High School Baseball
I don’t watch baseball games in the professional leagues, but I love the baseball games of high school students. In Japan, baseball contests are held every spring and summer, and the games held in summer are more popular than those in spring. This is because in the summer contest, every high school’s baseball team can join without selections, and all of them can win on the strenght of their ability.
Then, each prefecture’s winning team can join the national contest held in Koshien stadium in Hyogo prefecture. Joining the national contest is a matter of high prestige for all baseball players in high schools. Also, I’m not too familiar with this, but professional baseball teams scout for new talent in the contest.
The reason why I love the contest is that it is held once a year, and that the players play for all they’re worth. Especially the third graders, for whom the contest is the last one of their high school lives, are very enthusiatic for each game. Since they have practiced so hard for a year to win the first prize in the contest, they will put in a huge effort and give their best in each game. So, even people like me who watch the games on televisioon, let alone those who watch the live games, can feel their zeal for the game, and we are impressed by their performance.
When I watch the games, I don’t mind the outcome of the game so much. However, I want to feel the enthusiasm for the game and share the feeling of the players, if possible. When a game finishes, all the players of the defeated team will certainly cry bitterly with chagrin. Instinctively, I nearly cry myself and I want both teams to win, even I know it can’t be done. But both their smiles and cries impress me deeply, and I want to give them frantic support.
The national contest is going to be held soon. I’m really, really looking forward to watching it. The games will surely give me lots of enthusiasm and make a big impression!
Comments
>Hiroko tells me that both you and Yukiko went to a high school that has a baseball team — did you follow their games?
Yes! When I was a second grader in high school, the baseball team was rather stronger than in previous years. They were fourth winner in Mie prefecture in the summer contest, though they couldn’t join the national contest. At that time, I belonged to a cheer leaders group which was temporarily organised by the girls because my high school didn’t have one. I was dancing in a miniskirt…so ashamed, though.
My high school has a baseball team, but the one in my high school days was not very good. The team could win few games, and I’ve never followed the games… Now I think I should have been to the stadium BECAUSE my high school baseball team was not strong.
Hi, stu.
>What is different about the matches held in spring? Are they more unfair?
I don’t know well about the difference, but as far as I know, the host of the contest is different. Also, in spring contest, the baseball teams who can join the natinal contest are selected by recommendation through the record of the baseball contest held in the last autumn, and no local contests are held. So, all the baseball teams in Japan cannnot always join the contest in spring, and if a baseball team can join it or not is up to the recommendation, not their strength at that time. But, the recommedation is not unfair, I think. It may be done fairly to the last contest, though the team members might be changed because of the entrance and graduation. While in summer one, every team join the local contest in each prefecture, and the winner is allowed to join the natinal contest. Then the winner in the natinal contest is more definitely recognised as the top of Japanese high school baseball teams.
Today, the national contest held in Koshien stadium began. Surprisingly I heard that a regional American television station are interviewing the contest to make a ducumentary program. In the document, they will search for the origin of Japanese baseball in the contest, for Japanese famous baseball players who play in major league of America, such as Ichiro and Hideki Matusi, did also join the contest when they were high school students.
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Great post!
Hiroko tells me that both you and Yukiko went to a high school that has a baseball team — did you follow their games?
Myself, I’m not a great sports enthusiast, and much of the excitement is entirely lost on me. One student recently handed in an essay to me in which he expressed his frustration with the baseball team he joined for a short while back in high school. Not being a very strong player, he found it impossible to keep up with the drills and the competitiveness, so he dropped out after a short while. He’s now in a soccer circle, where he finds all the fun and cameraderie that baseball couldn’t offer him, and which, I think, sports should be all about.
You might be interested in Captain J’s recent review of Robert Whiting’s latest book, The Meaning of Ichiro.