Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 436 - 71: Climax Series Battle
October 12, 2013, Fukuoka, Japan, Fukuoka Mizuho PayPay Dome.
There’s less than an hour left before the start of the first round of the 2013 Pacific League Climax Series.
In the locker room of the Yahoo Dome, the head coach of the SoftBank Team, Akiyama Koji, is giving a final pep talk to his players.
"This season, our start wasn’t ideal, and our ranking within the Pacific League even fell to the bottom of the league at one point; even though later on we warmed up a bit, it was hard to maintain it for long, usually winning three or four games only to lose again, and so the cycle continued."
"I still remember those times when we lost consecutively, those incompetent baseball media analyzed our problems in all sorts of ways, saying this or that about us, as if our three Pacific League victories and one Japan’s Number One title in the past five years were all due to luck."
"But now, look at us! While other teams are already preparing for the next season, we at SoftBank are still fighting for the title of Japan’s Number One right here at our home field!"
"How did we transform from a bottom-of-the-league team to what we are now? I believe every one of you should feel proud and honored for yourselves, for your teammates, and for every member of this great team—The position we’re in now is something every one of us has created with our own hands!"
"But now, here, in front of everyone, I have to ask you a question again—A second place in the Pacific League is fine, but are we satisfied with just this?"
At this point, to observe the reaction of his players, Akiyama Koji deliberately paused, and upon seeing several players either shaking their heads or wearing serious expressions, he continued:
"Today, I’m here to tell you! It’s not enough! Being second in the Pacific League is definitely not enough for us to be satisfied! Why? Because the team we play for is the winner of 15 Pacific League titles and 5 Japan’s Number One titles! We are born winners, we are born to win!"
"Whether it’s Seibu or this season’s winner Rakuten, I don’t think they are invincible opponents—Don’t forget, even the undefeated Tanaka in the season has moments when he couldn’t claim victory against us!"
"So, in the upcoming games, do you know what to do?"
The response to Akiyama Koji was a roar from the SoftBank players so loud it almost lifted the locker room ceiling:
"Yes, Coach—we will definitely win!!!"
After the pep talk session ended, as the SoftBank players entered the field one by one through the team tunnel, the die-hard SoftBank fans who arrived today to cheer for their home team also began their routine.
Almost everyone in the stands had their faces painted in yellow, black, and white tricolor—This is the unique combination for the SoftBank Team; and likewise, everyone was wearing the SoftBank Team jerseys, with various cheering items in their hands.
To welcome the Climax Series, the stands, usually not opened to ensure safety, were opened a bit more today to accommodate the fans—almost the entirety of the Yahoo Dome turned into a sea of black and yellow, while the Seibu fans, wearing white and blue jerseys, could only huddle in a small corner of the stands, completely overshadowed in momentum.
Even though it was just past noon, there wasn’t a sign of fatigue on the faces of the home SoftBank fans; nearly forty thousand home fans were still putting in their best effort to create a massive atmosphere, cheering for their home team while intimidating the visiting team.
Standing on the vacant spot in front of the dugout, just looking at the waves of people surging from all directions in the stands, Lin Guanglai’s emotions couldn’t help but surge: Once only able to watch this grand scene on television, now he could participate as a member, how could he not be excited—after all, regardless of the formal rankings, entering the Climax Series meant they qualified to vie for Japan’s Number One title.
Glancing towards the other side of the field at the dugout there, the Seibu players seemed to have finished their warm-up as well—under the call of the main umpire, both sides exchanged simple greetings and prepared for the upcoming game.
In this match, with Lin Guanglai mainly playing as a batter, the starting pitcher for SoftBank was undoubtedly Shetsu Shou;
On the Seibu Lions side, their primary ace Kikuchi Yuusei had been out for the season with a shoulder injury since August, so Takayuki Kishi, wearing the number 11 jersey and having secured 11 wins in the formal season, replaced him as the starting pitcher.
As the SoftBank defensive players entered the field to prepare, in the broadcast room of the Yahoo Dome, the commentator Takeshita Yohei, responsible for the live broadcast of this crucial match, also started his job:
"Good afternoon, baseball fans—After a week of rest, this week, the flames of professional baseball will ignite once again!"
"This match is the first stage of the 2013 Pacific League Climax Series, with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, who secured second in the formal season, facing the third-ranked Saitama Seibu Lions, and the winner between these two teams will advance to the next round of the Climax Series to challenge the victorious team, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, led by the Divine Son."
