Original subtitles

Seido Spirit Dorm

Our first opponent is Teito?

We're in the worst possible bracket.

Your luck at drawing is so unreliable.

Isn't it exciting?

It's not funny!

The Fall Tournament Begins!

They've been to the nationals twenty-one times,

and they've won twice.

They do so well every year that it's strange

not to see them at nationals.

Captain and catcher, Kengo Inui, hits hard and throws hard.

Taiyo Mukai pitched at nationals as a first-year.

These two started at nationals and led the team.

They got the team to the round of 16.

They have a second-year who can throw at 87 mph,

but Taiyo is probably their real ace.

He's a southpaw sidearm, and his best pitch is the screwball.

It's not a common pitch, so it might be problematic.

It breaks in from behind for lefty batters, too.

Pass up the low breaking balls,

and aim for the ones that come a little higher.

Let's follow this simple strategy.

We'll do more hit and runs, too.

Put pressure on the pitcher by running aggressively.

They'll have a strategy against us, too.

It's all about how composed you can be under pressure.

Learn to enjoy playing against strong opponents.

Let's have fun and win!

Yes, sir!

Their first game is against the tournament favorite.

At this point, I'd really like to leave this game to Furuya alone.

Give him the much-needed experience he needs before I take the reins.

Oh, well. My time will come soon enough.

I should probably talk to the players I favor beforehand.

Damn! It's too high!

No, it's not that bad.

Focusing too much on my aim doesn't quite work.

I think staring at the mitt is making me too tense.

I need to relax.

relaxed

What are you smiling for?

I just tighten up at the last second...

...into my fingertips.

Nice pitch, Sawamura!

It felt good!

That's the key!

I need to write it down, so I don't forget!

No! No time for that!

I've gotta pound it into my body!

Calm down!

He's probably focused on aiming,

but I think his pitch is sharper than usual because he's more relaxed.

Relaxed, and then...

It's not bad.

But...

If he can't pitch to the inside,

he's useless on the mound.

If he won't pitch in games, maybe he'll be useful in a different way.

Sergeant!

Are you perhaps free right now?

Yes, you with the droopy brows!

If you are, could you be an umpire?

I'm not exactly free.

What are you saying?

You're always taking naps in the dugout.

I'm sure it's not easy to be around so many new faces,

but how about trying to mingle a little?

I'm not a transfer student.

I'm sorry. He's a little special.

shuffle shuffle

What a drag.

He's so slow!

When it's a strike, please say it loud and clear!

Don't be shy!

Is he trying to befriend me, knowing I'm the next coach?

No, he's not that smart.

Say, do you want to switch to sidearm?

You practice because you don't want to lose.

That's what you said.

Then instead of wasting your shoulder away right here,

why don't you become a practice pitcher for the team?

National Champions

At your level, that's all you're worth.

That is crazy fast.

Are you sure someone actually throws that fast, Inui-san?

Taiyo,

you probably don't know because you didn't come to the practice game,

but there is.

He's a first-year, too.

They have a unique southpaw, too.

He pitched against Inashiro, and he's a first-year, too.

Well, I don't exactly know much about the pitchers from the west division,

and they're not from Tokyo, right?

I've never heard of them.

Screw those guys.

I'm the best pitcher of my generation.

I won't let Tokyo be taken over by outsiders.

Nice pitch.

What was with that silence?

Here I go!

TOSS

Yes!

What do you think of my sidearm?

I think it's good!

Yeah, nice joke.

Hilarious.

Good joke, Sawamura.

W-Was it really that weird?

How can he be this bad?

We're up against a southpaw sidearm pitcher next.

So as the only southpaw here, I thought I'd help out!

I see.

What's that supposed to mean?

Did you think up that idea yourself?

Sir!

I got a bit of advice from the sergeant, sir!

Who?

Sergeant?

Practice pitcher?

And switching to sidearm?

I see. That's a good idea.

I'd get more practice out of pitching at batters,

and if that's going to help out the team,

it might be a good idea.

Wait! Are you serious, Sawamura? You're okay with that?

Oh?

So he isn't exactly oblivious to his current situation.

Boss! I'll pitch!

There're four more days until the game!

Just give me the go, and I'll pitch all I can!

I could even go submarine, too, if you'd like!

Sawamura.

Do you know what you're saying?

You're basically saying you'll give up the ace position.

Eijun-kun.

We don't need a clown sidearm pitcher.

You're interfering with our practice. Go away!

I-Interfering?!

Start warming up!

It's not like I want to do this.

I just wanted to help out the team.

Sawamura.

I thought you were eagerly practicing your outside pitch.

Why did you give that up?

Trying to help out the team?

Well, thank you for trying.

But if you change your form to a sloppy sidearm,

what will you have left?

Miyuki.

We'll have situational field practice again.

Have the pitchers ready, too.

Yes, sir.

Batters, practice sign exchange with runners!

Pressure the pitcher from the base!

Yes, sir!

Coach.

Should I let Sawamura pitch, as well?

Yes.

Tell him to pitch with his normal form.

He's a valuable pitcher, and if he breaks his form right now,

it'll ruin our chances of winning.

A valuable pitcher?

You've gotta be kidding.

A sloppy sidearm is better than nothing.

Runner on first!

No outs!

Give me a low one!

Steal!

First!

Nice one, Furuya!

You jammed the batter.

Even if you allow runners, you'll do fine if you pitch low.

Don't try to get lazy strikes.

The Teito batters will have a field day.

Next, Sawamura!

Y-Yes, sir!

Outfield, home plate!

Situational practice might be good, but you do this all the time.

Unlike the summer tournament,

all the teams are still adjusting in the fall.

So it really comes down to what the coach can do.

How do you plan to win against the nationally acclaimed Teito?

I want to know your ability as a baseball coach,

not as a mentor.

Why did you give that up?

Sawamura, you look stiff!

Relax!

I did it because I wasn't confident.

relaxed

There's only one thing I can do.

super relaxed

Damn it!

I'm so stupid!

What is baseball to you, Coach Okamoto?

Fire.

The coach's and the players' spirits clash aggressively, and sparks fly!

That's what starts it all.

Teito Junior & Senior High School

No matter how good you become technically,

or how good your practice environment is,

if the players on the field are empty, there's no chance you can win!

You idiot!

What was that?

I'll catch the next one! Gimme another!

Cocky.

Here!

What controls your techniques and body?

The heart!

It is my role as the coach to build the fire within the players!

You're losing focus right when you catch!

He's still as passionate as ever.

He's already sixty-five, right?

If you can't even catch properly, how will you take the top, stupids?

You have to push yourself to catch those.

He's a master at feeding.

Looks like the impenetrable defense is still there in the new team.

Second base!

Nice, Furuya!

Nice fielding!

blush

Don't get excited!

Listen to Miyuki and throw as he says!

Teito has a lot of fast runners this year!

Discern the situation before the play happens!

Don't just go with the flow!

The tougher the situation, the more you have to talk!

super relaxed

super relaxed

You okay?

Strike!

On the outside edge?

Yeah, doesn't it feel far away?

That was a good pitch!

Wasn't it?

But can you do something about your smile?

What?

Why would I smile on the battlefield?

It's way better to practice with batters.

Why did you give that up?

I won't waver anymore.

super relaxed

I've decided!

Hey! Your face!

Right on!

That was a ball, stupid!

The ball goes away from the inside.

It's not bad practice,

but a sidearm would have a bigger angle.

You guys played against Mukai in junior high, right?

He definitely has a bigger angle,

but his use of ins, outs, and corners was just on a different level.

He got us good in the last tournament.

He got really good in his third year.

Ins and outs?

And the corners?

He rarely throws meatballs, and he finishes with a breaking ball.

Most batters get jammed on his low pitch.

Don't swing at the balls.

That's the bare minimum in taking him down.

Next, deep corner.

Deep corner.

I first heard this expression six months ago.

Huh? Nine sections?

With your control, I don't see why not.

To be honest, nine's too easy.

What?

Why would you need more than nine?

When I heard what this new first-year said,

I thought I had been struck by lightning.

In-out and high-low.

Having the control to pitch to the four corners is already pretty good.

Nine requires more control.

I mean, I'm not throwing to a target on a wall, you know.

The strike zone has depth.

When I discovered this in junior high,

I grew to love pitching.

Or maybe I became a junkie?

Depth?

Let's say we split the strike zone into nine sections.

You want to add depth?

Is this what Taiyo sees?

A three-dimensional strike zone?

That was a strike, right?

Lightning strikes once more!

H-He literally plays on a different dimension.

Can I pitch another one, Inui-san?

But there are exceptions.

A rare breed of players who burn hot without my assistance.

Taiyo Mukai.

We've taken the top twice before,

and people like him were there, as well.

Seido High School Practice Field

September 30

Everyone was practicing till late yesterday.

Mukai-kun controls the batters with his impressive ball control.

In order to avoid swinging at balls,

you have to draw in the pitch

and hit toward the right.

You can't discern the low balls without being attentive.

The fact that everyone as a whole is practicing with this idea in mind

is proof that everyone realizes

we lack batting power compared to last year.

The third-years practiced a ton,

but these guys are practicing just as much.

Your swing still looks cramped.

You're trying to hit to the right too much,

and the head of the bat is tilting down.

If you go off-balance or the bat tilts,

you can't hit strong.

In your case, don't try to hit over the second baseman,

but try to hit over the shortstop.

Over the shortstop?

Don't try to uncomfortably hit to the right.

Wait to swing until the last second,

and then smack it head on.

Nicely done.

You swing like that, and we'll have ourselves a game.

Yes, sir!

The hit naturally flew to the right.

Wait for the pitch, and then smack it straight!

It'll be a rare matchup against a southpaw sidearm pitcher,

but right-handed batters can see the pitch coming.

The Teito game might depend on our right-handed batters.

Nice pitch, Kawakami!

Nori-senpai looks pumped.

I can't lose as a sidearm pitcher.

In the group stages, I didn't have a chance to pitch.

But it's not that I don't have anything.

I need to be ready anytime.

That's the least I can do!

Okay, Sawamura!

Nice pitch!

His pitch is looking really sharp.

Why don't you try what Sawamura's trying?

Though you don't need to copy his smile.

ignore

I'm not smiling!

The mound is mine.

Let's do this, Kariba!

Furuya will start tomorrow.

Yes, sir.

That's the starting lineup.

October 1

Day Before Game

The weather report said it'll rain tomorrow,

but we won't know for sure till the game.

Prepare for the game and get a good rest tonight.

Yes, sir!

You're back in the three-hole, Zono!

I did it.

We can't lose.

You bet.

I have one more thing to say.

We're playing against the Teito.

They're not an easy opponent.

However, don't overestimate your opponent

or try to play differently.

You are your own worst enemy.

The quickest way to win is to play like you practice.

Did anyone quit during the summer off-season training?

No.

You guys practiced just as hard as the third-years did.

No matter what, never give up.

Have pride in the sweat you've dropped.

National Champions

I have faith in you.

It was like he was speaking his final words.

Do the best you can tomorrow.

Words to push each and every one of us forward.

You're not quitting.

If we win in the fall,

we'll go to the invitational.

Don't lose...

...like we did.

We have reasons why we can't lose.

Meeting adjourned.

We have to take him to nationals.

Thank you!

We have to be strong enough

that our resolve will not waver in the rain!

Strong.

Fall Tokyo High School Baseball Tournament, First Round

Teito (East) vs Seido (West)

The Teito game begins in the rain.

Their ace, Mukai,

is taking command of the Seido batters with his control.

I won't lose.

Let's do this, Furuya!

Overpower them with your pitch!

The rosin bag doesn't help at all.

Next time on Ace of the Diamond Season 2: The Cold Rain.

The Cold Rain

Let's win the national title!