Chapter 41: The Bad Guy Miyuki

"Experience the Japanese baseball!"

The Superintendent from North America was a middle-aged man with a bit of male-pattern baldness. But he appeared very optimistic and friendly.

He didn't seem like a team leader at all; instead, he looked more like a close friend to everyone.

The American team from Los Angeles wasn't made up of all the top players from Los Angeles, but rather some players who came from difficult financial backgrounds and were being sponsored.

They were far more united and friendly than teams made up of top players.

Of course, being sponsored also demonstrated their baseball talent. In a Capitalist society like the US, if there were no benefits, those capitalists wouldn't continue this sponsorship.

As a Superintendent for such a team, sometimes you can't act like a cold-hearted Superintendent who is harsh and unfeeling.

You must provide enough warmth for the team, allowing them to truly enjoy the game and fall in love with baseball. Only then will they have the chance to excel in the future.

The allure of baseball is only second to American football, even surpassing basketball.

In such an environment, the young baseball players from North America, while not all top-tier, are still extremely strong.

Especially these sponsored players, who carry a great deal of pressure.

Once they convert that pressure into motivation, their abilities improve dramatically.

Compared to the players from Tokyo, their living environment was far from ideal, even more brutal and realistic.

Before the game began, both teams saluted each other according to Japanese etiquette.

This left an impression on the American team.

"As expected of the country of etiquette!"

The American Superintendent said with a smile.

After the mutual salute, the game officially began.

As the visiting team, the American team started their offense.

Tokyo's representative team was on defense.

The starting pitcher for the Tokyo team was Yoh Shunshin.

Their lineup was almost identical to the one used in the game against Tokyo University.

The only adjustment was that Yoh Shunshin replaced Umemiya as the starting pitcher for the team.

This change sparked quite a bit of internal controversy.

Superintendent Kunitomo made the change of having Yoh Shunshin replace Umemiya, which wasn't a big issue.

After training together, everyone had a pretty good understanding of each other's abilities.

Although Umemiya had his own unique qualities, his skills were clearly a level below Yoh Shunshin's.

In a high-stakes game, Yoh Shunshin was naturally a better choice to take the mound.

What surprised them, however, was that Superintendent Kunitomo had arranged for Yoh Shunshin to be the starting pitcher.

This was obviously unreasonable.

When planning to use three pitchers in rotation, the most important role is the closer.

Next in importance is the starting pitcher, who can also battle the opponent for supremacy.

The middle reliever's role is relatively weaker.

With top pitchers like Narumiya and Sawamura Eijun on the team, how could they assign such an important role to Yoh Shunshin?

Many didn't understand, but Superintendent Kunitomo insisted.

Before the game, the players gathered to discuss strategies.

Miyuki, playing first base, was regretting that he couldn't shine as a catcher.

But he generously shared his thoughts with Yoh Shunshin and Kengo Inui.

"Their strength is quite formidable. Even though we haven't faced them, just looking at their size, we can tell their hitting power is surely incredible."

"I've heard that the strike zone in America is a bit wider than here! I wonder if that's true?"

Miyuki said to the battery.

Sawamura, who was standing nearby, furrowed his brows and then nodded affirmatively.

"Because of the size difference, the strike zone between the two countries is quite different. It's not just the width of the outer corner; the height is also..."

After Sawamura confirmed it, Miyuki's smile became even brighter.

"When pitching to the outer corner, it's better to aim a bit further outside the strike zone! That way, we can attack the opponent with inside pitches. They'll be surprised—how can an inside pitch be a strike?"

"This is a Japanese field, and the umpires are also locals. The opponent is coming onto our turf, playing by our rules. If we don't take advantage of this, we're wasting our home-field advantage."

Miyuki finished his suggestion in one breath.

Everyone was stunned.

Even Sawamura looked at Miyuki in disbelief, as though he was seeing his partner for the first time.

They couldn't figure out how his brain worked.

Such a terrible idea, yet he managed to come up with it.

Narumiya chuckled with a sly grin, then looked at Miyuki approvingly.

"Only Kazuya can come up with something like this from the beginning."

Miyuki shook his head, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Kengo Inui felt like his brain had been struck by lightning again.

Yoh Shunshin stared blankly at Miyuki in front of him.

He started to understand why his team had lost to Seidou High School before.

It wasn't just because of skill differences.

Compared to this guy, their team was still too naïve.

"Bad guy!"

In the end, he muttered these two words in Chinese.

Although no one could understand Chinese, everyone could tell from Yoh Shunshin's expression that those words were certainly not complimentary.

Paak!

"OUT!"

One Out, no one on base.

On the pitcher's mound, Yoh Shunshin is facing off against Wind Youth Academy's second batter, J. Hyman.

Previously, he had dealt with North America's first batter with a fishing pitch.

"The pitcher is still hard to deal with!"

Hyman looked at Yoh Shunshin on the mound and secretly furrowed his brow.

To be honest, he had never faced someone as tricky as Yoh Shunshin.

It's not that Hyman thought Shunshin's pitching was particularly strong.

It's just that this guy is completely different from their American pitchers.

American pitchers prefer a straightforward approach, so they usually refine their Fastballs to an extreme level. They rely on ball velocity, power, and rpm to overcome the opponent.

If they push themselves even further, they will also improve their accuracy.

With these skills, plus one or two sharp breaking balls, they become the epitome of an American pitcher.

It seems simple, and certainly not as complicated as pitchers from Japan.

But if you think that's enough to underestimate American pitchers, then you're making a big mistake.

You might not even know how you lost.

Simple is best!

The American players have never had contact with the Daoist culture like Japan's Yakyudo. (Dao of Baseball)

But through their practice, they have come to the same realization.

Instead of focusing on those unpredictable breaking balls or tricky tactics, refining just one pitch to the point of being able to crush anything is undoubtedly more effective.

Mastering the basics to their peak, and then adding just one or two types of breaking balls, can elevate a pitcher's power to an unimaginable level.

If they're not satisfied with their abilities and want to improve further, it's simple: just learn one more breaking ball.

With the addition of more breaking balls, their pitching style will naturally change.

Of course, this is a last resort when they have no other options.

Usually, if their pitching system is effective, they will stick to it and keep refining it until it matures.

A single move can dominate the game.

Professional baseball is very different from high school baseball.

In professional baseball, this approach works very well. Some players become famous and make their mark with just a single pitch, like a Slider or Fastball, which they perfect to an extreme.

These are all valid strategies.

But in high school baseball, unless your ball has reached the level of a unique skill, it's hard to survive.

At best, you can be a relief pitcher. But to become the Ace of a team, especially of a prestigious team, is absolutely impossible.

This is the current state of high school baseball in Japan.

American players, on the other hand, are much more practical. From the beginning, they're focused on the path to professional baseball.

The pitchers Hyman had seen in the States were all those who lived by their fastball.

He had never encountered someone like Yoh Shunshin, who throws all his pitches to the edges, constantly varying locations and occasionally throwing tricky breaking balls.

He doesn't give the batter any opportunity to face him head-on.

"Stop running around," Hyman muttered angrily.

But he had no way of dealing with Shunshin. This guy's control was so good that he could switch between the inside and outside corners like it was second nature.

At this moment, Hyman could only focus on either the inside or outside corner, hoping that the baseball would land where he had aimed.

Here it comes!

Just as if summoned, the baseball appeared in front of the batter in the blink of an eye.

Hyman gritted his teeth and held back from swinging.

The reason he didn't swing was that the pitch was not where he expected it to be.

Moreover, he felt that the ball seemed to have strayed from the strike zone.

The position was very subtle. It seemed to have stuck to the strike zone, but perhaps it hadn't…

Since he couldn't hit it well, he decided to gamble on whether it was a Ball or a Strike.

With that thought, Hyman let the pitch go.

The baseball sailed unhindered into Inui's Mitt.

Snap!

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!" the umpire called.

"EH?" Hyman turned around in surprise. He was bewildered by the call.

'Did that pitch really land in the zone?'

"Is there a problem?" the umpire asked curiously.

Although his pronunciation wasn't perfect, Hyman understood what he meant.

"No!"

Hyman wanted to ask how this pitch really counted as a Strike.

But since they were the visiting team and J. Hyman couldn't be absolutely sure whether the pitch had been in the Strike zone, he decided to hold his tongue.

After returning to the dugout, he couldn't help but complain to his coach.

"Are the umpires too lenient on the inside corner calls here?"

"Don't doubt the umpire's fairness, that will only throw you off your game. Just focus on dealing with your opponents. If a borderline pitch comes again, treat it as a Strike," the American Coach advised.

The Coach wasn't sure what had happened, but he had an idea.

Nevertheless, he will not give a definitive answer unless he makes sure.

Under the Coach's guidance, the American players performed much better.

After two Outs, it was time for the third batter, R. Reinhardt. (I know what you are thinking)

He was also the team's shortstop.

Good-looking, like a big star.

He had the height and appearance to match.

And this guy wasn't just good-looking; his skills were also outstanding.

Standing in the batter's box, he naturally carried a certain aura.

Yoh Shunshin, on the pitcher's mound, could clearly feel his opponent's aura.

'This guy was not to be underestimated.'

Shunshin felt his blood boil inside him, like water that had just begun to boil.

'It is different, truly different.'

'This was the world behind the world!'

When he first came to Japan, it was to see the outside world.

During his time in Japan, despite his team's poor performance, he had seen some of the strongest players in this country.

Now, he had the opportunity to compete against the world's best.

He was truly grateful for coming to Japan.

Yoh Shunshin was deeply thankful for the people who helped him after he arrived in Japan.

He also greatly appreciated Coach Kunitomo, who had invited him despite all odds.

In return for their kindness, Yoh Shunshin didn't mind burning out all his efforts here.

"I will do it!"

…

T/N: One more Chapter is on the way.