When Li Yuan asked the group to finish filming and left the gymnasium, it was already dark. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

Yabe sent an email to Captain Fukushima and Mr. Sato informing them of a possible practice match. Soon got a reply from the other party. Mr. Sato said that he had received an email from Kai General and said that he would call tomorrow to confirm the matter.

So the four of them bought drinks from the vending machines on the side of the road and drank them as they walked. By the way, let's start talking about the outlook for the two races at the weekend.

"Masaoka was really a pitcher before?"

Li Yuanrang said the question he had been trying to ask just now.

Occasionally, players from outside of Fukushima practice pitching. But since Lee joined the baseball club, he has never seen Masaoka do pitching practice.

"Anyway, I didn't see him pitch in my three years of middle school. No, I don't even see him very often when I'm training. ”

Akio Yabe and Masaoka have been teammates since middle school. However, Yabe has been a starter since the first grade, and Masaoka has been a member of the ghost department until the third grade.

Strangely, after entering high school, Masaoka was not absent from training much.

"When I was in elementary school, I was the ace of the team!"

Masaoka replied.

"I can testify to this, I hit a home run from him when I was in elementary school."

"Tian Gu, why didn't you mention that you ate me three times in one game!"

"But in the end, it wasn't a goodbye home run that lost to me!"

"That's because the pitch for elementary school students is too small......"

Along the way, the Nishitokyo Junior League's rivals are reviewing a match from their elementary school days. But halfway through the fight, Tian Gu suddenly stopped.

"A question comes to mind."

Tian Gu said.

"Masaoka, when you were in elementary school, you threw right and hit right, right?"

"Oh, really? Isn't Masaoka left-handed? ”

Yabe has been teammates with Masaoka since middle school, and at that time he appeared in front of everyone as a left-hander.

Don't say it's playing ball, I usually use my left hand to write and eat.

For this reason, when the baseball club eats together, everyone is not happy to sit on the left side of Masaoka.

"Actually...... My left-handedness came later. ”

Reluctantly, Masaoka admits it.

"For the sake of baseball?"

Li Yuanrang knew that many left-handers on the baseball field were actually trained the day after tomorrow.

The left-hand player will be closer to first base when he hits, and if the speed can effectively improve the on-base rate, the infield bocce will become an infield hit.

On the other hand, if the left throw is used as a pitcher, it can effectively restrain the opponent's left player, and on the other hand, there is an urban legend that the left throw looks faster.

However, although Masaoka trained himself to shoot left and left, he did not continue to serve as a pitcher. Now the left throw brings him the convenience of passing and receiving the ball as a first baseman.

Not to mention that things other than baseball, such as eating and writing, have also switched to the left hand, which is a bit of an exaggeration.

"Probably because of Junko's seniors."

Junko Fujiwara is a well-known left-handed person in the entertainment industry. This is so famous that even Yabe, who usually only occasionally watches entertainment programs, knows it.

"What about throwing the ball with your left hand?"

Li Yuanrang then asked.

"Haven't tried ...... once"

Masaoka replied a little weakly.

……

The day before the competition, Mr. Sato called everyone together and held a stack of cloth with black numbers printed on a white background.

"The opponent said that they would wear a jersey with a back number in Saturday's game, so I hope we will have a back number on our shirt as well......"

For this reason, the ceremony was supposed to take place before the start of the summer preliminaries.

Ace and fourth captain Ichihei Fukushima deservedly got the No. 1. Catcher Akio Yabe is the number two, and first baseman Masaoka is the number three.

The other players were also given numbers in order according to their positions.

The ninth to be called by name was Li Yuanrang. He will play in the number nine shirt this summer. This means that Lee will play as a starting right fielder.

And Takoki, who had experience as a right fielder in elementary school, is now a substitute for the baseball club. I got the back number of "ten".

Li Yuanrang took the piece of cloth in his hand and asked a question.

"How do I get this number on my jersey?"

Judging by common sense, is it difficult to sew it yourself? But I've never done needlework.

"Well, look at the back, just glue it on......"

Yabe began to explain various things about the back number to Li Yuanrang.

In Japanese college baseball, the numbers on the jersey are not printed or embroidered. Instead, it is printed on a piece of cloth that the player who gets the number needs to attach to the jersey.

In the past years, the back number was indeed sewn in most cases. The players who live at home often ask their mothers to sew, while the baseball players who live in the dormitory usually do it themselves.

The vast majority of teenagers who play baseball in high school will not pursue a career in baseball in the future. Memories of being a college ball are just a small fragment of life's path.

After graduating, many people remove their sweat and mud numbers from their jerseys, frame them in a photo frame, and place them prominently in their homes.

The cloth that was once sewn on the jersey by her mother or herself, and the back number on it that represents becoming a member of the team, are the commemorative medals of this youth.

However, times are advancing, and the back number on the jersey is not always hand-sewn now.

For example, for the convenience of the players, the baseball club of the Peace School has reserved a place for the velcro hook and loop on the back of the team uniforms used for the game. When using the back number, just glue the cloth with Velcro directly on. No more hands-on sewing.

It's convenient, but the disadvantage is that it doesn't have the sense of ritual in the past.

Of course, if the team really enters Koshien, the cloth with the back number will be uniformly distributed by Takano Ren, and it will still be more formal with sewing.

In this case, the school will ask a skilled person to take care of the shirt at the same time, rather than letting the players or parents do it themselves.

……

In the afternoon of the next day, the bright red bus of Kai appeared on the campus of the Peace School as promised.

Li Yuanrang came to the stadium for the first time wearing a jersey with a number. A group of staff wearing black T-shirts were spotted on the sidelines of the venue debugging various photographic equipment. There were more people than there were spectators.

Although he doesn't watch much TV, Li Yuanrang, who is an animation enthusiast, recognized the LOGO of "Dongdu TV" on these people's clothes at a glance.

It is one of the five largest private wireless television stations in Japan. Dongdu TV is known for not interrupting the broadcast of cartoons no matter what happens.

"I guess it's a show hosted by Takeda to shoot the material."

Yabe said.

Although he has limited interest in entertainment programs and anime, Yabe is probably the one who watches the most TV in the entire baseball club. He will not be left behind in major TV stations and baseball-related programs. Of course, most of them take advantage of the TV's time-lapse recording function.

After Kazuya Takeda was positioned as a college ball artist, there was a title program called "Kazuya Takeda's Road to Glory" in the late-night session of Toto TV. In addition to introducing the latest news about college baseball in various parts of Japan, the content also includes Takeda's own daily work and game shooting. The show is regularly recorded and viewed every week.

For example, in a practice match like today's friendly match, a few minutes of wonderful footage will usually be cut out in the program and broadcast.

"Looks like I'm going to be on TV today!"

Tian Guwu, who was excited, only remembered after saying this sentence that he still had to sit on the bench in this game.