Original subtitles

The dreams that I have created

And the place where I am now

As I look and compare these two landscapes that I see

They begin to change their shape

And I find that here and now

There is one single thing that I know

I watch springtime fade away

As our summer comes to play

I begin to understand a little bit of this and that

Fall comes and something's lost over winter

And in a mountain of trash

I find that dream that I had

Hear this voice!

Hear this heart!

Until my tears run dry

I will search for the answer I still haven't found

Until my tears clear up

We will always strive, sometimes losing our way

I build my own present

Carving, proving, with my own hands!

Their Friendship Their Friendship

Daddy?

Oh, Goro, you're awake?

Why are you swinging that bat around?

Oh, I just needed a change of pace.

I may have quit the team, but it doesn't feel right not to exercise.

Well, time for breakfast.

So they did fire him...

Don't fire my father! He'll get the surgery!

Wait for him to get better! Please!

I know how you feel, Goro, but there's nothing we can do.

This is a professional team.

We simply can't keep players who don't have what it takes, or who lose it due to injury.

Your father is the one this is really hard on.

If he sees you crying, it will just make it harder.

Ndlt: Shutout by Shigeno So Shigeno's on the first page now? He sure has moved up in the world.

Back in high school, he used to be my reliever.

League second in wins and ERA, huh.

Daddy...

I'm all right.

I'll grow up fast, and do your share of work in the pros!

So don't worry about me! Work hard on your new job instead!

Goro...

Thanks for breakfast!

I'll go play outside, okay?

Hey, Goro.

You're not going to nursery school today, right?

Wanna play catch?

Really?!

Sure!

Naah, I'll pass.

I wanna train by myself.

The brat's trying to spare my feelings, huh.

Just you wait, Goro.

Your daddy will take his dreams back!

Goro's precious Great Cannon robot!

Kuramoto strikes out swinging! Two out, runners on second and third!

Daddy needs to forget about baseball and work hard...

I'll have to train by myself from now on.

Yamanaka is up to bat!

The pitcher accepts the sign...

He winds...

There you are!

Hey, wanna play catch?

Do you like baseball?

I don't have any friends in the neighborhood to play with!

Come on!

Baseball? What's that?

I don't have a glove like that or anything...

This isn't a glove, it's a "mitt"!

I guess nobody likes baseball around here...

Coming!

Who is it?

Boo!

Did I scare you? Sorry!

Look! I went home and got another mitt!

Let's play catch together! It's fun!

Come on!

But I...

I'm Honda Goro! You?

I'm Toshiya Sato...

Toshi? Okay!

What?!

You want to be a batter!

Yes!

I'm not asking you to wait years for me!

Feel free to fire me if I don't produce results within this season!

Give me a chance! Please!

We can't wait that long, Honda.

There are plenty of up-and-coming batters who want in.

The team can't afford to take a gamble like that.

I'm sorry, but you'll have to retire.

What did I expect?

The team needs batters they know can produce, not a wild card like me!

I guess it's all about results...

I have a request!

I'm in heaven!

The day after a game, nothing beats getting a massage...

from you and playing some pachinko, Yama.

Heh, thanks.

Oh, just you, Shigeno?

No other pitchers here today?

Not yet. It's still too early.

What's the matter?

Well, it's Honda...

He wants to take a batting test.

We need someone to pitch to him.

Is that true, Kurasawa?!

Well, yeah.

You guys have been best friends since high school, right? Didn't you know?

Actually, I guess I was the one who made the suggestion...

But I never thought he'd actually try.

Here I go!

What are you doing?

This is just a softball! There's nothing to be afraid of!

Enough! I'm leaving!

This isn't fun at all!

Wait, wait!

Come on, I won't throw so hard!

I've had enough! And mommy would be mad if she saw this, too!

I need to go home and study!

Study?

Is that fun?

What a weirdo.

I'm not doing it because it's fun!

But if I study, I can get into a good school... and become a responsible adult!

Mommy says that if I just play around, like you, I'll regret it later.

Really?

I don't think I'll regret it, though.

I'm going to become a professional baseball player!

You don't need to study to become a responsible adult!

Why don't you do the same thing, Toshi?

You wouldn't have to study so hard!

I couldn't do it... I've never played sports before...

You don't know until you've tried!

Let's play some more, okay?

You'll see how much fun baseball is!

Here.

I'll throw an easy one this time!

Here it goes!

I caught it...

See? You can do it!

Now it's your turn to throw!

I'm not sure I can throw that far...

Do your best!

Wow! Even I couldn't throw that well the first time!

You're great!

Really?

All right, here I go again!

I have to hit. That's all there is to it.

At my age, if the team fires me, I'll never be able to make a come-back.

I need to show results right here.

Chiaki! Let Goro and me dream again!

I guess it's still a bit early.

Somebody should show up soon, I think.

Heya.

Shigeno?!

Why are you wearing your uniform?

Weren't you yesterday's starter?

Yeah, I was just here for my massage...

But if Honda's career is on the line, I have to pitch.

But you're our ace pitcher! That's not...

Wait, Sir. If Honda can't keep up with Shigeno,

he can't keep up with the other teams' aces either.

This might actually be for the best.

Well, you heard them. Got a problem with that, Honda?!

I'm in your hands, old friend.

You get three at-bats.

If you don't show some promise, you'll have to retire.

All right?

Yes, sir!

Shigeno! I know he's your friend, but no holding back!

It won't do him any good if he gets on the team without deserving it!

I know, I know.

All right, get started!

Can I really score a hit against a top-class pitcher like Shigeno in a mere nice pitches?

Nope.

You're nowhere near good enough.

But I saw back in high school what amazing baseball instincts you have.

Show me some of those instincts!

You're not hitting this!

I will hit!

Strike. Well on the inside, but a strike.

So that's what a first-rate professional fastball is like...

Doesn't look like he'll be able to do it.

No. It's not that easy to switch from pitching to batting.

Strike two!

What was that supposed to be?

This isn't a sandlot.

A curveball?

An inside fastball followed by a curve...

He'll probably throw a ball next...

Try to lure me in with a high pitch curving out of the box...

Ball!

Just as I predicted!

I used to be a pitcher myself, you know!

This is the same guy who got a shutout last night.

He won't waste any more pitches.

He'll try to finish me off with a forkball going outside.

A grounder?

I'm not falling for that one!

Strike!

A fastball?!

Shigeno sure isn't holding back.

You've got two at-bats to go, Honda.

Damn. He's good at faking batters.

The next one will be a slow curve making the box. Time to swing!

That was close!

Are you trying to hurt me, Shigeno?!

Shaddup!

That was your wake-up call! Time to quit sleeping!

What?!

If predicting the pitch was all it took, every pitcher would be batting!

If you really want to become a batter, catch the ball with your own damn reflexes!

Try to remember your walk-off homer as clean-up batter at Koshien, Honda! Koshien: Stadium where the high school national championship finals are held.

Koshien...

Oh yeah...

I just swung without thinking and sent that difficult in-low pitch flying into the stands!

I just wanted to keep on playing baseball with the guys!

I wanted to win!

I hit it!

One more at-bat. This is your last chance!

All right then! I'll do it! I'll hit!

I will!

What's going on?

Huh? Shigeno's pitching...

and Honda is batting?!

A curveball!

I can do this!

Man, he's actually keeping up with Shigeno's pitches.

Unbelievable...

It's all coming back! This is how it felt back then!

That's it! You're still as lithe as you were in high school!

Perhaps you were meant to be a batter all along!

Remember, dammit!

I did it!

Daddy did it, Goro!

Three at-bats and he hit a home run off Shigeno...

Honda really might do this!

Sheesh, man, did you have to hit a homer?

Hey, don't let it get you down.

Thanks, Shigeno.

Here I go!

You're so good at this, Goro.

But you're the amazing one, Toshi!

You're already catching my fast throws!

Maybe you really could become a baseball player!

Yeah right!

Hey, Goro!

Welcome back, daddy!

What's this? You found a friend to play catch with?

Yep! See ya, Toshi! Let's play again tomorrow!

Wait! The ball and glove...

Hey, keep 'em!

Can he keep them, daddy?

Sure.

It's always nice to see a kid take an interest in baseball.

I hope you'll play with Goro again, Toshi.

Yes!

Bye bye!

Oh yeah, I need to finish the drill...

Oh, he can catch your throws? That's pretty good!

Yeah! He's really good for someone who only just started!

Well, it's great you found someone to play with.

It must be boring always training by yourself.

Yeah, kinda...

Ooh, what a huge piece of meat!

You're never had anything like this before, huh?

This is what they call a "beef steak"!

Can I really eat this? Isn't steak really expensive?

Worried about the future, huh?

Just eat up, you silly brat.

But...

I found a new job today, you know.

So don't you worry about it. Eat, and grow!

Really? Okay, thanks!

I wonder what Goro's going to say when he finds out what my new job is...

I didn't think you'd look so happy after quitting the team, daddy.

Well, you know, I found a new job and everything...

Oh.

I want to tell him... But I haven't made it to the team proper yet.

I could still fail.

And I never want to watch him cry again.

What's the meaning of this, Toshiya?

You haven't done your drills, and your clothes are all dirty!

What were you doing while I was away?

This is very important to you!

You need to enter Keirin Elementary and become a responsible adult!

Is that really true, mommy?

My friend said that I can become a responsible adult without studying...

Friend?

What's this?!

Give that back!

I don't remember giving you this!

Where'd you find it?

Wait! That's important to me!

So you were out playing with this thing?

Well, you're not getting it back until exams are over.

And make sure you finish those drills tonight.

But that was Goro's mitt... What am I going to do?

Sheesh, this sucks.

We finally get some vacation and we spend it at home, cleaning.

Oh, stop whining.

Be grateful we get cheap lodging to go along with the job.

Oh, Goro! Good morning!

Miss Momoko!

Morning practice?

I'm playing baseball with my friend!

Oh, you found a friend to play with? That's great!

Yep! See ya!

He seems happy.

Yeah. Most of the kids at the nursery are younger,

and there isn't really anyone else who's good at baseball.

Kids aren't really into baseball these days, after all.

This really is great though.

He was so depressed about his father quitting baseball.

Oho? What's this? Are you sure it isn't the handsome father you're concerned about?

Miki!

To-shi! Come out and play!

Hey, let's play catch! I brought a bat today!

I'm sorry, but I need to study. I can't play today.

Oh, I see. I'll come back some other time, then.

Sorry.

I'll train in the park today, then.

He threw the mitt away?

Yeah, and after I let him borrow it too!

He's not my friend anymore!

He seemed like a nice boy to me, though...

Did you ask him about it?

Who cares! Nobody likes baseball, anyway!

I don't need any friends to play with!

Idiot!

I know it hurts to be betrayed,

but don't say you don't need any friends before you've actually talked to him!

You don't know what's happened.

It might just have been a mistake.

At this rate you might be the one who betrays him.

You need to take good care of your friends. They're irreplaceable.

Why did you throw it away?!

You said you'd give it back after the exam!

Who cares about that dirty old glove?

If you pass, I'll buy you a new one.

How could you!

Wait! Where are you going?

The garbage is long gone!

It's gone! What am I going to do?

Toshi...

I'm sorry, Goro...

Mommy threw your mitt away...

I'm really sorry! I'll pay you back, I promise!

And I wanted to play today, really, but mommy wouldn't let me!

Don't worry about it. I have the mitt right here.

I found it this morning.

Maybe we can play catch again some time?

Of course we can!

Will your mommy let you, though?

I'll finish the drills first next time!

Oh, I see.

Preview

I'm going to join a little league team!

They say I'm really talented!

Why are you so set against it, daddy?

Don't you like baseball anymore?

Next time on Major: I Hate You, daddy!

Head for the stage of your dreams!

Next episode Next episode I Hate You, Daddy! I Hate You, Daddy!