Original subtitles

If I were the coach, I would aim for nationals next year.

I'd leave the team's fate in Furuya's hands.

A-Are you saying you'd give up on the fall season

just to let Furuya grow?

Raise him as the ace.

I think that's the quickest way to go to nationals.

However, these games are for the players to play,

and this fall is one of few chances to try for nationals.

I won't sacrifice the team just for Furuya alone.

I see you're throwing a lot.

When you pitch,

do you check your grip every time?

Why don't you throw me some?

The Final Lesson

September 19

Fall Tournament Group Stages Round 2

Damn.

He's still a first-year?

We basically just lost to the pitcher.

Seido Mino

Seido (W. Tokyo) vs Mino (W. Tokyo) (Called after 7 innings)

Twelve strikeouts.

He also scored three runs with two hits.

He's still a first-year,

so if he keeps this up, he should definitely make nationals.

If I were the coach, I would aim for nationals next year.

I'd leave the team's fate in Furuya's hands.

Raise him as the ace.

I think that's the quickest way to go to nationals.

Your pitch count is too high.

Too many free walks.

No pacing whatsoever.

The usual

You're terrible.

You got lucky with the opponent today.

Sawamura, quit dawdling and help clean up!

There's another game after this!

Put away your emotions!

You're a man, aren't you?

Kanemaru.

Can you help me with practice later?

Seido Spirit Dorm

Huh?

Is this the pitcher who pitched today?

Yeah.

I bet he'll pitch tomorrow, too.

My hit in the fourth inning is recorded as the opponent's error?

Manager, please.

That was an error.

With my speed, it's a hit!

The coach said it was an error.

Seriously?

Error, it is.

Make sure you get to bed early tonight.

You're gonna be pitching again tomorrow.

I'll pitch as much as I need to.

It's the ace's job to pitch.

It'll be bad for us if you pitch too much.

We don't have any strong teams in our group,

so we need to end the games quickly and give you an easy time.

The ace...

I get it, already! Just go to sleep!

Zono-senpai.

Are we practicing again tonight?

Yeah, definitely!

We're up against a southpaw tomorrow.

I need to hit a clean one into right field.

Damn.

The moment I'm taken off the three-hole, we win with a called game.

The new three-hole

I'll hit tons tomorrow!

Into right field?

Just you wait!

He should bat more freely.

He thinks too much.

I'm sure that's why the coach moved him down in the lineup.

Learn today Devote every moment

You've gotta be kidding me.

I wore all my guards because Sawamura sincerely asked me.

He's not piching any to the inside.

No, Kanemaru. That's because...

I've got things to do, too.

Stop hesitating, idiot!

Didn't you call me because you don't care about hitting me?

This isn't even good dodging practice.

Throw like you're trying to hit me! Damn it!

What am I? A sandbag?

You're such a man, Kanemaru.

Thanks, Kanemaru.

But I don't plan on hitting you!

Shut up!

No, he's serious.

Two days ago

Nice pitch.

You're throwing just fine.

I have no problems without a batter.

But I feel like I'm overthinking it.

Miyuki-senpai told me I never had good control to begin with.

He gives it to me straight.

High and inside goes right into a righty's chest.

And in contrast,

low and away passes by the farthest point from a batter's eyes.

If you can precisely control your pitches,

no batter will be able to touch them.

It's best used in conjunction with inside pitches,

but you can get strikes with this

and even finish someone off.

You've only known to pitch offensively,

but this was the pitch I actually wanted you to learn.

Low and away?

But you're only holding the glove on the inside!

If you gave me more options, I'm sure I could—

What? Did you say something?

Can you repeat that?

You have what it takes to throw to the outside corners?

You have breaking balls that break from strike to ball?

If you can't pitch to the inside, then don't.

Instead, why don't you try learning this pitch?

Damn!

Way too wide again!

One step...

Or even half a step at a time.

One more!

I still have so much to learn!

Hey, wasn't that good?

Not even close! Another one!

I'm sorry I had to ask you to help.

It's fine.

I wanted to tell him myself, too.

I hope this helps him get over the fear.

I hate to admit it, but it's more effective coming from him.

Here I go!

Now, it's all up to how he overcomes it.

September 20

It's a little high.

Keep it low, man!

The ace number suits him well.

Why are you looking at me?

He seems to be doing well.

So he's pitching first.

He got a ton of strikeouts yesterday, too.

He's a high schooler, too!

There's nothing to fear.

Let's enjoy going up against such a fast pitch.

Go for broke!

No, let's take them on with the utmost respect!

Y-Yes, sir!

Let's go, Furuya!

Take us to the final tournament!

I want to see the batters go big, too!

That's the one!

Wasn't that good?

Another one, before I forget the feeling!

Shut up.

No matter how loud you are, you're not pitching!

Furuya's going first!

I know that!

If I'm starting, I can't just pitch in the bullpen!

I've got tons of work to do over here!

I don't care!

Don't do it before a game!

Damn.

He knows what to do now, but he's still stupid.

Oh, well.

I don't exactly hate the noise he brings.

Furuya, one more!

Nice. We're done.

It's still a little high, but it has power.

It looks like he's not tired from yesterday.

Relax a little.

My shoulder feels really light.

I might be able to get a personal best today.

Seisho Seido

A free run!

What's Furuya doing?

That's the third walk in the first inning!

Pitch to contact!

Let's take it easy!

What?

You're so tense.

You need to relax, Furuya!

You'd be fine pitching at half strength against this team!

Is it because he pitched yesterday?

I don't know.

His pitch seems to have power.

I feel good.

I really feel good.

I need to pitch my best!

Ball four!

Seisho Seido

What are you doing?

You shouldn't try to crush them by force.

Are you playing baseball by yourself?

Look around.

Nori, let's go!

Furuya.

Furuya-kun.

It's the first inning! Calm down!

Furuya.

Don't give them an easy time by swinging at the hard pitches.

Just swing right down the middle.

The middle!

It's not that I'm playing by myself.

I just felt like...

...I could do really well today.

Really well.

Idiot!

That pitch was a freebie!

Third run!

Seriously?

Awesome, Okubo!

Woohoo!

Wow! This feels good.

Yeah.

I bet they didn't expect to give up three runs to us.

Take that!

Let's stop them here!

One at a time, Furuya!

We're just getting started!

This is terrible!

It's just the first inning!

Get Kawakami.

Furuya!

Left field.

Switching already?

They want him to cool off in left field.

It's no surprise, with a game like this.

Is Kawakami even warmed up yet?

Yeah, that's what I'm wondering.

We have seven pitches, so calm down.

Let's focus on the batter and get an out at a time.

It's natural to have off days as a pitcher.

But you're up against a lower-tier team.

It's too soon to give up on him.

Switch gears!

He won't be an ace like this.

You have to take risks and make the boys sort things out themselves.

That's what'll help him grow.

Sawamura, you should warm up, too!

Yes, sir!

Though I'm already warmed up.

Am I going to play?

Seisho Seido

Thank you for coming today.

We lost in the end, but our guys did well.

Even the best sometimes falter.

We learned a good lesson today.

Now, let's go home with our heads held high!

They don't seem disappointed, even though they lost.

Whereas the tension over here...

I can't tell which team made it out of the group stages.

Seisho Seido

Is this the game you wanted to play?

You pitch all out without even trying to pace yourselves.

Out of frustration at being taken off the mound,

you swing recklessly at bat, and don't focus on defense.

Shoot!

You feel restless over a measly four-run deficit,

and you make easy mistakes.

Furuya's useless today.

I've gotta make up for it.

You mistake aggressiveness for rashness,

and swing at a difficult pitch right off the bat.

Did you already forget the summer, Miyuki?

Why do you train so hard every day?

For this exact day!

You don't truly understand the value of one run,

and that's why you play like this.

It's still the group stages?

Did you think you wouldn't lose because we had an easy group?

Don't get arrogant!

If you can't play every game as one team,

how do you think you'll get to nationals?

You guys are banned from training with balls.

Go run until I tell you otherwise.

Clear?

Yes, sir!

Wow! The coach is pissed.

If he gave them endless running, it must be pretty bad.

Hurry up.

Yes, sir.

They caught up in the seventh inning.

It was stressful to watch.

The first inning was just bad.

Yeah.

Kawakami gave up a run after switching in,

but he was the saving grace of today's game.

He pitched really well until the end.

The walks Furuya gave in the first inning

threw them off for the entire game.

He gave up runs in the beginning during the summer, too.

Furuya needs to be more careful in the opening.

It's not about the amazing pitching he can do on a good day.

It's about how close can you get to that pitching on your off days.

You're not the ace until you have that consistency.

Oh?

Oh?

What do you want?

It's what the coach used to tell me all the time.

And now that I'm on the sidelines, I see it very clearly.

We didn't say anything.

I know I'm not one to talk!

Damn it.

Let's go all out!

Yeah!

Well,

One, two!

One, two, three, four, one, two!

all they can do is listen to the coach,

One, two, three, four, one!

and tackle their problems, one at a time.

Let's go!

Two!

Let's go!

Three!

Let's go!

Four!

Let's go!

One!

Ay!

Two!

Ay!

Three!

Ay!

Four!

Ay!

One, two, three, four!

I want to redo today.

One, two, three, four!

One, two!

Three, four, one, two!

I didn't get to play!

One, two, three, four, one!

Was warming up from first to ninth inning

Let's go!

Two!

Let's go!

Three!

Let's go!

Four!

Manager, go turn the lights on.

Let's go!

One!

Ay!

Two!

Ay!

Three!

Ay!

They're not gonna finish any time soon.

Four!

Ay!

One, two, three, four!

Y-Yes, sir.

One, two, three, four!

Yell at the team,

One, two!

Three, four, one, two!

and then have everyone run while shouting.

One, two, three, four, one!

Let's go!

Two!

Let's go!

Three!

How old-fashioned.

Let's go!

Four!

Let's go!

One!

Ay!

Two!

This method works for a team with players of similar calibers.

Ay!

Three!

Ay!

Four!

Ay!

One, two, three, four!

One, two, three, four!

There's no point in putting someone with talent through this.

Seido Spirit Dorm

Huh? Pitching?

Not today.

Aren't your legs like lead after all that running?

So get rest.

I mean,

there were too many problems with today's game,

and I should probably do something as the captain, but...

Coach Ochiai?

What is he doing here?

You felt good in the pen today, didn't you?

But it didn't quite work out so well on the mound.

I know that feeling.

The worse you do on the mound, it leaves you more puzzled and frustrated.

Don't you have a breaking ball that lets you relax?

Y-Yes, sir.

We have a splitter and a slide step,

but I wanted Furuya to get over it himself.

I figured.

I think it was too soon to switch him there, too.

Especially if you want Furuya to grow as the ace.

But the fact that Kawakami pitched nine innings today

works out great for our team,

and the coach just wanted him to cool off in left field.

Look away

Don't ignore me!

I wouldn't have switched him out.

I don't switch out the ace, no matter what.

You just need to hold off a little longer.

I just told the ace and captain about my coaching policy.

What?

Are you sure you don't need to sign up to play professionally?

Yes.

I want to go to my coach's alma mater.

You could be giving up a huge opportunity.

We could get our school's name on TV.

I'm grateful for the offer,

but I want to grow in college first.

I see.

You want to go to Coach Kataoka's alma mater.

Yes.

Well, it would be great to have you be the bridge

between us and M University.

We'll have a brand new team starting next year, so...

Brand new?

P-Principal!

It's fine. He'll find out sooner or later.

What do you mean by that?

No matter what happens with the coaches, we just have faith and follow them.

Right now, he's our only coach.

We'll gladly take them on as a practice game.

Right now, this is the only thing we can do.

We're going all out!

If you don't do the same, we'll kill you all!

Jun-san.

Next time on Ace of the Diamond: Inheritance.

Inheritance

We get to play these amazing people?