Original subtitles

Yeah, Furuya.

He's a first-year pitcher for Seido.

He's a real monster!

He's nothing special.

He just throws as hard as he can without any pacing.

The baseball of this country that I admired...

...was at a much more intricate and high level.

Clockwork

Let's stay focused!

Let's go!

Let's do this!

Murata East Seido

They're up by eight runs after four innings?

Damn, they're strong.

Is this gonna be another called game?

Hey, Shun.

You're not watching any more?

It's easy to figure out a pitcher who just throws fast.

What I'm worried about is

their strong batter line-up,

their closing second-year pitcher,

and the third-year ace who has yet to show.

Sawamura's cry for attention ends in vain . . .

Furuya!

What are you looking at?

Hurry up and throw!

You've got too much power, right?

I'll let you throw as many as you want.

Here.

That pitcher's a monster!

He throws at full strength, even at the bullpen?

He's been striking out almost every batter,

but he's still not satisfied?

The ball's too high!

You need to throw more carefully and lower!

He's been more strict as of late...

He didn't play many games in junior high,

so he doesn't know the value of a single pitch.

But this is a win or lose tournament.

It's too late to realize after the fact, Furuya.

If you're not gonna work, switch with me!

I will.

Sawamura, leave him alone!

But I'm overflowing with ardor!

Then you can keep shouting until you lose your voice.

Looks like it's a tough job to keep these two in check.

A two-run home run into the back screen!

Yay! That was a home run!

Up by ten runs in five innings!

It's a called game!

Captain Yuki!

That's rare.

You don't usually go for home runs.

I want to give the pitchers as much rest as possible.

I'm glad that went in.

You're too perfect, Captain.

We're done in five innings again?

So this is the job of our team captain.

He's acting more and more like it lately.

Though he's still really bad at shogi.

Murata East Seido

Okay.

Bow!

Thank you!

Great job on your three years of high school!

Good luck next game!

We'll come to cheer you on again!

Miyuki-kun!

Official games are something else...

The summer tournament is special.

Good. You're all here.

After you finish stretching,

grab lunch at the bleachers.

Yes, sir!

We're all staying...

...to watch the next game.

Three-Round, Three-Game Tournament Seido－Tomurata Higashi Tochigusa－Toyamato Higashi Tokamiyama－Akikawa

The team that wins...

...will be our next opponent.

Take a good look at Akikawa Academy's pitcher.

He has something you guys don't have.

An exchange student from Taiwan,

Shunshin Yeung, second-year.

He's not Japanese?

He originally came to learn Japanese,

but he was introduced to Japanese baseball and fell in love with it.

He stays later than anyone at practice,

and he studies more than anyone to make Japanese baseball his own.

He has hunger.

He has that untouchable aura

and amazing control from his everyday practice.

People call him...

...Clockwork.

Clockwork?

That was close.

He threw right in my face.

The ball.

D-Damn.

He's not going to apologize to me about that pitch?

You've gotta be kidding me.

Way to the outside?

Th-The same place again?

Where next?

In? Out?

Strike! Batter out!

Three pitches in the same place?

That was one ball outside the strike zone.

Not even an idiot would throw three pitches to the same place.

Game set!

3-0.

They defended their early-game runs.

After they scored, the fielders started playing differently.

Yeah, controlling in and out

and keeping the pitch low.

The other team only got five hits.

Just shows how much faith the team has in him.

Faith?

It's so hot.

The game's three days from now, on a Wednesday.

And this one isn't going to be so easy.

Seido Spirit Dorm

Their ace, Yeung, doesn't throw many breaking balls,

but he's thrown curveballs and forkballs to get the strikes.

His speed is only around 130 km/h,

but what we need to worry about is his clockwork-like control.

From in-high to out-low,

and out-high to in-low.

He uses the diagonal very well to keep the batters guessing.

He'll probably never throw anything near the middle.

The key to beating him will be how well you can stick to your swings

without being tossed about by his pitching to the corners.

Swinging with hesitation will only give more confidence to the pitcher.

No matter what he throws, swing without hesitation.

You must remember that.

One more thing.

To put damage on a clever pitcher like him,

we need speed and bunts.

Seido Spirit Dorm

You two can put pressure on him by getting on base.

Yes, sir!

Wow! Amazing!

Feels good just watching.

They don't just practice swinging big.

They also practice the dull plays, too.

They scored massively two games in a row.

I'm sure their next opponents are scared.

Look at the captain, Yuki-kun.

He has a special air.

There are scouts from pro teams here, too. Right?

I heard he's not interested in that at all.

He probably has his hands full

trying to lead the team to the nationals.

Wow! So many reporters.

I didn't know Seido was the talk of the town.

Owada, no need to state the obvious.

Under the guidance of Head Coach Kataoka,

will they finally regain their prestigious fame?

This is a team with many things to write about.

What's that look?

Will First-Year Become Savior for Prestigious School Seido?

There's also the Kazuya Miyuki boy you wrote about last year.

I'm his fan!

His glasses fit so well!

You just have a fetish for glasses.

Glasses conquer all!

Well, everyone's here to look at the monster, first-year pitcher.

We're going to the bullpen, too.

O-Okay!

Sawamura!

Where are you throwing?

Are you trying to hit me?

My bad!

Thank you, Kanemaru.

For volunteering to do this tough job.

Not at all.

It'll be better practice if a batter is standing here.

Not to mention seven out of the nine Akikawa batters are lefties.

Like this?

He might be asked to pitch, since he's a lefty.

Like this?

Like this!

Though I'm sure the possibility is close to none.

Come at me, Sawamura!

I'm not afraid of your pitch at all!

Kanemaru.

Here I come!

Right to the inside!

You threw that one on purpose!

I'm sorry.

He has an interesting form.

That must've hurt.

Nice ball!

In the bullpen, it's just Kawakami-kun and the first-year Sawamura-kun...

The ace, Tanba-kun, is throwing into the net with the coach.

We're only at Round 3, but the ace hasn't thrown a single time.

I wonder if the rumors of his injuries are true.

Who knows.

If that's the case,

it'll be another hard summer without their ace.

Even if Furuya-kun can throw really fast, he's still a first-year.

Oh? Now that you mention it,

where is the famous, monster, first-year pitcher?

He...

He's taking a nap, and he's not even hiding?

Even I can't laugh seeing this.

Wake up!

Learn Today

Devote Every Moment

You'd better be done with running.

I am.

Get out here!

You need to pitch in the bullpen.

No, it's hot today.

I'll be there in a little while.

Of course it's hot!

It's summer!

Is he going to be okay?

We're in the middle of a tournament.

You didn't finish your meal yesterday, either.

If you don't eat right, you're not gonna last.

This year, the summer is going to be hotter than usual,

so you'd better get used to...

Summer?

That's right.

He just came from Hokkaido this year.

To him, it's the first summer in Tokyo.

Could it be...

...his body isn't used to this temperature?

Wow! It's fast!

And that sound.

Sounds heavy.

He has power in his pitch.

Looks like his gear changes when he holds a ball.

All right,

let's call it a day.

I can still pitch.

It's fine.

Just cool down and be done.

Wait! He's already done?

He's only made around ten throws.

Well, we're in the middle of the tournament,

so maybe they just verified his pitch.

I see.

All right!

Damn it!

That was a ball by a hair!

But some people seem to have a different schedule, despite the tournament.

Well, he is interesting. That's for sure.

How will Akikawa face Seido with so many pitchers?

Akikawa has someone I like, too.

Glasses!

We're reporting on Akikawa tomorrow.

And don't get the wrong idea.

Let's go.

Tokyo Nerima-ku Akikawa Academy

Don't run away!

Like hell I will.

Bring it!

Here it is.

Crap!

That's 160 km/h?

I'll die!

I'll die if that hits me!

I'm up next.

Stand a little back.

Batting practice with the machine set to the highest speed?

Is this a countermeasure to Furuya-kun, Head Coach Ogata?

You know...

They can't hit a pitch like that on the fly.

The goal is to adjust their eyes.

You know...

All the opponent teams

were swinging at Furuya-kun's high balls.

You know...

If they can stay calm and see the ball...

You know...

No matter how fast a kid can throw,

it won't be faster than 160 km/h.

You know...

I see!

The coach's speaking habit: "You know."

Don't put that down!

Next, out low.

Bring it!

Sorry, that went in a little.

Next, inside middle.

Shoot.

I messed that up!

Don't worry.

I'll throw it again, same place.

What?

The ace is throwing for batting practice?

You know...

Shunshin doesn't throw in the bullpen.

Ball control is nurtured in games.

This is a practice method he came up with on his own.

He throws about 200 pitches every day.

Next, anywhere.

All right! Let's do this!

In or out?

Which is it?

Damn it!

Right down the middle!

You suck!

Don't laugh!

A serious one-on-one in batting practice.

Glasses!

You know...

We used to lose after the first game, until last year.

It's about how effectively we can practice with limited time.

Shunshin has honed his control through batting practice,

and the batters thoroughly practice the pitches they have difficulties with.

Just a lone pitcher

has changed our weak team into what you see now.

I see.

His clockwork-like pitching comes from

an environment like this.

Why is Yeung-kun playing baseball in Japan?

You know...

This is something I heard from his parents,

but it all started when he saw Japanese professional baseball back in Taiwan.

He was mesmerized by the plays on TV.

What moved him even more

was a Taiwanese player playing on a Japanese team.

But...

Strike out!

What's up with Lin?

That's his fifth consecutive strikeout!

His glory from last year is nowhere to be seen!

He's having a tough time hitting the inside pitches.

The Japanese pitcher

analyzed and took advantage of the opponent's weakness.

Inside Shunshin, those mixed feelings

eventually turned into respect for Japanese baseball.

Our high school has had a long relationship with high schools in Taiwan.

But Shunshin is actually officially here as a language exchange student.

A language exchange student?

Yes.

But everyone, including myself,

have been moved by his sincerity toward baseball.

Shunshin Yeung.

Doesn't sound like he's all clockwork like people seem to say.

Yes.

I don't know many people with so much passion.

I wonder what's going on inside his head.

Next, inside middle.

I wanted to do everything I could to play baseball in Japan.

This pitch...

...goes to my parents who sent me here.

This pitch...

...goes to my Japanese father

who supports me in various ways.

And this pitch...

...goes to my teammates who've played with me so far.

Damn!

That was outside!

Wow.

It's batting practice, but he's very thorough with every pitch.

At first, it looks like a one-man team led by Yeung-kun.

But the other players are also enjoying baseball to the fullest.

A team like this will be quite formidable once they pick up momentum.

They have more than a small chance to beat Seido.

Round 4 starts tomorrow!

We're up against Shunshin Yeung's Akikawa Academy!

Sawamura, I'll stand in the batter's box.

Show me what you can do.

Aye, General!

Who's a general?

Seido's starter is a first-year.

We can take full advantage of that.

Akikawa makes their move the moment the game begins.

Next time on Ace of the Diamond: Anti-Furuya Strategy.

Anti-Furuya Strategy

Let's win the national title!