn't think they could defeat America's current team.
Taiwan's strongest team was probably the 15-year-old age group.
Their 18-year-olds had never been particularly outstanding.
On the other hand, America had a completely different situation.
In the 21 and 18-year-old age groups, outstanding players were emerging in large numbers, like a spring burst.
In fact, before the American "Dream Team" featuring Allen, their team was already quite strong.
The reason they hadn't won every championship was largely due to their style.
They saw international competitions as a stage for personal achievement.
When they were younger, they had no choice, but as they grew older, they had more options.
Many top players rejected calls to the national team for personal reasons.
This is something almost unimaginable in East Asia, where national culture dominates.
In America, in the Western world, this was quite common.
Take soccer players, for example.
Many of them might even refuse invitations to the Olympics or the World Cup due to club interests.
But this year's American team was clearly not in such a situation.
Because of Sawamura, many American players were now eagerly trying to join the national team.
The strength of this American team had reached an unprecedented level.
Given Taiwan's current strength, it would be very difficult for them to compete with America.
Thus, America was seen by Coach Takeda as the biggest threat.
It was the hurdle they must overcome.
Considering the upcoming final, today's semifinal should be finished as quickly as possible.
"I hope we can score in the first inning!"
Coach Takeda gave this task to his players.
They aimed to win the semifinal in one go and maintain control heading into the final.
Coach Takeda gave the players this task with this goal in mind.
Sawamura and his teammates naturally agreed to it.
The starting players, apart from Mima Soichiro, were all from Tokyo.
Although they represented Japan, they could easily be seen as representing Tokyo.
Not only were the players quite different from the previous game, but there were also significant adjustments to the lineup.
The arrangement of the batting order was notably different.
Upon receiving the starting lineup, the Cuban coach was completely confused.
It was completely different from the information he had received.
1st batter: Outfielder, Kamiya Carlos Toshiki
2nd batter: Pitcher, Sawamura Eijun
3rd batter: Outfielder, Mima Soichiro
4th batter: Catcher, Miyuki Kazuya
5th batter: Third baseman, Todoroki Raichi
...
The players were certainly no problem, all top-tier players from Japan.
But what about this lineup arrangement?
Sawamura had once competed with Allen.
Many people remembered Sawamura and knew he was not only Japan's best pitcher but also the player with the highest batting success rate and most home runs.
Perhaps Sawamura wasn't yet dominant in hitting like he was on the mound, but in terms of data, he was unquestionably Japan's best hitter.
A player like him should logically be in the 3rd or 4th spot to maximize his importance.
So why was he placed in the 2nd spot?
This puzzled the Cuban Coach.
Earlier, based on his investigations, he felt that the 5th batter, Todoroki Raichi, should be the more formidable hitter.
In comparison to Sawamura, he thought Raichi was just as strong.
Yet, Raichi was placed 5th instead of 3rd or 4th.
The Cuban coach truly couldn't understand the reasoning behind Japan's decision.
Had they lost their minds?
Even the experienced Owada Akiko, who had been following baseball for two years, was equally confused.
Even with her knowledge, she couldn't figure out what was going on.
Luckily, she had a mentor to ask.
But before she had the chance, someone nearby couldn't help but speak up.
"Only Coach Takeda could come up with such a strategy. Truly experienced."
Fujio sighed, which confused Akiko even more.
She had thought she might have a clue about the lineup, but now felt completely lost.
She just couldn't see the hidden meaning behind Coach Takeda's lineup.
Seeing her confused expression, Fujio smiled wryly.
Though she had progressed quickly, she still had a long way to go in understanding the true essence of baseball.
"Baseball isn't just a contest of physical strength and technique; it's also a battle of intellect."
Fujio pointed at his head while explaining.
"In soccer and basketball, tactics certainly play a role, but their impact on the outcome isn't as significant as many think. Tactics only matter when two teams are on equal footing. In direct physical contact sports with continuous movement, the brain only contributes about 10%-20%. That doesn't mean the brain isn't important; sometimes, it's these 10%-20% that separate genius from mediocrity. But generally, physical ability and skill make up most of the difference. A group of elementary school students, no matter how well-trained, will be at a huge disadvantage against adults. Baseball is different. Though it also involves significant physical conflict and skill, those make up only about 50% of the equation. The other 50% is a battle of intellect."
"Adults might dominate kids in soccer or basketball, but in baseball, well-trained middle school students can defeat average adult uncles. The same cannot be said for soccer or basketball."
Fujio spoke passionately.
Akiko listened carefully, though she still didn't fully understand what Fujio was trying to say.
"That's tactics. Coach Takeda is using a fast-attack lineup! His goal is to score quickly and ensure victory."
"Why the rush?"
Akiko asked, still confused.
Fujio shook his head.
"You don't get it, do you? It's for the final!"
Unlike Cuba, Coach Takeda was already thinking about the final.
This was no surprise.
Fujio glanced at Japan's lineup, feeling dizzy.
From the 1st to the 9th batter, they were all star players, and 6 of them were top-tier stars.
This was a lineup that could only be described as Super.
Against any opponent, this lineup was bound to win.
Not just Fujio, but everyone watching, including the fans, felt the same way.
During Koshien, people never dreamed of forming such a super team.
Though such lineups had appeared before, putting them together wasn't easy.
There were many issues involved, even for national teams.
The fact that Coach Takeda managed to make this dream team a reality left many in awe.
For the players, the team had both advantages and disadvantages.
But for the fans, it was nothing but a joy to see.
At this moment, everyone was in awe of Japan's team.
The game began.
When Japan was at bat, their cheering squad had already started with drums and music.
The cheerleaders were performing crazily.
Some even started singing.
Soon, many joined in singing.
Japan's offense was full of energy.
Cuba's players were bewildered by this scene.
They couldn't understand what Japan was trying to do.
Could chanting slogans win the game?
They scoffed at it, dismissing Japan's theatrics as meaningless.
However, the reality was different.
Carlos, the outfielder from Japan, watched the pitcher intently, looking for an opportunity.
The Cuban pitcher, Katro, was strong.
At least from previous observations, he appeared very strong.
Carlos was prepared for this.
He raised his bat high, swaying slightly, his body adopting a stance like a leopard preparing to pounce.
At that moment, the baseball flew toward him, almost like a knife being thrown.
Carlos, as if prepared, swung his bat with speed.
The bat made contact with the ball.
"Great hit!"
"Keep going, hit that ball out!"
...