Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 607 - 151: Unending Debate, Public Outcry Erupts (Part 2)

"I am not judging who's right or wrong in this matter. I just want to say that since so many bloody, vivid cases have happened prior, why can't we learn something from them? I sincerely hope that Mr. Fujinami won't be affected, and I hope that everyone who loves the career of baseball can collectively establish a more scientific and humane understanding—protecting the players is essentially protecting Nippon Professional Baseball and the future of Japanese baseball, isn't it?"

Lin Guanglai's words ended here, not because he didn't want to continue, but because the SoftBank Team's staff came forward to take their genius away from the scene, preventing him from saying anything that might make the situation irreversible under the instigation of the onsite media.

But just those words were enough for the journalists present to start writing articles—Lin Guanglai's remarks were like a huge stone thrown into the calm surface of a lake, quickly causing a stir throughout Japan.

On social media, topics like "161 pitches" and "Lin Guanglai's speech" quickly climbed to the forefront of Japan's trending list, and clips of Lin Guanglai's interview were edited and uploaded online; simultaneously, various news media launched fierce discussions on this event, and public opinion showed a polarized stance.

Most young fans, sports medicine experts, and data analysts chose to side with Lin Guanglai, listing numerous examples from ancient and modern times, trying to criticize Kanamoto Tomohiko for Fujinami Jintaro's punitive pitching as a mistake under "Showa-style residue";

While some conservative fans and commentators felt that Lin Guanglai was "meddling" and "weak," mocking him for being a city boy who grew up in Tokyo, not understanding Kansai people's spirit and temperament.

However, as the public debate expanded further, division of attitudes even appeared within Hanshin Tigers' fanbase.

The former chief recorder of the Hanshin Tigers, now a special coach at Okayama University of Commerce, Hiroshi Miyake was the first to express his opinion, harshly criticizing Kanamoto Tomohiko, believing that his actions were completely a dereliction of duty—this old gentleman was the one who personally led and facilitated the signing of Kanamoto from Hiroshima Toyo during his player years at Hanshin.

"I can't understand it, and it's a bit incomprehensible—are these actions truly good? I think Manager Kimoto feels anxious about the huge gap between the baseball he played during his active years and the current situation, which I can understand; but considering the long season, isn't the negative impact of letting the main starter pitch 161 balls even greater?"

"They all say history is a mirror, but I don't feel it at all from Manager Kimoto's current behavior: In the nineties, didn't manager Nomura force Shinjo to leave because of similar behavior, leading to a bad team atmosphere and a total mess? Doing this will only dishearten the players. I'm really worried whether the coaching staff and Fujinami have had thorough communication—where did Manager Kimoto's courage during his player days go? Is ruining a young player's future what he declared he would bring as change to the team when he took office?"

"They say it's because Fujinami played poorly and hope he would find himself, so they kept him pitching; but weren't the performances of the starting lineup and defense really good? In the initial stage, weren't many of the lost points due to defensive errors? Like the double steal in the first inning, the coordination between second and third bases clearly had a problem, turning a ground ball into a hit for the other side!"

"It is because the batting lineup couldn't score no matter what, the pitcher also bears the pressure of 'can't concede first,' and in this situation, losing patience as this repeatedly occurs—the important thing now isn't having Fujinami pitch 161 balls, but fundamentally rebuilding! Let him regain that spirit of solving batters one-on-one and the determination to suppress opponents with power! Now, because he is overly concerned with control, he has lost his original characteristics!"

"Think about where the gap is now between him and Lin Guanglai, and Shohei Ohtani—if raised with this method, he'll just become an ordinary pitcher."

As a figure with considerable prestige within both Hanshin's management and fan community, Hiroshi Miyake's outspokenness for Fujinami also prompted many to think, and many previously wavering fans started to lean towards his side.

But there are also those unmoved hardliners: for example, Toshihiro Noguchi, who once served as a catcher for the Hanshin Tigers, firmly stood by the side of his teammate from his playing days.

"There's no other culprit for this game than Fujinami Jintaro!" Toshihiro Noguchi initially declared harshly when interviewed by relevant media, "It's precisely because of high expectations that the manager treats him in this way; otherwise, why not just do nothing and let him go on his own!"

"What Fujinami needs to do now is seriously confront and reflect on his poor performance at the beginning—if it weren't for his mistakes, the SoftBank Team could never have scored so many points initially!"

"Yes, the fielders did make some errors in defense, but is it possible that it was the walk given to the first batter in the opening that disrupted the entire team's rhythm? If you think about how the fielding players present, especially the veterans, might think, I believe they possibly share Manager Kimoto's thoughts."

"Although some criticize Manager Kimoto, I think his deployment was reasonable. As for leading to excessive pitch count, that's actually another issue; It's because people conflate these two things that criticism of Manager Kimoto arises. Ultimately, the problem lies in those unnecessary mistakes by Fujinami—after all, isn't it Fujinami himself who caused the increase in pitch count? That's how it is!"

"If he lacked ability, it'd be one thing, but it's precisely because we know Fujinami has ability that his performance is more frustrating, and he's the one causing this situation!"

"Whether it's me, an OB of Hanshin, or Manager Kimoto, the direct person in charge, we all hope Fujinami can get better—if he can learn from this event, remember the experience of falling, his future achievements might even be higher!"

At this point, Toshihiro Noguchi also cited a vivid example: "Like in 2000 when Seibu's Osamu Higashio had Matsuzaka Daisuke pitch until 11 runs were scored before replacing him, didn't Matsuzaka prove the manager's correctness with future performance? So, I don't understand why people criticize Manager Kimoto so harshly; in the end, the new generation of players is too delicate..."

The debate between these two Hanshin Tigers veterans is still expanding and has even spread to other fields beyond sports, with a potential trend of sparking a societal discussion.

Many financial commentators liken this incident to Japan's "death from overwork" problem, believing "161 pitches" is essentially a form of "athletic overwork," draining core talent's (Fujinami's) long-term health for short-term performance (victory in a game), akin to black-hearted companies exploiting employees until they fall ill; Lin Guanglai's speech is seen as the new generation awakening and resisting outdated management styles.

In educational forums, people have started discussing the boundary between "Spartan-style education" and "scientific cultivation," engaging in fierce debates surrounding the types represented by Kanamoto Tomohiko and Lin Guanglai.

In the baseball world, numerous weekly magazines and TV stations have produced in-depth reports and special programs on this topic, reviewing similar punitive incidents throughout the history of Nippon Professional Baseball. Some cases have indeed brought positive impacts to the players and teams, but more often, they led to disintegration and even left the players themselves devastated.

Before the confrontation the next day, Lin Guanglai unexpectedly encountered Fujinami Jintaro, looking exhausted in the player tunnel at Koshien. The two did not speak much, merely exchanged a brief glance. Fujinami Jintaro gently nodded toward Lin Guanglai, as a way to express his thanks for Lin Guanglai's outspoken support.

Watching the other's departing figure, Lin Guanglai merely sighed slightly—who knows what the future holds?

Let's hope this time, Fujinami's path will be a bit smoother.