The season is now in July, approaching the mid-stage, and the heat of competition is palpable. Pitcher Sugizawa, who has been with the first team since the start of the season, is in exceptional form, boasting a record of 7 wins and 4 losses. Outfielder Takeshita, while not a frequent starter, is a valuable member of the first team, mainly serving as a pinch runner.
In contrast, none of us who started on the second team had yet been promoted to the first team. Taniguchi had hit 12 home runs, but his batting average hovered just above .200. Among the five players drafted the same year and starting on the second team, pitcher Iijima seemed the closest to being called up to the first team. He was a reliable starter for the minor league team, with a record of five wins and two losses, and a stable ERA of 2.90. An underhand pitcher, Iijima typically pitched five or six innings per appearance, maintaining consistency with his soft, deceptive pitches.
That day, we had no game, so after finishing our morning practice, we headed back to the dorm for lunch. As we reached the dormitory entrance, we saw Iijima emerging, dressed in an official team suit and carrying two large bags.
"Where are you heading, Iijima?" Mitamura called out.
"Oh, come on. Where do you think?" Iijima replied, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Are you going on a trip?" Mitamura asked, oblivious to the obvious answer.
"Maybe he's getting promoted to the first team?" I suggested, trying to steer the conversation in a sensible direction.
"Yeah, I got the call this morning," Iijima confirmed, his face lighting up.
"That's why you weren't there for our morning walk," Mitamura remarked.
"No, I overslept. I paid my fine," Iijima admitted with a sheepish grin. If you skip your morning walk, there's a fine (voluntary, but strictly adhered to).
A sudden thought struck me. "By the way, Mim. Were you there yesterday morning?"
Ignoring my diversion, Iijima continued, "For me, this may be my last chance given my age. I'll do my best," he said, getting into a taxi.
Iijima is turning 29 this year, and in the world of professional baseball, time was not on his side.
"I hope Iijima can establish himself on the first team," Haratani said, reflecting the sentiment of everyone in the dormitory.
Many of the players living in the dormitory were young, and Iijima, nearly 30, was the oldest of the residents. Pitcher Sugizawa and outfielder Takeshita were technically dormitory residents, but they were always with the first team and rarely present during the season.
Three days later, I checked a professional baseball news website and saw that Iijima was scheduled to be the starting pitcher for the Shizuoka Oceans in the next day's game. This would be his first start, though he had pitched as a reliever last year, earning one win. With the team struggling with injuries and poor performances among their rotation pitchers, Iijima had been chosen as the right man for the job.
This was a tremendous opportunity for Iijima. Taniguchi, Mitamura, Haratani, and I gathered in the dormitory cafeteria to watch the live broadcast on CS television. Night practice would start a little later today. We all wished him the best.
Iijima took the mound for pitching practice. On TV, he looked smaller than usual. Many professional baseball players are tall, with many standing over 180 cm. Iijima was 176 cm, only 1 cm taller than me at 175 cm.
"It looks like it's going well," Haratani observed. Since he often caught Iijima's pitches during practice, he could probably tell if Iijima was in good form even through the screen.
"I hope he does well," Mitamura said earnestly, a rare moment of unfiltered support.
Taniguchi, though taciturn, watched with a concerned look. Despite his reserved nature, he genuinely cared.
I wanted Iijima to pitch at least five innings and control the game.
The opposing pitcher was Kojima of the Senshu Blacks, a right-handed pitcher in his fifth year as a pro, having started out in the corporate leagues. Kojima had won 10 games last season and had a record of five wins and six losses this season. The Senshu Blacks had a powerful batting lineup, with a team batting average of .254, second in the league, and 61 home runs, the most in the league. However, they also had 50 errors and a team ERA of 4.02, both the worst in the league, making them a typical offensive team. How well could soft-throwing pitcher Iijima contain the Blacks batting lineup?
The game began, and we watched intently, hoping for Iijima to seize this great chance.
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