It’s not the first time. It’s already been an annual event for three years. In the first year 2021 he allowed no runs in nine innings and one run in nine innings the following year. 사설토토 There is no replacement. They all threw to the end. This means that he has won three consecutive games. He had to throw 147 and 131 pitches, respectively. It is a journey of living legend Ichiro Suzuki, who recently turned 50 years old.
If you take off your hat, you’ll see your half-white hair. At first glance, it is difficult to understand why they are playing this game against high school girls. Modifiers such as wrist twisting and ruthlessness also appear. Borrowed Tokyo Dome and broadcast live on airwaves across the country.
Why on earth is he doing this. What’s the point. To show off one’s strength? For the boom in women’s baseball? You have to look a little far to get an answer to this question. We should start with a story that may be out of the blue.
It’s already been 14 years. It was spring 2009. A small welcome dinner was held at Lotte Hotel in Seoul. The guest in a black suit looks emotional. But it’s a little strange. It’s not a healthy appearance. I’m in a wheelchair. It is also equipped with an oxygen respirator.
Until a few days ago, I thought I had to go to Korea even though I had been wandering around with pneumonia. It’s because this is a time that I’ve dreamed of for 35 years. I’m so happy to be able to come back to Korea and come back to my health. His name is Teruki Fujita. He is the chairman of a foundation that runs several schools in Japan’s Kansai region. He continues his story with a short breath.
“When I was in the fifth grade of elementary school, my teacher first taught me about Korea. He told me that it is the origin of our Japan and that it is a great country like my brother. If it wasn’t for that teacher, I wouldn’t have known the right history. I think it is the role of educators to teach students so that Japan does not make the same mistakes.
Chiben Academy. It is a private school foundation that he founded in 1964. It operates eight elementary, middle and high schools in regions such as Wakayama and Nara. High school students here come to Korea every year for school trips. It has been going on since 1975.
There were many twists and turns. When Korea-Japan relations suffered a serious conflict, when the sense of crisis heightened due to North Korea’s missile launch…. There was a flurry of opposition from parents. Still, I persuaded him, persuaded him, and forced him. It didn’t stop for 45 years until the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 20,000 Japanese high school students went to Seoul and Gyeongju.
To atone for 35 years of Japanese colonial rule in Korea, to teach that the origin of Japanese culture is Silla and Baekje. The chairman’s will remained unchanged. Even after his death, his son Kiyoshi Fujita, who took office as the second chairman, supported his father’s maintenance.
It was November five years ago 2018. It was when Ichiro 45 years old at the time had a lot of thoughts. It is a time when I was agonizing over the crossroads between active duty and retirement. Still, the training doesn’t stop. It is time to sweat for a long time near the relevant place Kobe, Orix. The ground right next to it is full of shouts. Regional qualifiers for the Koshien high school baseball tournament were taking place.
At first glance, you can see an electronic display. The score is terrible. It’s 12-0. ‘Oh, is it a cold game?’ I didn’t guess wrong. It’s hard to get past the fifth inning. One or two out now is the end. It was then. His eyes and ears face one place. It’s the cheering squad for the losing team on the outfield stand. This is the image of hundreds of students, bands and cheerleaders. It looks the same as the first episode. There is not an inch of disruption. I don’t care about defeat. I clap with all my passion, and shout out my voice. I was with the players until the last out count.
It was the school. He is a student at Chiben Academy Wakayama with a unique tradition and educational philosophy. A legend about to retire came to a great realization. Form your own baseball team. We brought together the people around us. They are trainers, interpreters, and acquaintances. The team was named Kobe Chiben. However, I dared to think that the Chinese character notation of Chiben was disrespectful. He decided to sing the song in English only if possible.
A year later, he challenged Wakayama Chiben Academy. It’s the school that impressed me a lot. There was a battle with a team of faculty there. It was the first official match of Ichiro’s team, Kobe Chiben. The result is obvious. It ended with a landslide 14-0 victory. Again, starting pitcher Ichiro threw a complete game. He caught 16K by the ninth inning. From the following year, the opponent will change. The girls’ high school selection team is a partner. And it goes on for three years.
Enjoying it in moderation? There is no such thing. Aren’t you already 50 lines old. If you exceed the limit pitch, you get pain all over your body. Calf, thigh, waist, shoulder, elbow. There’s no place that doesn’t hurt. Still, he doesn’t give up. He sits down, gets up, and throws again. He limps and takes the mound.
This is the impression of Ichiro, the founder of the event, Kobe Chiben’s owner, manager and coach, and ace pitcher. The tension I feel every time is beyond my imagination. Maybe it’s the first time since WBC. It’s a feeling I didn’t experience well even when I was a player. I play with my own limitations. It’s a very meaningful time.”
The batters who have faced such a pitcher also feel differently. This is the story of Kiyoshi Fujita, the son of the first chairman, who emphasized an apology to Korea, the chairman of Wakayama Chiben Academy. He also played as the designated hitter in the 14-0 loss.
“I can’t hit Ichiro’s ball. It’s an honor just to play. “What I’m most grateful for is that they do their best to deal with us until the end.” Nakajima Lisa, the coach of the women’s high school team, says something similar. “Mr. Ichiro threw it with all his might. I’m so grateful for that. This valuable experience will be a great help to our players.”
Japan calls it Kusayaku. It would mean neighborhood baseball and grassroots baseball. Working hard to prepare. Doing your best. Giving everything when you’re on the ground. That it is respect for the other person. It’s something he’s been doing all his life. You have to protect it from the grass roots. That would be his message.