Hanshin Koshien Stadium, the mecca of high school baseball. The location of the www.biquge.info is neither Osaka nor Kobe. Rather, it is in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, between these two cities.

Early twentieth century. Japan's professional baseball league has not yet been born. At that time, baseball activities were dominated by amateur student competitions.

The university competition is centered in Tokyo. As for the national convention in the junior high school sector, the organizers are all news agencies in the Kansai region. So it was held in the Kansai area from the beginning.

By the twenties. Hanshin Electric Railway, a private railway company in the Kansai region, noticed the amazing capacity of baseball games.

A large baseball stadium was built between Osaka and Kobe, which could accommodate tens of thousands of spectators. In anticipation of a baseball game, the crowds of people traveling between the two major cities and the stadium brought huge benefits to the railroad company.

The course was finally completed in 1924. According to the traditional Ganzhi chronology, this year is the year of Jiazi.

Hence the name Hanshin Koshien Stadium.

Although the purpose of the construction was to conduct student baseball at the beginning. However, after the birth of the professional league, Hanshin Electric Railway, the owner of the stadium, also formed its own professional baseball team.

Koshien Stadium naturally became the home of the Hanshin Tigers, a professional baseball player.

"If there is anything about the existence of the Western Empire, then Koshien Stadium is the altar of the Empire. The national anthem is the Hanshin anthem "Rokko Skull"! ”

On the Shinkansen, a middle-aged man happens to be sitting in the same car as the players of the Peace School Baseball Club. When I heard everyone talking about Koshien, I couldn't help but join in.

"But Mr. Mita, if I'm not mistaken, you're from Tokyo."

This middle-aged man who dresses himself up as an ordinary office worker is actually a professional baseball scout Mita Lee. Yabe recognized this at a glance.

"Huh? Do you recognize me? ”

"I didn't watch your TV show before."

"Now that I've been recognized, there's no way around it. However, I didn't expect to take the same bus back to Kansai as the representative of Nishitokyo. ”

"You see, when you talk about Kansai, you still use the word "reply."

"I've moved to Osaka now, and I'm still in Kintetsu at the end of the active service era. I am very comfortable with Kansai. ”

Osaka Kintetsu is a professional baseball team that once existed in the Kansai region. At the beginning of the 21st century, it merged with other teams for various reasons. In fact, it's a team that has gone out of business.

Mita worked for Kintetsu at the end of his active service era, and he fell in love with the atmosphere of Kansai. The first choice for scouting is also the Hanshin Tigers in the Kansai region.

Unfortunately, after taking office, due to his school connections, he was assigned to return to Tokyo on a permanent basis.

"You see, even though we were a first-time school, we were already the top team in Nishitokyo. Can you tell us what professional baseball scouts think of our team, and if anyone will be drafted by a professional baseball team? ”

Finally seizing the opportunity, Yabe couldn't help but want to find out some news.

"There's some information that's not easy to leak. However, based on the current situation, if the main player Fukushima participates in the draft, there will definitely be a team to choose. But Fukushima, you're planning to go to university. ”

"How do you know that?"

Although it is said that he has been in contact with the baseball club of Okei University, after all, it is a matter of eight words, and Fukushima Ippei has not revealed his thoughts to the outside world.

"I'm also from the Kyungdae Baseball Club, so of course I have my intelligence sources. If you really go to Kyungdae, you'll have to call my seniors when you see me in the future. ”

Fukushima nodded yes.

"And Player Lee."

Mita turned to Li Yuanrang's side.

"How's your left hand?"

"It didn't hurt a bone. It should be able to recover before the start of the game. ”

"That's for the best."

Just asked such a sentence, Sandian no longer continued to talk to Li Yuanrang, but began to talk to everyone about some other issues that did not matter.

The distance between Tokyo and Osaka is about 500 kilometers. By Shinkansen, it takes less than three hours.

Before you know it, the train has stopped at Shin-Osaka Station.

"Then I'll see you first, I'll go to Koshien in a few days to watch everyone's game."

Mita picked up his briefcase, nodded his head lightly and bowed, and then got out of the car first.

The members of the Peace School Park took the bus reserved by the school to the dormitory en masse.

……

Although it is said that the media generally refers to the place where the representative schools from each place live during the competition as a dormitory. In fact, in the current era, most representative schools are rented in hotels in Hyogo and Osaka.

As a representative of Nishitokyo. The hotel where the Peace School Baseball Club stays is the Tori Hotel in Amagasaki City.

This is a comprehensive hotel built at the height of the bubble economy. It is fully equipped with rooms for two people, and the area is much larger than that of most Japanese hotels.

For various reasons, Lee Won rang and Akio Yabe were roommates and were assigned to the same room.

After putting down his luggage, Yabe sat down on his bed and felt the elasticity.

The level of comfort is very different from the wooden hardboard bed in his home.

"Nishitokyo represents the welfare, which is really good. Like some county representatives can only stay in express hotels. ”

Yabe usually likes to collect some materials other than college baseball games. I also have an understanding of the accommodation conditions of the delegates from all over the country.

Basically, the hotel where the Koshien representative stays has little choice. Representatives from all over the world have long-term partners.

Some prefectures have agreements with express hotels within the Osaka metropolitan area. The room was small and not close to the court.

There are also some places where representatives stay at traditional ryokans. Although the service attitude and hardware conditions are not bad. However, the players slept on tatami mats and had to go to public baths, which always felt a little detrimental to maintaining their condition.

Comparatively speaking, the Dawn Hotel, which has long hosted representatives of Nishitokyo, is modern enough. And it's not too far from Koshien.

"How are you going to arrange it for the next few days?"

Li Yuanrang asked.

"In a few days, we will decide on the schedule for Koshien practice. Then each school has the opportunity to practice for half an hour in Koshien......"

"It's only half an hour?"

"After all, there are more than 40 teams that take turns to practice. And it's better not to rain, otherwise it won't even be half an hour. ”

Koshien Stadium is an outdoor venue and is close to the sea, so it is not uncommon for games to be interrupted or cancelled due to rain in the summer.

There is also a record of Koshien practice for college teams being interrupted or shortened by rainy weather.

"What about the rest of the time?"

"It depends on what Sato-sensei and Fukushima arrange tomorrow. But the rest of the day is free and easy. ”

"So you can go and see Koshien now?"

"Now?"

Li Yuanrang nodded. (To be continued.) )