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Gurazeni: Money Pitch (2018) - S01 - CR vs Commie

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Commie

▶ [HorribleRips] Gurazeni S1 - 01 [1080p]

▶ [Commie] Gurazeni - 01v2 [805E9F43]

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to inform you that I make 18 million yen per year.

I'm twenty-six years old and single.

I'm 26 years old and single.

What's that? "You don't look like a big shot to me," you say?

Hey, I can't help how I look...

I earn most of my money at night,

though I sometimes work during the day on weekends.

Don't get the wrong idea! My job isn't anything unsavory.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you've caught on by now.

That's right!

I'm a...

...professional baseball player!

professional baseball player!

Here in Jingu Stadium, it's the third game of the series against the Osaka Tempters.

He grounds it to the shortstop for a 6-4-3 double play!

And just like that, the Tempters are back to square one!

What do you think, guest commentator Manaka-san?

What do you think, guest commentator Manaka?

That's gotta be a load off of Shibuya's mind.

That was a tricky spot that could have shifted the balance of the game completely.

That was a tricky spot that could've shifted the balance of the game completely.

The momentum's back on their side now.

My name is Bonda Natsunosuke.

I'm a left-handed middle relief pitcher for the Jingu Spiders.

Natsunosuke. Back to the bench.

Huh? But I've only thrown ten pitches...

Huh?

I think it's too early. Come back out next inning.

But I've only thrown ten pitches.

I think it's too early.

Come back out next inning.

Right.

This is Sakota-san, the bullpen coach.

This is Sakota, the bullpen coach.

He watches how the game unfolds and decides who to warm up when.

That's right. This is my workplace.

Of course, I spend time on the mound, too,

Of course, I spend time on the mound too, but I spend the vast majority of my time right here,

but I spend the vast majority of my time right here,

in the bullpen!

When I'm not pitching, I talk with the guys while we watch the game,

or research my opponents in the player directory.

I might look at players I expect to face off with today, for example.

I'm often brought in to get a single left-handed hitter out,

I'm often brought in to get a single left-handed batter out,

so I'll check all the left-handers on the bench in advance.

so I'll check all the left-handers on their bench in advance.

I'll pay closest attention to the guys who just came up from the minors.

Takekawa, huh?

What part of their profiles am I looking at in particular?

Of course, I look at their career numbers and how they performed the previous year...

Of course, I look at their career numbers and how they performed the previous year,

But most important is their contract!

but most important is their contract!

Okay, ready to go.

Right, right!

Murai.

22 million!

Oh, just missed it! It's 22.5 million!

Oh, so close!

It's 22.5 million!

Missed the decimal point, huh?

Okay, next one... Narita?

Okay, next one...

Think he broke the top ten in batting average last year, so...

Narita?

42 million!

Think he broke the top ten in batting average last year, so 42 million!

You got it! Points for speed.

You got it!

Bonda-san, you really are incredible.

Points for speed.

This is our "contract quiz," and I've got the best record in the club.

Bonda, you really are incredible.

This is our "contract quiz," and I've got the best record in the clubhouse.

We're surprisingly interested in others' contracts.

Well, less "surprisingly" and more..."extremely"?

Well, less "surprisingly" and more... "extremely"?

In a way, it's everything to us.

The money is what makes you a pro.

We end up seeing those with bigger contracts as above us,

We end up seeing those with bigger contracts as above us, and those with smaller ones as below us.

and those with smaller ones as below us.

If you get right down to it, that's what it means to be a pro.

The Tempters will be making a substitution.

Takekawa will be hitting for Ushima.

There he is! 9 million!

There he is! Nine million!

Okay, Natsunosuke. You're in.

Right!

Manager Tanabe of the Spiders is stepping out of the bullpen.

Manager Tanabe of the Spiders is stepping out of the dugout.

He's probably going to bring out a southpaw.

The Spiders will be making a pitching substitution.

Bonda will be pitching for Kishida.

Jersey number 39.

Once again, Bonda Natsunosuke heads for the mound.

Plus one in the "games pitched" column.

Add one to the "games pitched" column.

A middle reliever's salary will reflect his number of games pitched.

Listen up, Bonda-kun.

Listen up, Bonda.

The world of pro sports is a harsh one.

A single injury, and it can be all over.

Take my advice: don't touch that signing bonus until you retire.

That's what my scout, Yasuda-san, told me when I went pro.

That's what my scout, Yasuda, told me when I went pro.

So I haven't touched one red cent of my signing bonus.

As the last pick in the draft,

As the last pick in the draft, my signing bonus was a crummy 15 million!

my signing bonus was a crummy 15 million!

Your average family man could earn that in three years!

Baseball is a job where your years are limited once you cross thirty.

And only a fraction of us land a coaching or commentating gig after we retire.

I've known many whose income dropped to seven digits the year after they retired.

So while I'm twenty-six, the age when baseball pros are supposedly at their peak,

I can't be earning just 18 million per year!

I need to earn more, or I won't have enough for the rest of my life!

"There's money buried under the pitch."

"There's money buried under the diamond."

That's a phrase you hear a lot.

It's true, too.

It's true too.

Those words play in my mind as a constant refrain.

There's money buried under the pitch. Money Pitch!

There's money buried under the diamond.

Hey, we've got more action on the Tempters' bench!

Money Diamond!

Hey, we've got more action from the Tempters' bench!

A pinch hitter for their pinch hitter?

Now they're bringing out a righty.

I thought they'd hold on to him a little longer.

The Tempters are announcing a change of hitter.

Doi, jersey number 50, will be hitting for Takekawa.

Doi, wearing number 50, will be hitting for Takekawa.

Now I must pitch to a right-hander, a matchup that puts me at a disadvantage.

But it's common enough.

This hitter, Doi...

Four years as a pro, with a 7 million contract.

When he joined the Tempters,

When he joined the Tempters, he got a lot of press for being a rookie with two kids.

he got a lot of press for being a rookie with two kids.

Hey, now!

Doi-san, I know you just came up from the minors today.

Doi, I know you just came up from the minors today.

Yusuke

Still, I need to beat you.

What's more,

What's more, if it turns out you couldn't hit off a left-hander like me,

if it turns out you couldn't hit a left-hander like me,

you'll probably be dropped back to the minors right away!

you'll probably

be dropped back to the minors right away!

A bunt?!

That's right! He's fast, too!

That's right! He's fast too!

Catch!

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CR
▶ [HorribleRips] Gurazeni S1 - 01 [1080p]

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to inform you that I make 18 million yen per year.
I'm twenty-six years old and single.
What's that? "You don't look like a big shot to me," you say?
Hey, I can't help how I look...
I earn most of my money at night,
though I sometimes work during the day on weekends.
Don't get the wrong idea! My job isn't anything unsavory.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you've caught on by now.
That's right!
I'm a...
...professional baseball player!
Here in Jingu Stadium, it's the third game of the series against the Osaka Tempters.
He grounds it to the shortstop for a 6-4-3 double play!
And just like that, the Tempters are back to square one!
What do you think, guest commentator Manaka-san?
That's gotta be a load off of Shibuya's mind.
That was a tricky spot that could have shifted the balance of the game completely.
The momentum's back on their side now.
My name is Bonda Natsunosuke.
I'm a left-handed middle relief pitcher for the Jingu Spiders.
Natsunosuke. Back to the bench.
Huh? But I've only thrown ten pitches...
I think it's too early. Come back out next inning.
Right.
This is Sakota-san, the bullpen coach.
He watches how the game unfolds and decides who to warm up when.
That's right. This is my workplace.
Of course, I spend time on the mound, too,
but I spend the vast majority of my time right here,
in the bullpen!
When I'm not pitching, I talk with the guys while we watch the game,
or research my opponents in the player directory.
I might look at players I expect to face off with today, for example.
I'm often brought in to get a single left-handed hitter out,
so I'll check all the left-handers on the bench in advance.
I'll pay closest attention to the guys who just came up from the minors.
Takekawa, huh?
What part of their profiles am I looking at in particular?
Of course, I look at their career numbers and how they performed the previous year...
But most important is their contract!
Okay, ready to go.
Right, right!
Murai.
22 million!
Oh, just missed it! It's 22.5 million!
Missed the decimal point, huh?
Okay, next one... Narita?
Think he broke the top ten in batting average last year, so...
42 million!
You got it! Points for speed.
Bonda-san, you really are incredible.
This is our "contract quiz," and I've got the best record in the club.
We're surprisingly interested in others' contracts.
Well, less "surprisingly" and more..."extremely"?
In a way, it's everything to us.
The money is what makes you a pro.
We end up seeing those with bigger contracts as above us,
and those with smaller ones as below us.
If you get right down to it, that's what it means to be a pro.
The Tempters will be making a substitution.
Takekawa will be hitting for Ushima.
There he is! 9 million!
Okay, Natsunosuke. You're in.
Right!
Manager Tanabe of the Spiders is stepping out of the bullpen.
He's probably going to bring out a southpaw.
The Spiders will be making a pitching substitution.
Bonda will be pitching for Kishida.
Jersey number 39.
Once again, Bonda Natsunosuke heads for the mound.
Plus one in the "games pitched" column.
A middle reliever's salary will reflect his number of games pitched.
Listen up, Bonda-kun.
The world of pro sports is a harsh one.
A single injury, and it can be all over.
Take my advice: don't touch that signing bonus until you retire.
That's what my scout, Yasuda-san, told me when I went pro.
So I haven't touched one red cent of my signing bonus.
As the last pick in the draft,
my signing bonus was a crummy 15 million!
Your average family man could earn that in three years!
Baseball is a job where your years are limited once you cross thirty.
And only a fraction of us land a coaching or commentating gig after we retire.
I've known many whose income dropped to seven digits the year after they retired.
So while I'm twenty-six, the age when baseball pros are supposedly at their peak,
I can't be earning just 18 million per year!
I need to earn more, or I won't have enough for the rest of my life!
"There's money buried under the pitch."
That's a phrase you hear a lot.
It's true, too.
Those words play in my mind as a constant refrain.
There's money buried under the pitch. Money Pitch!
Hey, we've got more action on the Tempters' bench!
A pinch hitter for their pinch hitter?
Now they're bringing out a righty.
I thought they'd hold on to him a little longer.
The Tempters are announcing a change of hitter.
Doi, jersey number 50, will be hitting for Takekawa.
Now I must pitch to a right-hander, a matchup that puts me at a disadvantage.
But it's common enough.
This hitter, Doi...
Four years as a pro, with a 7 million contract.
When he joined the Tempters,
he got a lot of press for being a rookie with two kids.
Hey, now!
Doi-san, I know you just came up from the minors today.
Yusuke
Still, I need to beat you.
What's more,
if it turns out you couldn't hit a left-hander like me,
you'll probably
be dropped back to the minors right away!
A bunt?!
That's right! He's fast, too!
Catch!
I got it!
Natsunosuke!
I got it! I got it!
There's money buried under the pitch...
Money... Pitch... Money... Pitch...
Why am I so desperate to catch this foul ball?
Doi can't want to go back to the bench on a foul fly either.
Money... Pitch...
Yusuke
Money... Pitch... Money... Pitch...
Money... Pitch...
Money... Pitch...
Money Pitch!
Out!
Nice play!
Crud. I ended up saying "Money Pitch" out loud.
Okay, Natsunosuke. Nice play.
I won.
I chose not to watch Doi walk away.
The next day, Doi really was sent back to the minors,
based on one failed at-bat.
And his demotion was also an implicit statement on my lack of worth.
"As a right-hander, he had an advantage,
yet he couldn't get a hit off this 18 million-a-year pitcher.
A hitter like that wouldn't stand a chance against an ace earning hundreds of millions."
That was the judgment call.
Our world is unforgiving.
Sometimes, I really want to run away from it.
But I can't run away.
Because baseball is all I have.
I'll fight here again tonight.
To earn myself a tomorrow, a future!
Money Pitch!
I'm twenty-six years old, with an annual salary of 18 million.
usually brought into the game to get a single left-hander out.
Tonight, my work entails
a tied game at the top of the 9th.
A situation where one hit could win the game.
And I'm facing their cleanup, a hitter with a 200 million contract.
If he hits a home run, we'll end up two runs behind in the 9th.
This is where a guy in my job earns his keep.
It's a ton of pressure, though...
Third!
Got it!
I've got this!
In a key moment, an 18 million earner can take out a 200 million earner!
This is my job.
Games like these are what improve my standing
during the off-season assessments!
Great work today.
Hey, Natsunosuke.
Toku-san! Great to see you!
What you did today will earn you major points in the assessments.
It's an extra 300,000 per year, no problem.
O-Oh, I don't know about that...
I think it really had an impact.
It primed you guys to walk off in the bottom of the ninth.
Shucks!
Doing research today?
Yeah, I'll be on color commentary two days from now.
Take it easy on me if they do send me out, okay?
Well, we'll see.
So, Natsunosuke, want to grab a bite?
That sounds great! Let's do it!
Roppongi.
Right.
Oh, it's Bonda.
I've heard Toku-san's color commentary from the bullpen before.
Wow, that swing had a nice "whoosh" to it!
It might not be nice to say,
but I never thought Toku-san would become a commentator.
He was a real entertainer type, gregarious, and pretty popular...
But he was a mediocre pitcher who racked up less than fifty wins.
But being friends with the director of Otowa Radio gave him a lucky break,
and soon after retiring, he landed a commentary gig that'd just opened up.
The truth is, this week and next week are radio's "special weeks."
"Special weeks?"
Weeks when they research our listener ratings.
In two days, when I'm on deck...
I want to rack up the numbers.
I mean, I want numbers, of course.
But I also want to do commentary people will like...
The match in two days... The Carnavits' starter will be Nishida.
There's no doubt about that.
Annual salary: 26 million!
It's the Spiders I don't know about.
You're going to have a spot starter that day.
You don't have a rotation pitcher available.
Do you know anything?
Wait, did you just ask me that?!
Yeah. Even if you knew, you couldn't tell, I'm sure...
I really don't know, though.
I'm sorry.
If you don't know, does that mean they haven't decided?!
Potential starters right now would be...
Ida, Yamasato, Mogami...
They really haven't decided?
Give me a break!
It would be easy to look up basic data on those three.
But I'd like to get more information and weave it into my commentary.
Should I investigate all three?
No, that'd dilute my knowledge of each one... I don't have time!
Maybe I should just pick one and go all-in on the research...
Toku-san's really freaking out about this...
That's it! That's what I'll do!
I'll narrow it down to one!
Did the station manager say something to you?
N-No, not particularly...
Toku-chan, I'm sorry about this.
I managed to rope in Kuwata-san for the first ratings week!
What are you talking about?
A special color commentator!
You mean you're skipping me?
Yeah.
And our last ratings period,
your days pulled the worst numbers...
Your commentary is kind of seat-of-the-pants.
Maybe instead of just calling out sound effects,
could you do a little more data-based commentary?
That's the situation I've found myself in!
But I don't want to tell that to my junior!
A second round, please.
More of the same.
Well, well?
Have you gone fishing lately?
Huh? I don't remember you being into fishing, Tokunaga-san.
Looks like Toku-san narrowed it down to Mogami, the youngest of the lot,
Of course I am! Did you forget?
but they're not friendly enough to have a private chat.
Getting married in the off-season, huh?
Where'd that come from?
Don't play dumb. I know all about it.
Which female anchor is it?
Toku-san was a superstar back in our prefecture.
It's not like that!
Hey! Yamanashi Tsurumigawa High.
It'll be great working with you!
He taught me a lot about technique,
and about life, too.
Listen up, Natsunosuke.
The money you earn as a pro won't last long.
He'd say that, but then he'd treat me to these crazy nights out.
Even though his own salary wasn't all that high.
Don't fall into the trap of earning money to support your lavish spending.
In his ten-year pro career,
there was only one year his salary exceeded 30 million yen.
Not only was he loose with his spending, taxes also took a lot.
He was probably broke by the end.
His last year in baseball, he had the same salary I do now.
In other words, 18 million yen.
The next year, when he got his job as a radio commentator,
some posit that his salary was less than 3 million per year.
Even the local superstar I admired so much was in dire straits after he retired.
I really want to earn more while I'm still in the game!
You never know how long your baseball career will last.
My best years will be as a player.
Will I be able to find employment after I retire?
Radio commentator is still a pretty good post-retirement career.
I know so many...
So many people who entered the game before me, at the same time, or after me,
who retired to find salaries less than 1 million.
If I really made a name for myself, I could be a pitching coach!
That's for the true elites!
It's a guaranteed yearly salary of 10 million!
Natsunosuke?
When an athlete living what should be a breezy life in the majors
spends it thinking about his plans after retirement,
it's anything but breezy!
But that's what it means to be a pro!
That's my motivation to work even harder!
Go! Go! Spiders!
N-No way...
If they're starting tomorrow, they would've left the bullpen by now.
But all three of them are there!
I missed the mark on all three!
Have I no predictive powers as a commentator whatsoever?
Just who could tomorrow's starter be?
Toku-chan! Toku-chan!
Here's today's lineup!
Look at the Spiders' starting pitcher!
Who is it?
Yowza!
Toku-chan, what's wrong?
Matsumoto-san!
Tonight's commentary is gonna be great!
Now announcing the Spiders' starting battery.
Pitcher: Bonda.
Jersey number 39.
Bonda?
You're kidding...
Catcher: Terasugi. Jersey number 2.
Y-Y-Yes...
There he is! Bonda Natsunosuke!
I know everything about that guy!
Toku-chan's way too amped up.
Well, isn't this a surprise?
The reliever Bonda-san is starting today!
What do you think, Color Commentator Tokunaga-san?
Well, the thing is...
A rotation pitcher needs to be able to pace themselves through several innings.
But a reliever tends to give it all they've got in short bursts.
And this pitcher, Bonda...
Sadly, he couldn't make it in the pros without going 120 percent on each pitch.
He's the archetypal middle reliever!
There's no way I can pace myself!
He won't last three innings. That's my prediction.
But I happen to know a way to tell whether Bonda Natsunosuke is in the zone or not.
Oh? I'd love to hear what it is.
Sure.
The moment he releases the ball,
if his wrist is upright, his pitches will be lively.
On the other hand, if his wrist is down, his pitches will get hammered.
Which is it today?
Today...
It's up!
Strike!
I take back my statement that he won't last three innings.
I say he'll make it to the fifth.
Toku-chan's really changed up his style!
Starting pitcher Bonda Natsunosuke is taken out in the fifth inning!
Amazing! Just like Toku-chan predicted!
Forty-nine pitches thrown.
Four and two-thirds innings lasted. Four earned runs.
In that moment, this 18 million pitcher had but one thought.
"I-I made it to the fifth! I'm freaking amazing!"
He did well for a spot starter.
Yeah, he kept us in the game.
Perhaps my efforts paid off,
because we turned things around, and I got a no decision in the game.
Toku-chan, your commentary was great today!
Work hard for your next appearance, okay?
Okay!
Looks like Toku-san and I both
got through a dicey night by the skin of our teeth.
Of course, I'm not going to become a rotation pitcher based on tonight.
A spot starter is only a spot starter.
A middle reliever is a middle reliever to the end.
If I really want to make money as a pitcher,
I need to become a starter some day.
"There's money buried under the pitch."
That's a phrase you hear a lot.
It's true, too.
We're doing everything we can to dig it up,
for as long as we're pros.
It really is an unforgiving world.
But it's still my job.
Money Pitch!
Natsunosuke here!
Wow, I just realized something crazy.
The hitters below my 18 million yen salary have a hard time against me,
but the hitters above me hit against me all the time.
I can keep the 50 million ones at bay pretty well, but...
What's that? What happens if I face someone with the same salary?
It's a double-header with "Tendency" and "Buddies."
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Pitch!

▶ [HorribleRips] Gurazeni S1 - 02 [1080p]

I'm Bonda Natsunosuke, twenty-six years old,
and I make 18 million yen per year.
One of my hobbies is reading the player directory.
I can rattle the yearly salary of any player off the top of my head,
as long as they're on one of the twelve major league teams.
But one day...
Huh?
I've noticed it, too.
S-Sakota-san!
I see it has finally hit you, Natsunosuke.
Wh-What do you mean?
You're such a handful.
I'm talking about your very obvious shortcoming.
The next day...
Batting first, left field, Nagasawa.
One out, bases loaded. And the Carnavits have the in-form Nagasawa up next.
There's some activity on the Spiders' bench.
Who's the pitcher?
Bonda!
As expected, it's left-hander Bonda Natsunosuke.
Nagasawa's been their starting leadoff hitter since breaking out in the preseason,
and he's maintained a .400 average with twenty games under his belt.
Plus, he's already had two hits today!
You think he might break the 200 hit barrier this season?
Getting 200 hits in a season could quintuple his contract!
He could be a 50 million player next season!
But his current contract is worth 10 million—8 million less than mine.
An 18 million player won't lose to a 10 million scrub!
Struck out in three!
What the...?
Yes!
Natsunosuke!
Bonda Natsunosuke struck out a .400 batter on a hot streak!
He was treating him as an inferior opponent,
and his pitches looked great.
We've now got two outs.
The next batter is another lefty, Kadowaki.
I bet they'd love to have a righty pinch-hitting here.
But Kadowaki is the third catcher they've used in this game.
They can't sub him, because they don't have any more on the bench.
It's a sign of how all-out both sides have gone today,
but Kadowaki's own batting average is .210.
Given how Bonda's been pitching today,
this .200-hitting lefty might be in for a hard time.
Kadowaki-san was an undisputed regular in his younger days.
But now he's thirty-four.
He's lost his starting spot, and his contract has dropped in value,
but he still makes 30 million.
Natsunosuke...
It's a hit to shallow center field!
The runner on third comes home! The Carnavits take a one-run lead!
Natsunosuke...
Bonda Natsunosuke retired the .400 hitter,
but choked on the .200 hitter!
Your performance today confirmed it for me.
Y-Yes, sir...
If we draw the line at the 50 million-makers,
this season you've regularly retired hitters with contracts lower than your own,
while regularly giving hits up to those with bigger contracts.
18 million...
When someone makes less money, you look down on them and pitch with confidence,
but those who make more seem to cause your arm to tense up.
You read the player's directory too much.
You like your reputation as a contract know-it-all, I guess?
However...
For some reason, as we get to the players with contracts over 50 million,
your likelihood of getting them out starts to rise,
and you have a reliable record against players that make 100 million or more.
I guess salaries in that range seem astronomical to you.
And salaries over 100 million only fry your brain.
That triggers a rebellious streak in you, so you start throwing sharp pitches again.
Maybe it reflects a certain pettiness in your character...
You're only playing ball within your own comfort zone.
It's the personality of a middle reliever, through and through.
Someone like you will never make a killing in the pros.
What I'm saying is that you'll never make it as a starter.
Starter...
As long as you judge your opponents by their salaries,
you won't cut it as a starter, who has to face all kinds of hitters.
A middle relief pitcher is all I'll ever be cut out for?
Well, I've made up my mind.
On your next outing,
any time a batter making between 18 million to 50 million gets a hit off you,
you'll do ten 100 meters sprints.
Got it?
What?!
And the day after that...
The Blue Comets went into the top of the 8th with the scores tied.
They have a man on third with two outs. It's their chance to take the lead.
Batting sixth is left-hander Fukatsu.
Naturally, the Spiders are sending in a southpaw, too.
It's Bonda. Bonda Natsunosuke!
Fukatsu is in a rut, and his average is a mere .220,
but there's no sign of a pinch hitter.
Manager Yoshikawa must be interested in building Fukatsu up,
because he's been giving him chance after chance.
Fukatsu-kun, three years out of high school.
Made starter on potential alone,
he played in 100 games last year.
His contract this season is...
18.5 million!
Good fielding, good judgment, good legs.
It's just his batting that's on the weak side.
His contract is padded by future potential, but he still makes more than me...
A mere 500,000.
But I...
There's no way I can't retire a .220 lefty...
as a left-handed pitcher!
Yes, we've got him!
Right field!
The right fielder's got it... No, center?!
It dropped!
It's a bloop single!
Reliever Bonda fails to deliver!
Fukatsu pays off his manager's faith in him!
Yes! Yes!
I-Is this the difference 500,000 yen makes?
N-Natsunosuke...
You'll be doing those ten 100 meter sprints.
Fukatsu is nothing!
If I'd pitched with confidence, he shouldn't have been any trouble at all!
I hate myself so much right now!
Batting seventh, third base, Komori.
It's another lefty at the plate.
It seems they're sticking with Bonda.
This batter, Komori...
He made the jump from the adult amateur leagues, and he's my age.
His contract is...
That's right, Natsunosuke.
The exact same as mine!
18 million!
What's his batting average?
.260?
The same age, the same contract...
A batting average that suggests not an amazing hitter, but a fairly reliable one.
In a way, this is a matchup I'm very interested in seeing.
What will happen if your contracts are the same?
I... I can't lose!
I don't want to lose to him!
He's got him!
He can beat players with equal contracts!
It's a weak grounder between the pitcher and first.
The first baseman came out too far!
He won't make it back to the base!
He should have let the pitcher get it!
Damn it!
Natsunosuke, take it!
It's a race between the pitcher and the batter!
Y-You won't beat me!
Looked almost simultaneous to me...
What's the call?
He's out!
Yes!
Natsunosuke!
You gotta be kidding me!
The Blue Comets' manager, Yoshikawa, is out on the field!
He's really giving it to him!
That's one heck of an expression!
Now we have an umpire's conference.
Safe!
Wow! The call is overturned!
Say what?!
Now Manager Tanabe is mad!
C'mon, let's see an instant replay!
Hey! That's only for close plays at home!
They're not pulling that out!
Shut up!
Instant replay! Instant replay!
Fine, use it! It's all the same to me!
That's enough! I-I'll call this game!
Go ahead and call it! I dare you! Just try it!
Fine. But first...
Yer outta here!
Th-This matchup's a d...
It's a draw.
Natsunosuke, I'm adding ten more 100 meter sprints.
Because I'm extremely annoyed.
What was the final call, you ask?
What does that matter?
Ten more for drawing with the guy!
"I can't go on like this... I have to change!"
So thought the 26-year-old in his 8th season...
Money Pitch!
I'm eight years out of high school.
I haven't seen much of my high school buddies lately.
They're all living their own lives.
Everyone I hang out with now is involved with pro baseball somehow.
Once you're a pro, everyone else is your enemy.
That's what my scout, Yasuda-san, told me when I got drafted.
High school graduates, university graduates, adults...
Seven of us joined at the same time,
but by my eighth season, there are only two of us left.
We're the same age, and we're both pitchers.
The difference is I'm a middle reliever,
while he got the dream job in the starting rotation.
Shibuya Akira.
Twenty-one wins in his seven years as a pro.
A contract of 36 million.
That's twice what I make in a year.
Even so, we're not rivals.
We really feel like comrades-in-arms.
He can be a little on the moody side, but he's the best friend I've got.
What kind of idiot signals a sacrifice bunt
when we're three runs behind in just the second inning?
Must've wanted to cut into the lead one run at a time.
This ain't high school ball.
Tactics like that are bad for morale.
When we're together, we can gripe about the coaches to our hearts' content.
Hey, have you ever noticed we only talk about baseball...
You know, about work?
So what?
Some people say "never talk work at your after-work parties," right?
Yeah.
Well, that's probably smart of them,
but I don't trust people who do that.
Since he and I both like to bellow out whatever not-smart thing comes to mind,
we really get along.
And that same Akira...
This is...
This is...
...ridiculous!
He's been on fire this season, but he just can't land a win!
I've started in three games, and I've gone the distance in all of them.
My ERA is 1.00, but I have no wins.
No wins, three losses...
There are three undisputed aces in the Central League.
In each of Akira's three starts this season, he's faced one of them and lost.
In his first game, it was Tonoyama of the Wild Ones.
It ended 1-0.
In the second game, it was Mera of the Carnavits.
It ended 1-0.
In the third game, it was Tada of the Tempters.
It ended 1-0.
In other words, our batters haven't scored a single run during Akira's games.
Well, I know that's because those three are great pitchers...
Akira's going into his second match with Tonoyama with a 0-3 record.
In the two games following the shutout, Tonoyama's given up two and three runs,
but his record is the opposite of Akira's: 3-0.
Damn. I'm so unlucky...
They even moved Tonoyama's scheduled start up by one day,
like they wanted to take advantage of Akira's rotten luck.
Yeah, Shibuya's gotta be the unluckiest pitcher in the game right now.
I want to get our ace his fourth straight win!
Beat him, Akira!
Strike! Batter out!
Heading into the 5th, Tonoyama's only given up one hit.
Meanwhile, Shibuya's given up six hits, but no runs.
He's holding the line where it counts.
It's been a pitchers' duel so far.
But I'm going to be in trouble soon...
I feel like I'll give up a run before he does.
The Wild Ones aren't warming anyone up in the bullpen.
But we...
Bonda Natsunosuke.
You're distracting me.
Stop that, Natsunosuke!
I'm sure that's what Akira's thinking.
But this is what the coach told me to do...
I know that, Natsunosuke.
I know exactly how Akira is feeling right now.
If he can't pull off the win today,
it's going to throw off his game.
He's going to fall out of the zone.
No matter how bad a starter's ERA is...
No matter few innings he's pitched...
Getting a win can make up for all of it!
A win can provide the biggest boost!
But if he loses another game 1-0 today,
Akira will break! He'll be thrown off his game!
Natsunosuke, you're my only buddy in the world.
But as a middle reliever,
you can never know how a starting pitcher feels!
How it feels to go six days without seeing the mound!
How it feels to have to wait a week when you let a game slip by!
I thought it'd be trouble, but I made it through the 6th.
Akira, I know we'll put runs on the board.
And I'll be here to help you anytime you need it!
Natsunosuke...
I'm sorry to say it,
but I don't want your help.
It's outta here!
The Spiders take the lead!
The first time this season anyone's gotten a run for me...
Akira!
I'm so happy!
I've never been so happy to see our team score!
Natsunosuke, this joy is another thing only starters can understand!
Now I can win!
And pitch a complete game!
If I pitch four straight complete games from the opener,
I'll be in a tier of my own in the Central League!
But...
It's the top of the seventh, bases loaded, no outs!
They're back to the top of the batting order!
Am I getting tired?
I think Akira's reached the end of his rope.
What should we do, Manager?
They've got a couple of righties coming up.
Not the time for a substitution.
Right.
Strike! Out!
Strike! Out!
Two strikeouts in a row! Shibuya's digging deep!
Akira...
I can keep going...
No, I will...
Just seven outs left.
Batting third, third base, Akiyama.
Well, southpaw Akiyama is up, and Manager Tanabe approaches the mound.
The Spiders are bringing in Bonda for pitcher Shibuya.
It's the southpaw, Bonda.
Now you bring in Natsunosuke?
Akira.
Nice pitching.
I...
I wanted to finish the game.
My mistake was striking out two in a row.
If I'd led either into a double play, I could have made it to the next inning.
But with two outs, bases loaded, and a lefty third hitter,
it was inevitable.
Inevitable.
Today, I'm going to get my buddy that win.
That's what I'm pitching for.
That's all...
I'm pitching for!
He hits it! It's a big one!
Will it go all the way?!
It's going long!
Natsunosuke.
The moment I was taken out of the game, I gave up.
It was a pitchers' duel, 2-0.
I was facing the great Tonoyama.
In duels like these, whoever leaves the mound first loses.
I never thought those two runs were a safe lead, either.
Th-The right fielder snatched it right before it cleared the fence!
He's out!
Natsunosuke...
We did it, Akira!
And after that...
We even got another run!
3-0 in the 7th!
We've won!
My first win of the season!
Then, in the top of the 9th, our closer...
Segawa got rocked!
He's blown the save!
N-No way...
A-Akira can't get the win now!
But in the bottom of the inning...
The Spiders walk off with the win!
The one who got the win was our closer, Segawa-san.
Akira?
Natsunosuke.
When you're a starting pitcher, even if you're not awarded the win,
winning the game that you started still feels pretty good.
Do you know what that's like?
O-Of course I do!
Oh, please! A middle reliever couldn't possibly understand!
Next time I get out there, I'm gonna win!
I've got fresh inspiration!
Now, let's grab a drink!
Okay!
Natsunosuke here.
Our team has this thing called the Yamanashi Prefecture Clique.
Our leader, Color Commentator Toku, AKA Tokunaga-san,
gives promising young outfielder, Ono Yuki, and me a kick up the backside
and sets us an incredibly steep statistical goal!
There's no way I can hit numbers like that!
Next time: Prefecture Clique!
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Pitch!

▶ [HorribleRips] Gurazeni S1 - 03 [1080p]

Batting seventh, left fielder, Ohno.
Jersey number 3.
It's the bottom of the eighth, and the Spiders trail by a run.
With two outs and runner on, they have Ohno at the plate.
He's been in a slump lately,
so he'd love to come through here in the clutch.
Well, what kind of batting will he show us?
Yukio's due a big one, don't you think?
Yeah... Now sure would be a good time.
Play!
Come on, Yukio.
Give us a big one!
I don't know about the other ball clubs,
but we Spiders have a thing called the Yamanashi Prefecture clique.
The eldest, Toku-san, thirty-five years old.
Retired, now a color commentator.
Second son, me. Bonda Natsunosuke, twenty-six years old.
And the third son, Ohno Yukio, twenty-five years old.
We all come out of different high schools,
but being prefecture- and teammates gives us a feeling of solidarity.
It's a grounder to shortstop!
Throw to second...
Three outs! The inning's over!
Ohno misses another chance to leave a mark.
Was he hesitating?
Why'd he hit for contact?
Yukio...
I can't let him go on like this.
Yukio!
Natsunosuke-san.
Another night doing swings in the indoor facilities?
Yeah. I start to get antsy if I don't do it every day.
Yukio.
What is it?
No, it's nothing.
No need to worry. I'll be fine.
There's something each club gives its best hitter:
the number of glory, jersey 3!
Ohno Yukio...
Our prefecture clique's star of hope.
Three years out of college, twenty-five years old.
His contract: 20 million yen.
He got to wear number 3 starting this season.
When I was in my second year of high school...
Tsurumigawa
There was this practice match where a brand new first-year
hit me out of the park right off the bat.
That was Yukio.
I faced him in a number of practice matches after that too,
and he pummeled me again and again.
Then, after an impressive stint as a college ball superstar,
he joined the Spiders and became my and Toku-san's teammate.
The club had high hopes for Yukio from the start.
But of course, he was a rookie,
so his original number was 41.
His first year was pretty rough.
He spent most of it in the minors.
He started his second year on the major league roster,
but the first half was miserable.
Everyone started thinking he was a bust.
But in the last third of the season, he became a fixture in the starting lineup.
His defense was a little weak,
but his incredible hitting more than made up for it.
In his forty-eight games as a starter, he racked up a batting average of .360,
and an incredible fourteen home runs!
He didn't get enough at bats for his average to qualify for records,
but fourteen home runs is an astonishing number.
Simple math estimates that if he'd played the full season,
he would've had three times that... forty-two home runs!
So the club, looking at his potential, doubled his contract,
and his jersey number changed.
Number 3 was already open,
so they had been hoping to assign it to someone...
Yes, yes, one moment!
It's Toku-san!
Natsunosuke.
Sorry to spring this on you, but we're doing the thing tomorrow.
Huh? What thing?
You'd better bring Yukio.
Don't fail me.
Oh, the prefecture clique meetup!
Hey, remind me. Who's paying today?
Toku-san, you're such a tease.
You know I'm paying.
Yukio started making more than you this season.
You sure about that?
I told you, it's fine!
In the baseball world, no matter what you earn,
the senior member of the group always pays.
For instance, if a 10 million senior and his 100 million junior go out for a drink,
10 million
100 million
it's the 10 millioner who pays.
It's sort of an extension of what goes on in high-school and college sports clubs.
It lets the older folks strut around thinking "I'm looking after my juniors."
Two years ago, in Toku-san's last year as a pro,
his contract was 18 million,
mine was 17 million,
and Yukio's was 12 million.
That year, it was Toku-san who always paid.
Then last year, Toku-san's first year as a color commentator...
Toku-san, contract unknown.
Me, 17.5 million.
Yukio, 10 million.
That year, I became the one picking up the tab.
Now, this year, Toku-san's second year as a color commentator...
Toku-san, contract unknown.
Me, 18 million.
Yukio, 20 million.
Even though Yukio makes 2 million more than me,
as the senior player, I'm the one who pays!
You're pulling my leg.
You really don't have one?
It's true!
Yukio's popular with the girls, though!
No, I don't have one either.
You've gotta be kidding.
I mean it. Seriously.
Pathetic. What's the point of playing pro ball if you can't get some action?
I couldn't keep them off me when I was in the uniform.
I had to play traffic control. So it goes.
How about I introduce you to some girls in Roppongi next time?
P-Please do!
Me, too!
Well, Roppongi's a bit like my personal backyard.
One word from me, and I'll have a young girl or two—
Hey, a message from Chako-chan!
I need to hit the can.
Hey, Natsunosuke.
How's Yukio looking these days?
He's been pretty down.
He doesn't show it, but he must be beating himself up.
Figures.
I knew it.
It's the pressure of wearing the 3.
The club did sort of force it on him.
They could've waited another year, really.
After twenty-five games this season, his batting average is .240.
With only two home runs.
To be honest, everyone's feeling pretty disappointed.
He's playing ball every day with this incredible pressure on him.
Well, he needs to learn to live with it!
As the eldest of the Yamanashi clique, I must harden my heart and tell him.
Tell him what?
Yukio. A word, if I may.
Listen closely.
Y-Yes?
This is what the bigwigs on every team will be thinking, okay?
It's not just me.
When it comes to outfielders,
if you can't sell yourself on your fielding,
you'd better hit for a .300 average!
And if you can't do that, they'll want at least thirty home runs from you!
Toku-san!
Yukio's nervous enough as it is! How could you say this to him?!
If we assume 143 games in a year...
One-fifth of that is 29 games.
We're four games away from that milestone.
If we can't get your batting average up to .300 before then,
I'd like you to get to six home runs.
Six home runs times five equals thirty.
I want you on pace to hit thirty home runs.
Since they're overlooking your below-average defense,
they'll want that much out of you!
G-Getting four home runs with four games to go...
There's no way, no way, no way!
One home run a day.
With your talent, it's not inconceivable.
Toku-san, it's backfiring! Look!
Maybe I scared him a little much.
But he needs to be able to bounce back from this.
I totally get what Toku-san is talking about.
If you're at two homers after the first fifth of the season,
you aren't worth more than 10 million a year.
Especially in the minds of the pro baseball bigwigs.
An outfielder who only gets ten homers a season isn't worth keeping in the lineup.
They might go looking for a foreigner who can hit more than that.
That said, Yukio, don't go chasing for it.
That'll make it even harder to hit.
No, Natsunosuke-san, I think I haven't been chasing it hard enough.
Over the last few days,
I studied film of myself from my hot streak last year.
I think I might need to chase it a little more.
Y-Yukio...
The ball doesn't fly off my bat unless I chase it.
I'm going to chase it! I'm going to chase it!
The next day...
Fly!
It didn't fly, but it was a hit.
You think Yukio's turned over a new leaf?
He's really chasing it today.
Well, it's all right.
It got us a hit, after all.
Match one, no home runs.
Next time...
None in the second game, either.
Fly!
It flew, but straight to the right fielder.
None in the second game, either.
That Yukio... All four of his at bats have been easy fly outs.
We might have to start thinking about subbing him in RBI opportunities.
But he's wearing our number 3, you know?
Let's endure it for now.
The third game...
Fly!
There we go!
Fly!
Would you believe it?
Two in a row!
Two home runs in one game!
Yukio!
Ow, ow, ow! It hurts! It hurts!
That's what proves it's not a dream!
The fourth game...
We did it! We did it! We did it!
Another two today!
Ohno's sixth home run
gives the Spiders a walk-off win!
I hit four home runs in four games!
Yukio! You did it!
Just like that, he's on pace to hit thirty home runs in a year!
He's really got what it takes!
Yamanashi Prefecture clique forever!
That's the story of the guy with talent.
Now, let's rewind back to four days ago.
By the way, I've got a word for you too, Natsunosuke.
M-Me, too?
What's your ERA as of today?
Um... Um...
It's 3.38!
Oh, is it?
ERA, or earned run average,
represents how many runs a pitcher would give up in nine innings.
As a simple example,
if the starting pitcher on opening night gives up one run in a complete game,
that pitcher's ERA is just that: 1.00.
ERA 1.00
Now, on that same night,
let's say a middle reliever pitches just one inning and gives up one run.
That pitcher's ERA will be 9.00.
Due to some team circumstances in April,
you've had to pitch a few long inning stretches.
Which means you've pitched sixteen innings in all.
But you've given up six earned runs.
Surely you know that's not good.
O-Of course I do!
A middle reliever's ERA should be in the 2s.
2.99 at the most!
Any higher, and the think tank won't want to send you to the mound.
So in the next four games, you need to get your ERA down to the 2s!
Huh? There's no way!
Nah, it's possible.
Pitch two innings with no earned runs,
and you'll get 3.00.
Okay, but...
But that's not good enough, so...
Three innings with no earned runs, and it goes down to 2.84!
T-Toku-san!
There's no guarantee I'll even get to pitch three innings in four games!
Sometimes I only get to face one hitter!
Throw some pitches in the bullpen that make a nice whack.
Show off to the coach.
Show off...?
The first game.
Show off... Glance.
No chance to take the mound.
Second game...
Nice pitch!
Glance.
Glance.
No chance to take the mound!
None in the third game, either.
No appearances at all in three days!
Then, in the fourth game...
In the top of the 9th, the Spiders send their closer, Segawa, to the mound.
All right! Segawa, counting on you!
It's been a total slug fest, and I'm the only pitcher who hasn't gotten to play?
You get days like this.
Is it possible they really have lost faith in me?
Oh, dear!
Just like that, the first hitter ties it up!
Not good.
What's going on with Segawa on the mound?
He's crouched down, and he doesn't seem able to stand...
That's worrying.
It's not hard to hurt yourself when you're pitching.
He's heading back to the bench.
What could the injury be?
Looks like they're going to take a few to see how he's doing.
I hope it's nothing too serious...
Looks like it is serious! Kozato-san is giving the sign!
Hey! He's out!
H-He's out?
But there are no other relief pitchers!
Well, you get days like this, too.
Hey, come on...
The Spiders are announcing a substitution.
Bonda will be pitching for Segawa.
Natsunosuke!
Oh, boy!
Tied up in the 9th, and I'm the only pitcher left!
What happens if we go into extra innings?
Hey, hey, hey!
You don't have time to be thinking about extra innings now!
This is a rough situation for any pitcher to find himself in!
He's so unlucky. Poor guy...
Natsunosuke's gonna get the loss...
Strike!
Huh? Is it because I haven't pitched a game for a while?
My shoulder feels so loose!
Bonda Natsunosuke, who was rushed to the mound...
...gets three up and three down!
H-He held them off!
I must have a ton of speed on my pitches today!
And because I didn't give up any runs,
my ERA goes down to 3.18!
We're into extra innings!
10th inning!
I'm in the zone today!
Bonda Natsunosuke shuts them down this inning, too!
Natsunosuke!
My ERA's down to 3.00!
The 11th...
I'm striking them out one after another!
No runs this inning, either!
Toku-san, I did it! I did it!
Natsunosuke's ERA...
The game will be called after the 12th inning.
If I can hold them off for another inning, I can get my ERA down to 2.70!
I'm on fire, just running down that ERA!
But just then...
Y-Yukio!
We did it! We did it! We did it!
Ohno's sixth home run gives the Spiders a walk-off win!
Yukio!
Th-The game went and ended!
Look at that celebration!
I hit four home runs in four games!
Yukio!
You bastard! I could have gotten my ERA down to 2.70!
Bonda secures his first win of the season!
I'm glad I hardened my heart for them!
Natsunosuke... Yukio...
You'll get to keep playing for a while now!
For a while, sure...
In the long run, who knows?
What we do know is that there's money buried under the pitch!
Natsunosuke here.
My past is coming back to haunt me.
I'm facing the Setouchi Carnavits' 41-year-old superstar, Doterai-san.
Last year, I hit him with a pitch and broke his right wrist!
He just got back in the game recently, and he hasn't had a hit yet.
I hear that if he goes hitless today, the club will push for his retirement!
Next episode is a double-header with "Railroad to Retirement"
and "The Man Who Couldn't Make Pro."
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Pitch!

▶ [HorribleRips] Gurazeni S1 - 04 [1080p]

This story started last September.
Career home runs: 500.
A three-time home run king with a 400 million yen contract.
That's the Setouchi Carnavits' Doterai Jo, 40 years old.
Oh no!
It's gonna—
Hit by pitch!
His right wrist was broken!
Doterai-san was ruled out for the remaining month of the season!
Meiji Jingu Stadium
Now, this season...
It's the much-anticipated showdown after six long months.
It took ages for Doterai to return from the broken wrist,
and he didn't make it in time for the season opener.
And one week ago, he was finally put back in the starting lineup.
But unfortunately,
he hasn't had any hits in six games and twenty-four at bats.
A batting average of .000.
And on top of that, not so much as a walk!
He hasn't been on base even once!
Could this have less to do with his wrist, and more to do with his age?
Pinch hitter! Pinch hitter!
Doterai can't hit squat!
You've got a good right-hander on the bench!
The Carnavits are two runs behind.
Two outs, with runners on first and second.
It's easy to see why the fans want a pinch hitter...
They brought slugger Doterai back to the majors, for better or for worse.
You can't just put out a pinch hitter for him.
At least, that's what the Carnavits' Manager Usui is probably thinking.
Of course, if he hits a home run, they take the lead.
The club president and general manager both came along for the Tokyo game.
Just to watch me.
Dote couldn't hit a home run now if his life depended on it.
And the chances of him getting an RBI are even lower.
This showdown...
There's a 98% chance that Bonda will win it!
Even if he does have a .000 batting average,
seeing Doterai on the plate with two runners on is intimidating.
He's still the man who hit 500 home runs, after all.
The worst-case scenario is a three-run homer to put them in the lead.
And that's the one thing we want to avoid.
So to inflate our chances...
Southpaw Natsunosuke!
In our ball club,
there was an unwritten rule to trade anyone with a contract over 200 million.
But last year, at the roster meeting right after Dote's injury...
President! We must let Dote go next season!
Let's say we don't re-sign Dote next year.
Who'll pick him up, then?
Someone... might take him.
Or they might not...
President...
If nobody signs him, he should retire!
Indeed, that may be the most likely scenario.
I dunno about this...
Dote's going to be forty-one next year.
With twenty-nine home runs under his belt, he might have hit thirty by season's end.
But a batting average of .260 and 55 RBIs are, quite frankly, troubling numbers.
The hit-by-pitch would make it awkward to reduce Dote's salary next year.
It was an in-game injury, after all.
And since that 29th was his historic 500th home run,
maybe he should retire while he still—
But can we really justify spending 400 million on a forty-one year old Dote?
Dote is the face of our team.
He's a treasure of the baseball world.
But why do we have to be the ones paying the "treasure's" salary?
Surely there are other teams with the resources to pay him.
I'd much rather scout two foreigners who'll hit twenty home runs at 50 million.
That'll help the team more!
The meeting's conclusion was,
"We can't make such an important decision today."
And then, not long after...
Michael
Mac
Steve
Our staff pointed us to three foreign players with good records in Triple-A ball.
Triple-A Resources DVD
Nice, nice!
All three are well-suited to Japanese ball and raring to go!
I'd like to recruit all three, if possible.
With all three, we're bound to hit the jackpot with at least one.
Will they go for this?
I'm afraid all three are asking for this, at the minimum...
150 million for all three, then...
But not an impossible number.
However...
What?!
That's the final word. Owner's decision.
We'll be signing Dote for another season, with the same salary as before.
N-No...
There's no way we can recruit three players for 150 million!
We just don't have the room in our budget!
Wh-What about just one, then?
If he'll take 30 million.
Only 30 million to hire one rookie foreigner?
I'm really starting to hate this ball club!
I somehow got it up to 40 million, but...
Which one is likely to sign for 40 million?
And while I was worrying about that,
all three ended up signing with other ball clubs.
But that was just one example.
In order to raise funds to pay Doterai,
we had to build the rest of the roster on a shoestring budget,
and we couldn't afford to give raises to our other regulars.
Our owner is a man of the people!
And he loves Doterai, who's also a man of the people.
That was tripping up our attempts to round out the roster.
But that, too, may be nearing its end.
After twenty-four at bats with no hits, Dote's heart...
...is surely on the verge of breaking.
If he goes hitless in this game too,
he might ask to be removed from the starting lineup!
That is the moment when...
...Dote's railroad to retirement begins!
This is an epoch-defining moment for us!
Once he's out of the starting lineup, there's no going back.
But if there's just one thing standing in our way,
it's that pitcher, Bonda Natsunosuke!
The man originally responsible for Dote's injury!
Earlier, the manager made a rare appearance on the mound...
Natsunosuke. I know this might be a hard matchup for you,
but all you need to do is pitch the way you usually do.
No matter what else may be true, Bonda Natsunosuke is a major league pitcher!
I hear Doterai pummeled the pitchers in the minors,
but he can't hit off major league pitchers anymore.
That's all there is to it.
Of course, he didn't come right out and say it,
but the least I need to do here
is keep Doterai-san from hitting a three-run homer!
Which means...
I can let him get a two-RBI hit.
But I can't let myself start thinking like that!
Even if it is Doterai-san that I'm facing...
What if he starts psyching himself out like that, darn it?!
Darn it!
500 home runs in his twenty-two years as a pro. "Mr. Carnavits."
Am I going to be the one responsible for retiring him?!
Bonda!
For heaven's sake, give us an excuse to retire him already!
What I'd like to do is give him a hit without giving him a home run.
But there's no way I can achieve that kind of precision...
I'll just have to pitch with all the power of my youth
and finish you off!
Please, Bonda! Don't be afraid!
Even if he's afraid, that pitch
is a major league pitch!
It's down the first base line!
The runner from second comes home!
The right-fielder picks it up, and the runner from first comes home, too!
The hitter, Doterai, gets held on second.
Doterai gets his first hit of the season!
He puts his two runs on the board!
Great job, Doterai! A clutch hit to tie the game!
D-Dote...
B-Bonda...
He got hit after all.
It is what it is.
The mighty Doterai's not dead yet, it seems. That's all.
But more importantly...
Change pitchers!
Y-Yes, sir!
Uchiyama will be pitching for Bonda.
Bonda, that pitch was one hell of a major league pitch.
It wasn't a bad pitch by any means.
But there was still hesitation in it.
That's the only reason you gave up the hit.
And it also means I haven't hit my limit yet!
S-Sorry...
Don't worry about it, Natsunosuke.
Your job was to avoid a home run, that's all.
Holding them to a tie means we can still retake the lead.
A three-run homer would have given them the momentum.
Somehow, the match went just as Coach Tanabe imagined it.
The pitcher who replaced me didn't give up the winning run.
And then...
I don't feel great about my full-force pitch getting hit by Doterai-san,
but hey, we won the match, so all's well that ends well.
That one hit today...
...may reinvigorate Dote.
If that means we'll have to re-sign him again next year...
...we won't get to improve our roster yet again.
And indeed!
That day would be the start of a major hot streak for Doterai,
but at that point in time, nobody knew that yet!
And the Setouchi Carnavits' roster would remain stagnant for another year.
But this is another part of pro ball!
It's not bad to be an old man at work!
Well, at least I can breathe a sigh of relief...
The ballgrounds at Jingu Park.
As usual, it's full of people playing grass lot baseball.
Hey, that's one of the Spiders.
Who is that?
Number 39. Who was that again?
It's Bonda. Bonda.
The relief pitcher.
Oh, right. Yeah, Bonda.
The Spiders play the Mops tonight.
It's early. I bet they haven't even started practice yet.
I have tickets for tonight, so I'll be watching them later.
But wow, he's been juggling that ball for a while, huh?
It's not even touching the ground.
Bonda stinks at baseball. Maybe he should give it up and go play soccer instead!
He's got a bad case of the yips.
When he's throwing the ball to first...
He can handle a fast throw that goes in a straight line,
but he can't handle a slow throw in a nice arc.
Yeah...
I thought of Bonda as being pretty on the slow side,
but seeing him up close, he's got pretty nice motor skills.
No. They're way beyond "pretty nice."
Is this what it takes to make your living in sports?
Naoki.
You were on Kawasaki's youth team, right?
You can play on his level, right?
You were this close to becoming a pro, weren't you?
In soccer...
Nah...
I was a long way from being a J-Leaguer.
That's right. My field was soccer.
But could I beat Bonda, whose field is baseball?
Bonda's twenty-five or twenty-six, right?
That's three or four years older than me.
Sorry about that!
Naoki...
Not bad!
Oh, boy. Now Naoki's joined in with the juggling.
I guess my skills, or rather my legs, haven't totally atrophied.
Oh no!
It's no use! You can't catch it!
Got it!
Hey! You could hurt your leg or your hip sliding like that!
Okay!
He caught up with it!
H-He's totally fine?
It's not just his motor skills. Look at that flexibility!
He moves in a way only someone who makes their living at sports could!
It's no use.
I could never have made it as a pro athlete!
You're great, Bonda-san.
Okay, Noboru! Let's go!
Oh no!
An amateur can't keep up with something like that!
Go on!
You what?!
Coming your way!
Oh no!
Hey, Naoki lost.
Well, at least I caught up with it.
Who is that guy?
That acceleration!
That speed!
And despite heading the ball with the back of his head, he still sent it to me!
I'd been putting all my focus on Bonda,
but that guy might be even better than him.
Uh-oh!
Look at the time.
Bonda-san.
Sure thing, Noboru.
See you, Bonda-san.
Yeah, see you!
The way he's running... He must be an athlete.
Is he with the Spiders, too?
Well, I have to go, too.
How'd it go, J-Leaguer? Did you win?
I totally lost.
I mocked Bonda as a low-rate athlete,
but compared to a guy like me, who couldn't go pro...
I could feel this huge wall between us.
But that kid Bonda was juggling with...
I feel like I've seen him somewhere.
I feel like I've seen him before, too.
Where was it, though?
Boy, pro baseball is the best, isn't it?
Going to a night game in this weather is awesome.
I guess Bonda's not in the bullpen yet.
It's still early innings yet.
I'm heading to the concessions.
What are you gonna buy?
Bonda merch.
Since I ran into Bonda today,
I've kind of become a fan.
I'll go with you.
Excuse me!
Do you have any Bonda merch?
Sorry, we don't sell any merchandise for Bonda-san.
Hey, it's you again.
Hey there.
How pathetic, that Bonda.
Why doesn't he have any merch?
Well, because he's just a LOOGY, I guess.
Maybe it was silly to assume they'd sell his merch.
Naoki, I just remembered. The kid who was juggling with you.
He's Minokawa, a high school championship winning pitcher seven or eight years ago.
And the Spiders took first in the draft.
The winning pitcher at the high school championships and first draft pick?!
That kid was someone that amazing?
Last fall, he retired.
I can see it.
Those were the moves of a pro athlete.
And he was active until last year?
But in six years, he never made one major league start...
Poor guy.
I think his career was ravaged by injuries.
A number one draft pick working part-time, selling stadium merch?
I actually don't think it's part-time for him.
It's probably a full-time job that the ball club got for him.
The pro world is unforgiving!
Maybe it's a good thing I didn't become a pro.
Bonda will be pitching for Shiina.
Hey, it's Bonda.
Ground ball to the pitcher.
Bonda has it easily.
He just needs a careful throw to—
It's a wild throw!
The third base runner comes home!
What are you doing? You coulda had him!
That was an easy out!
There it is, the yips.
He tried to be too careful.
Though he can throw as many hard pitches as you need...
Natsunosuke. Calm down.
Sorry!
Well, despite all that, he's still standing on a major league mound.
Pro athletes have incredible motor skills!
But the reason they still mess up
is because they're all playing under absurd amounts of pressure!
A bad throw to first, and the Spiders see the game tied up!
Bonda-san, get it together already.
Excuse me.
Welcome!
I can't dig up that money buried under the pitch anymore.
But you're still going strong!
I need to become someone they sell merch for!
Money Pitch!
Natsunosuke here!
I'm going to be a model for a baseball manga!
Isn't that great?
No, it's real, though!
But the artist's deadline is coming up, and...
I can't say anything more than that, but...
Be it sports or manga, the world of pros is always unforgiving.
Next time: "Safe Bets, Risky Bets."
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Pitch!

▶ [HorribleRips] Gurazeni S1 - 05 [1080p]

Out!
Out!
Yes! I've pitched enough innings for the win!
I'm going to get my first win of the season at last!
Today's starter, Shibuya Akira,
has held the other team to one solo home run up to the fifth.
Natsunosuke.
Switch with Murashita.
Yes, sir.
Akira looks good to go another two innings.
I bet we'll need you to get a lefty out after that.
You got it.
It all started right after the season opener.
That guy's here again today?
He'd been sitting in the front row every day, just staring at the bullpen.
I found myself saying hello to him.
A few days later, Support Staff Manager Degawa-san said...
Hey, Natsunosuke!
That manga artist I mentioned is here for his research.
A pleasure to meet you.
I'm Miyahara, an editor for Shonen Magazine.
And this is our artist, Makiba Haruhiko-san.
A pleasure. I'm Makiba.
Believe it or not, it was him!
A p-pleasure...
But are you sure you want to talk to me?
I'm just a middle reliever.
It's my dream to get a baseball manga published in Magazine.
I know that a story about a relief pitcher might be unusual for a shonen manga,
but I want to take a chance on a story no one's ever done before!
What a shock...
So that guy was a manga artist!
Then, unconsciously,
I got a little worked up about showing off for him
and gave up the lead!
Japanese-Style Dining Ebizo
Wow.
When was the last time I had a one-on-one interview?
When I joined the ball club, I think?
I feel like a real star!
Now for my next question.
What's the hardest part of being a relief pitcher?
Oh, you know.
Getting called when you aren't ready.
Pitcher: Bonda.
But all I've done is play some catch!
You get sent to the mound with no warm-up!
I guess that kind of thing really happens, huh?
It does!
But the opposite happens too, right?
Yes! The opposite is even worse!
You're warming yourself up, expecting to go in,
but the call doesn't come that inning.
The next inning, you go even harder, thinking "this time, for sure..."
But you're not called then either.
That happens three or four times in a row...
And in the end, you don't get to appear in the game at all?
Right! That's the worst!
You can tell he really means it, huh?
We're really getting expert testimony.
But, given that,
would you say being a relief pitcher is harder than being a starter?
W-Well, being a starter is hard in its own way...
Your pitch counts in the bullpen are drastically different.
A starter only throws thirty to forty pitches in the stadium bullpen per week,
and then goes right to the mound.
Obviously, there are times when they throw nine innings,
but they can also be knocked out of the game in the third.
Even when that happens, they don't throw in the bullpen until their next start.
A middle reliever never knows if he'll play or not,
but game after game, repeatedly, he has to warm up in the bullpen
under the pressure of a real game!
Doesn't a reliever expend much more energy in the bullpen compared to a starter?
And it adds up across the months to an absurd degree.
I don't have proper data on this,
but I have a feeling that the career span of middle relievers is much shorter!
Plus, starting pitchers get paid a lot more.
W-With starting pitchers,
they bear about 70 to 80% of the responsibility for a game's outcome.
That's the crucial part.
Now, my final question!
Bonda-san, do you want to become a starting pitcher someday?
I don't think there's a middle reliever out there who doesn't feel that way.
Excuse me.
This is just my opinion, off the record,
but, Bonda-san, after watching you in the bullpen at Jingu,
I've become a real fan of yours!
A fan?
You do all the grueling work of a middle reliever every game,
like it goes without saying!
Let's make a vow right here and now!
I'm going to make my upcoming baseball manga a hit.
And Bonda-san...
You need to become a starter before the season's over!
B-But...
I somehow ended up being part of an absurd pact...
Natsunosuke!
This was sent by the publisher.
It's Makiba-sensei's manga.
Thanks!
So his baseball manga's starting, huh?
Let me check it out later, okay?
Huh? Wait, what?
It's not in here.
Makiba Haruhiko-sensei's new series!
Battle of Juro
Makiba Haruhiko-sensei's new series! Battle of Juro
Battle of Juro?
What the heck? That's not a baseball manga at all!
What happened? He seemed so confident about it!
And that was that.
I don't know much about the manga world,
but I'm sure he had his reasons, whatever they may be,
so I decided to focus on my match!
Or so I thought...
Natsunosuke.
Start warming up.
Sure.
Makiba-sensei? When did you get here?
H-Hey there.
The top of the 8th.
The hitters got a hold of Akira.
Shibuya had been pitching well, holding them to one run,
but he's given up a hit to the pitcher's pinch hitter!
It's 4-3! Down to a one-run game!
Damn...
The Blue Comets are back to the top of their lineup.
If he gets a hit, it's all tied up.
And Manager Tanabe says...
Bonda will be pitching for Shibuya.
He's sending in the southpaw, Bonda!
Counting on you, Natsunosuke.
Tonight has to be the night!
I need to get Akira his first win!
I'm going to get you out!
Yes!
Natsunosuke!
Bonda-san!
Made it to the 9th! Now Segawa-san just needs to hold them down!
But...
Ball!
The closer, Segawa, just gave up a walk with one out in the inning.
Next up is cleanup hitter Bobby.
Anything to say, Guest Commentator Takahashi Hisanori?
Well, this guy has power,
so try to pitch around him if you can.
Bobby and the guy in the five hole are both 0 for 4 today.
Bobby's one hell of a slugger, though.
At times like these, we should stick with the safe bet and not rush things.
Get the outfielders ready for a long fly.
The battery can attack the corners, but if they fall behind in the count,
just walk him and go after the next guy.
Oh, heck!
The right fielder doesn't even move! That ball is out of here!
Bobby's massive two-run homer, his eighth of the season, turns things around!
Poor Akira...
Another blown save, another game without his first win!
U-Um,
did you see the new Shonen Magazine issue?
Japanese-style Dining Asa
Y-Yeah, just before the match.
I'm sorry!
What are you doing?
I wanted to apologize in person.
Please, stop that!
The reason I'm doing Battle of Juro instead of a baseball manga...
I wanted to explain it to you in person.
To be honest,
I chickened out at the last minute. It's pathetic.
You chickened out?
After I pushed you to try to become a starting pitcher this season,
I'm so embarrassed with how things have turned out!
But I'm sure you had your reasons...
Before I tried to put together that baseball manga,
I spent about five years publishing Battle of Kuro in Shonen Magazine.
Battle of Kuro
Makiba Haruhiko
It's a fighting manga.
It got twenty-three volumes published.
Right.
I'm sorry, but I've never read them!
To be honest, I think it was a pretty good accomplishment.
That's why the editors gave me the chance to do a baseball manga this time.
But the manga industry is just as competitive as the pro baseball industry.
If the reader polls are really bad, they'll cancel you right away.
There's a swarm of hungry new creators all vying for your spot, you see.
You can't let your guard down for a second.
I have to constantly prove to editorial that I'm better than they are.
It's always, "What have you done for me lately?"
That is pretty similar to the pro baseball world.
The hero of my new series, Juro, is Kuro's little brother...
It's a spin-off of my last work. It's "Battle of Kuro 2."
A safe bet, you could say.
But a baseball manga about a middle reliever in pro baseball
is a really daring concept.
It's a risky bet.
Even if I got it published, there'd be no guarantee that it would hit.
Because of that,
I began feeling this tremendous pressure while working,
grew more and more nervous, and lost my confidence.
Meanwhile, for whatever it was worth, Battle of Kuro was a hit,
and fans were clamoring for a continuation.
A spin-off would pull in guaranteed numbers,
so I went to editorial and begged them.
Y-You're saying you ditched the risky bet to go with the safe bet?
Wh-When you say it to me like that, it really does sound awful.
But you're well within your rights to take it that way.
After I put you through that interview and everything...
I'm really sorry.
C-Come on, Makiba-sensei.
As a pro myself, I can't really criticize your decision.
You made that decision because you're a professional, right?
Don't let it bother you.
Pro baseball is a world where they always go for the safe bet, too.
So please, do your best with Battle of Juro!
Bonda-san...
The next day,
our closer, Segawa-san, was dropped to the minors,
and me and Tominaga were considered the top picks to replace him.
I saw the sports paper, and I just had to come right out to the stadium!
Even if it were just temporary, it'd be amazing for Bonda-san to be closer!
It's the 3rd inning. If he's been chosen as the closer,
they won't want to bring him to the bullpen yet.
The closer usually shows up around the 5th inning.
Now, which will be the fill-in closer?
Tominaga or Bonda?
And here he comes now!
Hey, Sensei!
So disappointed...
Wait, did he come out here because I showed up in the sports paper?
Sorry, but Tominaga was named the fill-in closer...
Natsunosuke, put down your bag and start your stretches.
While Segawa's out, Tomi will be handling closer duties.
M-Me?
We need all hands on deck to get through this.
I'm counting on all of you guys!
It's hard to make a southpaw closer, anyway.
How many famous left-handed closers have you heard of, Sensei?
I told you to become a starter and then betrayed you.
But if you could be the closer, I want that for you.
I'm rooting for you!
Sensei, it's harder to become a closer than it is to become a starter.
Because each team only has room for one.
My first pitching practice...
Natsunosuke. Switch with Nitta.
Sure.
The fifth inning.
Our new closer shows up in the bullpen.
The sixth. Our new closer plays some light catch.
I'm getting in my second pitching practice.
Okay, Natsunosuke, switch with Fukuyama.
Yes, sir!
I'm going to move to light pitches.
Natsunosuke, warm up.
They might send out a lefty pinch hitter.
Sure thing!
But it's a double play, and the inning's over!
Natsunosuke, you can quit.
Yes, sir!
Yes? Yes, understood.
Natsunosuke, I need you to keep it up after all.
They're pinch hitting for the pitcher if he gets an at bat this inning.
And you'll be sent out to start the next inning.
Yes, sir!
He's back!
But...
The pitcher never made it to the plate.
The pitcher's staying in. Take a rest.
Yes, sir...
And in the end, I never got to pitch at all.
New closer Tominaga comes up to the mound!
It's a one-run game. Finish it off, Tomi.
This is where the other relievers head back to the bench.
Bonda Natsunosuke threw eighty pitches in the bullpen!
And yet, he never got to the mound!
But this is what a middle reliever does!
That's what it means to be a pro!
All that aside, our new closer...
Tomi, we're counting on you!
God, please!
...didn't seem to have the think tank's trust!
Tominaga has a runner on second, but he's made it to two outs.
Cleanup hitter Bobby's coming up.
Guest Commentator Takahashi Hisanori?
Bobby smashed the ball out of the park to turn things around last night.
First base is open this time. Use it.
I'd like to use a lefty...
Facing a lefty with a righty in a one-run game is too frightening.
Especially after what happened yesterday...
But, Coach, you said you were making Tomi the closer.
Yes, but I'm a coward.
Tomi's still a risky bet.
Pitcher: Bonda!
Bonda will be pitching for Tominaga.
The southpaw, Bonda, heads from the bench to the mound!
That's a surprise.
Bringing out a southpaw means they're going after Bobby.
They made me the closer, but I guess they don't trust me...
Now, Bonda...
He came off the bench. Is he sufficiently warmed up?
He was throwing his heart out in the bullpen! His arm's too warmed up!
But he has one hell of a chance to shine right at the very end!
Naturally, there's no pinch hitter for cleanup hitter Bobby!
Can Bonda Natsunosuke get this final out?
Bonda with a pickoff move to second!
Out!
Yes!
No way!
Great pickoff, huh?
The game is over just like that!
Oh no!
Yes!
Don't leave me hanging!
The game ends with an anticlimax!
Tense situations tend to end in a whimper.
It'd be easy to write it off that way, but...
The runner let his guard down because a lefty was on the mound!
He took a big lead because he thought he was in the blind spot!
I can go a little further, I think...
A whole world of competition packed into this 9th inning.
A bench that couldn't choose a closer
second-guessed themselves into sending Bonda out,
and as a result, victory fell into their laps!
He'd warmed up so much in the bullpen.
That's why he could throw that incredible pickoff.
Right, Bonda-san?
Out!
Yes!
Oh no!
Pro baseball is a world where a risky right-versus-left bet
is traded off for a safe left-versus-left bet.
But I can't criticize that.
The people who live in a world of competition are always fighting their fears.
And within that fear, they're trying to make the best choice available!
Sensei!
He stayed to the end!
I made the safe choice, too.
But... But...
Someday, I'm going to publish a baseball manga in Shonen Magazine!
Eighty pitches in the bullpen, no pitches on the mound.
The game's save goes to me, Bonda Natsunosuke!
Natsunosuke here!
There are many pro ballplayers who drink a lot!
Sekiya-san, who bats third for the Nagoya Wild Ones,
makes exactly ten times my contract, 180 million, and he's quite a drinker, too!
Even when he's got a hangover, he always comes through in the clutch!
I'm going up against Sekiya-san with two outs and bases loaded!
Next time: "Multiplier."
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Pitch!

▶ [HorribleRips] Gurazeni S1 - 06 [1080p]

I, Bonda Natsunosuke, have one main hobby.
It's looking through the Pro Baseball Player Directory.
As a middle reliever who makes 18 million a year,
I get curious about the players who make more money than me.
But even among them, I'm most interested in...
Multiplier
"Multipliers."
It's a bit tragic, but "multipliers" refer to...
For instance, the current pitcher, who joined the team when I did,
Shibuya Akira...
He's been having a great season,
and his poor pitching today isn't an indication of his ability...
Anyway, his contract is 36 million.
In other words,
he alone earns as much as two Bonda Natsunosukes.
And as luck would have it, the starter for our opponents, the Kawasaki Blue Comets,
is twenty-four-year-old Misato-kun.
Misato-kun 24 years old
His contract is exactly 54 million.
In other words, this!
Then there's one more person we just happen to be facing today...
Manda there, the current runner on third.
He's in his third year as the Blue Comets' second baseman.
At twenty-eight years old, he's in his prime,
Manda 28 years old
making 72 million.
It's sort of like, you know...
There's something eerie about it when it divides up so cleanly like that.
But I know it's a silly thing to get worked up about.
And while I was thinking about that, Akira got knocked out!
He didn't even last five innings today!
Yakiniku Jolina
Naturally, our starter is in a foul mood after being hit out of the game.
Natsunosuke! You're eating too much meat!
I ordered all these vegetables, too!
Eat more vegetables!
Eat vegetables? But yakiniku is all about the meat!
Protein is important for a pro baller,
but vitamins and minerals are even more important.
Throw in two seaweed salads!
Natsunosuke.
I see you gulping down that second beer!
You'd better not be thinking about a third!
What?! I can't?!
Your third drink will be oolong tea!
Drinking too much during a season leads to slumps!
Drinking too much? It's only three beers!
But anyway, you know...
When you eat heavy stuff like yakiniku, it really gives you that craving, right?
For this.
Hey, Natsunosuke! Are you still craving cigarettes?
Well, you know...
I quit smoking because he told me to!
If you want to reach the top, you'd better quit smoking!
You're right, of course!
A pro athlete's health is his career!
You're absolutely right!
Hey, Akira...
Hey there.
Hey, great game today!
Hey!
Triple and quadruple are both here!
The Blue Comets' pitcher, Misato.
3x
Pitcher Misato
Their infielder, Manda.
4x
Infielder Manda
And two youngsters.
Youngsters
We'll start with four draft beers.
Then we'll have tongue, ribs, loin, and skirt steak.
Five servings of each, your best cuts.
Five servings of each?
Great game today!
Great game!
Okay, chow down, guys!
Pack in that meat!
Right!
We're running out of meat.
Excuse me! Another five helpings of each, please!
No, make it ten helpings!
Ten helpings of each?!
Yes, sir!
They're not eating any vegetables?
Eating all that meat will mess up your diet.
More beer!
Help yourselves, guys!
Okay, I'll have another!
Same here!
Another ten helpings of each!
They eat, they drink...
They smoke...
More meat! Another ten helpings!
Is this really the meal...
...of a pro athlete?
Man, I'm stuffed! Great meal, guys!
See you later!
Excuse us!
That was fast!
That will be 158,000 yen.
Put it on my card.
Thank you, Senpai!
I could probably have eaten more!
It makes us feel a little... herbivorous...
Like we're too obsessed with vegetables...
I guess people worth three and four times me do just eat meat...
Well, you know how it is.
I don't intend to tell my players how to spend their private time,
but we're seeing more herbivore types these days.
It's a whole new age.
Personality-wise, we have too many players who are totally docile.
They're much too polite.
In the pro baseball world, talent may be the most important thing,
but matters of personality carry a lot of weight, too.
In terms of my experience,
carnivore types tend to go further than herbivore types!
That's right...
We're too passive, aren't we?
We're the quintessential "small fry."
In terms of multipliers, there's one number I hate the most.
I'm talking about 180 million.
I know it's really stupid to worry about this, but...
180 million
I mean, this is what it means.
Exactly ten of Bonda Natsunosuke!
Numbers like 200 million and 300 million are outside my comprehension.
But this "times ten" number feels as real as can be.
The fact is, there's one player who makes exactly that much in the Central League.
He's here in Tokyo this week on an away series.
Been a while since I've been in Tokyo.
Time to play!
Nagoya Wild Ones 1st Baseman Sekiya Masamitsu (27)
First baseman for the Nagoya Wild Ones, Sekiya Masamitsu.
Contract: 180 million.
The man with a contract equal to ten Bonda Natsunosukes!
A salary ratio of one to ten!
Salary 1 to 10
That was their travel day, so we didn't play that night.
Akira and I decided to hit up Ginza for the first time in a while.
We're pro baseball players.
We need to head out to Ginza every now and then.
It's pathetic to hold back all the time.
Has Akira changed his way of thinking a bit lately?
Hey, Natsunosuke.
Don't forget, we're going Dutch.
Yeah, I know.
What are you talking about?
Oh, nothing.
Just then, we noticed him...
I'm in the mood for more drinks.
I want some champagne!
Go on, drink up! Bring a whole bottle!
It's Sekiya-san of the Wild Ones.
He's a regular here.
He never fails to stop by when he has an away game in Tokyo.
Look at all those expensive-looking bottles.
He always drops at least a million when he's here.
A million?!
Mama says you don't see big spenders like him very often these days.
Is that Shibuya and Bonda?
You guys come here, too?
This is our first time, actually...
No problem! Drink up, you guys!
I'll cover the whole tab!
No thanks. We're on different teams, after all...
Yeah, we'd better not.
Come on! Don't be shy!
Then, the next day...
I woke up early and did some running around Jingu Park.
It was 8:00 AM.
Is this the place?
Yeah!
You're amazing, Maki-chan.
You really have an apartment in Aoyama?
I'm dying for some breakfast.
H-He's with those three Ginza hostesses from last night!
Has he been drinking all this time?!
What are you gonna cook for me, huh?
I can't wait to see!
I forgot to mention one thing.
This guy bats left-handed!
Showdown tonight?!
There's a good chance I might have to face him tonight!
We called it a night at 10:00,
but this guy's still drinking!
And would you believe it, it's a one-run game.
Given the way things are going, neither team's likely to run away with it.
Things will probably stay tense all the way to the end.
Which means they may need a left-hander against Sekiya-san!
So sleepy... I'm not even fully sober yet.
After what I saw, I can't afford to lose!
Even though I only make one tenth of what he does!
Sekiya-san is the only person in the Central League
who makes exactly ten times what I do.
18 million
180 million
1 to 10
I know it's a bit silly,
but I'm extra conscious about this guy.
On an away trip, he spends the whole night drinking
before playing the next day.
I've heard the sport used to be full of nogoodniks like him,
but you don't hear much about them in baseball these days.
Anyway, given that I know how he spent his last 24 hours,
I can't afford to lose to him now!
Even if people call me an herbivore,
a man still has his pride!
Look at him! He's clearly sleepy!
Sekiya-san, you'd better be careful.
You reek of alcohol!
Yeah, I guess I do.
I'm in trouble...
Wonder if I can hit the ball today.
Sekiya-san, the three-hole hitter, is 0-for-2 today.
A fly out to right.
0-for-3.
Is it the booze?
No.
For a first-rate hitter like him,
a little leftover drunkenness shouldn't make a difference!
As evidence, he's made two great plays on defense today!
He's only 0-for-3 because he's been unlucky.
What's more, the bases have been empty for each of his at bats.
There's a type of batter who gets pointless hits,
and a type of batter who gets clutch ones.
Sekiya-san is definitely the latter.
That's why he earns 180 million a year!
It's the top of the 8th, two outs, bases loaded.
Sekiya comes to the plate!
If he smashes one out of the park, the Wild Ones will take the lead!
This is the part of the game when Sekiya gets to work.
It doesn't matter that he has no hits today.
He's actually far scarier when he's had a quiet game!
The more runners you have on later in the game,
the more he shows his stuff!
That means they could send in Bonda the southpaw to pitch to him.
Hey, Sakota!
Indeed, they are making a move!
Pitcher: Bonda!
I knew it!
I mean, sure, it's a lefty-against-lefty matchup...
But Bonda's totally out of his league here.
Yeah, this is trouble...
Are we gonna lose today?
Yeah, if this were a baseball movie, I'd definitely get smashed here!
That's the presence of a man who makes ten times my salary...
Play ball!
Look at those eyes...
He's like a carnivorous beast focused on his prey.
An herbivore who retired at 10:00 last night
can't beat a carnivore who pulled an all-nighter!
Sekiya-san's concentration... It's far greater than my own right now!
We're in completely different leagues!
B-But I don't want to lose.
I may only make 18 million yen, but I don't want to lose to a 180 million-maker.
What will I do, then? How do I attack?
Natsunosuke.
When you're in trouble, how do you attack?
I think your best bet is zigzagging the corners.
Pitch one, low and away.
Pitch two, high and in.
Pitch three, high and away.
And pitch four, low and in.
In other words,
don't pitch anywhere near the middle of the strike zone!
You want the corners! Aim right for the corners!
Even if he hits me anyway, I'll have fewer regrets that way.
Ball!
Second pitch!
Strike!
I can throw strikes away, but I have to avoid the center.
Those two pitches were a textbook zigzag.
For a southpaw, Natsunosuke has really good control.
We typically think lefties have slightly worse control than righties.
But Natsunosuke's USP is being a lefty who also has control.
The third pitch!
Ball!
Hey, pitcher, watch where you're throwing!
You trying to hit him?
Yeah, he has to avoid inside strikes.
Two-one!
The fourth pitch!
Strike!
Two-two!
Sekiya has been cornered.
He's taking a minute to readjust his footing.
Actually, he's trying to throw off his opponent's rhythm.
Now, Sekiya gets in position again!
The fifth pitch!
Ball!
Three-two!
The count's full now.
His control so far has been perfect!
That fifth pitch will have straightened him up,
so the next pitch, low and away, will look really far away to him!
My control's been on point, if I do say so myself.
I'm pretty confident that I can land this final low-and-away slider, too.
But of course, he knows that's what I'm aiming for.
I'll be pitching to him despite knowing that he knows.
All batters keeps an afterimage of the last pitch in their minds.
Even if he knows I'm going for the outside corner,
it's still a hard pitch to hit!
But a clutch hitter like him
might just hit my low-and-away slider easily.
No problem! Drink up, you guys!
No thanks. We're on different teams, after all...
Yeah, we'd better not.
I'm glad I didn't let you treat me last night.
Change of plans!
I can't throw to the low outside corner!
I'm going for his chest one more time!
If I go even a little easy on him, he'll hit it!
Will it hit him or not...
He mustn't know until the end!
What?
Inside?
It'll hit me!
Strike!
He's out!
He did it! A slider on the inside!
Natsunosuke outsmarted him!
Bonda Natsunosuke has done it!
Sekiya must have been taken by surprise.
He couldn't even swing.
Well, I could've swung if the pitch had been slightly easier to read.
Bonda, if you had accepted my hospitality last night,
that pitch wouldn't have been so far inside.
But because you refused, you threw it where I was sure it'd hit me.
And I guess that made all the difference.
It was a nice inside pitch.
Next time we meet in town, I'm totally treating you!
Well, well, look at you, Natsunosuke.
So the herbivore ate the carnivore.
I guess that happens from time to time.
18 million yen beat 180 million yen!
180 million yen
18 million yen
The Spiders won today because I put in a real shift!
Money Pitch!
Natsunosuke here!
Minor league catcher, Tohko-san, has been called up to the majors.
A 5 million yen salary, thirty-two years old.
He doesn't have much potential as a player.
But even when his best friend from college told him to retire and get another job,
he turned him down flat.
He's determined to have a successful career!
And for the first time in a while, Tohko-san wears the mask in a game.
Next time: "A Minor-League Player in the Majors"!
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Pitch!

▶ [HorribleRips] Gurazeni S1 - 07 [1080p]

Meiji Jingu Stadium
I haven't been to Jingu since last September.
I'm going to stay here longer this time.
Hup!
There.
This practice is pretty rough...
Hey.
You can go. I'll stand in.
Thanks.
Tohko-san! You're back in the majors?
Looks like.
Here you go, Natsunosuke.
Tohko Junji-san, thirty-two years old.
Catcher.
In pro baseball, each major league team normally keeps three catchers on their bench.
Since no other player can sub in for a catcher,
Tohko-san in the minors is basically our fourth catcher.
Yesterday, our young catcher prospect was dropped down to the minors,
and Tohko-san was brought up in his place.
His contract is 5 million yen.
5 million at thirty-two years of age...
If he plays, it probably won't be as catcher, but as a righty pinch hitter...
I know what you're thinking, Natsunosuke.
You're wrong. I might not be here to pinch hit, but rather to catch.
Ogami, the backup, jammed his finger yesterday, right?
So I might even end up in the battery with you during a game, Natsunosuke.
Yeah, I see!
That's totally possible, sure!
Hey!
Bonda-kun, good to see you!
Oh, hey.
Hey.
That's Kitamura-san, ace reporter for Doyo Sports.
Hello there!
He's extremely affable and outgoing.
Hello!
That's what makes him so good at getting scoops.
Oh, hey!
Kita!
Junji...
Hey, don't look so surprised.
You knew I was coming up, didn't you?
Well, yeah...
Uh-oh, I gotta hit the can!
Bonda-kun!
If Junji's catching when you take the mound today, you'd better be careful!
You'll have to call your own pitches.
You just can't trust this guy's signs.
You shut your filthy mouth!
These two...
They spent their college years together in the baseball team.
They were both catchers, too.
Tohko-san was a college-ball superstar.
He was our first pick in the draft.
Kitamura-san was the second-string catcher.
In four years, he never once got brought up to the bench.
After they graduated college and entered real life,
one became a minor league player in the pros,
while the other became a major reporter in the sports media.
Why, you...
And I recently heard something from one of the senior pros...
Of course, it varies a lot by publication,
but I hear those in sports media really make bank.
By your mid-thirties,
you can make as much as 10 million in some places!
T-Ten million a year?!
And they can keep the job up well into retirement age.
It's a much better lifelong prospect than us lousy ball players.
Then what about Kitamura-san with DoyoSpo?
DoyoSpo's a big name, and Kitamura's their ace reporter...
He's probably making 10 million.
Even at his young age.
He was a major player in high school.
Now he's in the minors.
He was a minor player in college,
but he got a normal job,
and now he's in the majors.
One makes double the other.
And while Kitamura-san will also have a steady income into retirement age,
Tohko-san has to walk the uncertain path of the athlete...
That day, Tohko-san got a chance to pinch hit.
Fly ball to center!
No runs this time, and we move on to the 8th.
Pinch hitter Tohko puts the catcher's mask on.
Top of the 8th with the Tempters.
Their leadoff batter gets on base.
Now they're bringing out a southpaw pinch hitter.
That means there's movement on the Spiders' bench.
Pitching for Ichioka,
Bonda, jersey number 39.
Just as Tohko-san thought, I'm in the battery with him right off the bat.
That's right, Natsunosuke. Give me the best you've got.
Oh! Here's some more movement!
The Tempters bring in a pinch hitter for their pinch hitter, a righty!
He's running!
The batter swings to protect the runner!
Second!
He's safe with time to spare!
It's a successful steal!
It's not good to let a steal happen that easily.
The pitcher's a lefty.
The batter's a righty.
It's hard for the runner to get a lead,
and easy for the catcher to throw.
Tohko-san's smart, and he's a decent hitter.
But there's a reason he spends most of his time in the minors:
he has a lousy arm.
Our current stock of catchers in the majors
includes our regular catcher and today's starter, Terasugi-san.
He's a well-rounded catcher in all respects.
Our second catcher, who jammed his finger yesterday,
is Ogami, who has punch as a pinch hitter.
Our third catcher is a prospect, Harada, who was sent down to the minors yesterday.
To be honest, Tohko-san is a jack of all trades, master of none.
And he's past the age where he can be expected to improve.
A-Again?
It's through!
It's an RBI single!
Bonda gives up a hit! The lead is down to one!
The Spiders are announcing a change of pitchers.
I disagreed with Tohko-san's sign.
You just can't trust this guy's signs.
The pitchers after me managed to hold them off,
and we escaped with the win, but...
Asking Bonda-kun for another fastball was clearly the wrong call there.
Any major league catcher would have signaled for a breaking ball, no question.
K-Kita!
And it wasn't the pitcher's fault that guy stole the base, either.
Bonda-kun pitched from the stretch, like he was supposed to.
If you give up second that easily, you won't stand a chance in the majors.
What...
What would a reporter like you know about it?
Don't talk down to me!
Junji, you're used to being around minor leaguers.
I'm used to being around major leaguers.
When it comes to major league baseball,
I know it better than you.
Kita!
Of course,
the team might need you in the majors from time to time,
but you can't cut it in the pros at this point.
You should retire after this season.
On second thought...
Forget "after this year." You should retire immediately.
Oh no...
Bonda-kun...
Natsunosuke...
Uh, well...
Were you listening to that?
Er, well...
I wasn't trying to, but I might have heard.
Perfect timing, Bonda-kun.
Give us your judgment as a major league pitcher.
You might have to pitch to Junji again tomorrow night.
If he messes up once more, let loose and give him a piece of your mind!
Tell him he can't be a pro anymore!
Natsunosuke. I-I'm sorry.
Th-That's okay...
S...
S-So awkward!
These two have a history between them.
And Kitamura-san is a first-rate reporter, so his opinion is certainly credible.
I-I'm sure you're a bit confused after hearing all that, but oh well.
Natsunosuke, I'm going to tell you what this is about.
He wants me to get a job.
G-Get a job?
His family runs a pharmaceutical import business.
It's not a large firm, but it's stable.
He wants me to do sales with them.
He's the second son, so he won't inherit the business,
but he can guarantee a salary equal to my current contract.
5 million yen?!
That's one heck of a deal!
Wait, they're willing to pay someone with no specialized knowledge that much?
Some might even call that outrageous!
They'd mostly want me to handle the sports and fitness-related stuff.
Hence the pay.
But this is what he said:
"Start as young as you can if you want to adapt to the work quickly.
In fact, every month— every day—is of the essence."
That all makes a lot of sense.
If I get any older, he can't guarantee that same starting salary.
Th-That's super harsh!
He's probably just looking out for me, in his own way.
Wait, Kitamura-san might be right on the money!
I mean, will our team really re-sign Tohko-san after this year?
Next year, Tohko-san will be thirty-three.
It's not possible!
It's honestly impressive he's kept his contract for this long!
Retiring now wouldn't be a bad choice at all!
But...
I won't be joining his family's company.
Natsunosuke.
If I'm useless in the majors, like he says, just tell me.
There's a real chance we might get matched up tomorrow.
I-I know, but...
No, I think we will.
Tomorrow, I'll be the starting catcher.
They want to give Tera, our regular, the day off.
Really?
And I was on a real hot streak down in the minors.
That's why they brought me back up.
Batting eighth, the catcher, Tohko.
How long has it been since Tohko started? A year?
Two years?
Our starter today is a seasoned veteran, thirty-eight-year-old Kawasaki-san.
Second!
Okay! Nice throw!
We stole second off of Tohko easily yesterday,
so I'm giving all of you the green light from the first inning today.
However...
Kawasaki-san's on his game today,
and he sits down the side in order in the first.
Nice pitching, Kawasaki-san.
Tohko's calling was good, too.
I think you're right.
Junji's calling?
I doubt that.
Kawasaki's just pitching well today.
Bottom of the first!
The Spiders take a three-run lead with a flurry of hits!
Now, with one out and the bases loaded,
catcher Tohko comes up to the plate!
Through the gap in right-center!
The runner on third,
the runner on second,
and the runner on first all score!
Tohko clears the bases with a triple!
Hey, Tohko-san got a hit!
Tohko-san, nice one!
He failed yesterday, but he was telling the truth about being on a hot streak!
Tohko-san, the catcher with the weak arm.
But with a lead like that on the board,
the opponents probably won't go for any more steals.
Second!
This catcher's got a weak arm!
I'm going to run.
This guy's going for the stolen bases title.
Better rack them up while I have the chance.
Kawasaki-san held them off with another one-two-three inning.
Tohko-san is crazy today!
His second at bat:
a double!
His third at bat:
a single!
Incredible!
Tohko-san, if you can get a home run,
you'll have hit for the cycle!
Junji...
Tohko's on fire!
He's calling a great game for the veteran Kawasaki, too.
Now it's eight to nothing!
The Spiders have a big lead!
All right. That's a win in the bag.
All right.
We'll take out Mr. Veteran after the sixth.
Let's split up the remaining innings among the relievers.
Right.
Natsunosuke, you handle the seventh.
Yes, sir.
Then, in the seventh inning...
Ball!
Now then!
Bonda comes in this inning and immediately walks the leadoff hitter, Shunsoku Yoshiki!
Yoshiki has stolen twelve bases this season!
I finally got on base.
Kawasaki-san's just been too good.
I don't know if I'll get the record, but I'm going to run either way.
The same situation as yesterday.
A runner on first.
A right-handed batter.
But the difference today is that the runner has confidence in his speed.
Natsunosuke, don't worry about it.
Let him run if he wants to. You don't have to pitch from the stretch.
Okay...
Well, if you insist.
The runner takes off!
They're not even gonna try, are they?
He's out!
Tohko's on fire today!
He throws out Shunsoku Yoshiki!
You really lulled Yoshiki into a false sense of security, huh?
During throwing practice, you intentionally made your throws to second look slow.
Since you've been in the minors, Yoshiki-kun doesn't know you.
You even fooled your partner Bonda, asking him to pitch from the windup.
When I want to, I can make a throw like that easily enough.
Well?
Well, there's nothing praiseworthy about throwing out a runner in that situation.
Maybe not.
The press box today was full of praise for the game you called for Kawasaki.
But if you ask me, they're wrong.
Kawasaki was just in the zone today.
Yeah, that's right.
I didn't call an especially good game.
The triple, double, and single, too...
Every batter has a good hitting day every now and then.
Yeah, sometimes a player just gets a lot of hits.
And sometimes they get a home run after all that.
Hitting for the cycle...
That's crazy!
My breakout season's coming at thirty-two years old.
Wrong!
Wrong, wrong!
Today was just a coincidence!
You'll go right back to sucking tomorrow, I bet!
Better write that resignation letter!
There's one thing that "first-rate reporter" Kitamura-san doesn't understand.
It's understandable, since he doesn't watch minor league ball.
That's right.
In pro baseball, you usually only get promoted to the majors when you're on fire.
Natsunosuke here.
There's a cap to how many foreigners you can have on your roster,
which means some players don't get to play.
One of those is perpetual minor leaguer Thomas.
He's always freaking out that he might get fired at any time,
but then he's always losing his temper on the mound!
That same Thomas is brought onto the mound in an emergency situation in Yokohama.
Next Time: "The Commute to the Stadium"!
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Pitch!

▶ [HorribleRips] Gurazeni S1 - 08 [1080p]

I, Bonda Natsunosuke, live in an apartment complex near the ballpark in the city.
It's just a one-bedroom apartment, of course.
But I live alone, so it's more than enough.
Spiders to acquire closer to replace Segawa?
Roster staff visit the US?
I bet Segawa-san's reading this article and freaking out...
Two weeks earlier.
Our closer, Segawa-san, blew the save and robbed Shibuya Akira of his first win.
That same day, he was dumped to the minors, where he is currently regrouping.
The right fielder doesn't even move! That ball is out of here!
Bobby's massive two-run homer, his eighth of the season, turns things around!
Poor Akira...
Another blown save, another game without his first win!
The sun's so bright today...
He earned the closer spot last year.
He was in the middle of his sixth season, after getting scouted from an amateur team.
He racked up twenty saves as a closer,
and in the off-season, he doubled his 25 million contract to 50 million!
A fairly late bloomer,
he was supposed to break out in force this season, at age twenty-nine, but...
Th-This is bad news.
Segawa.
Hirakawa-san.
That there? It's all true.
It's rough. The pro world is so unforgiving.
I mean, I knew that coming in...
Hey, is this the Triple-A pitcher they made overtures to in the off-season?
Aguilera, I think?
Yeah, they say it's Aguilera.
But their first try was a bust.
What happens to me if they sign him?
Well, if that happens, you'll have to fight him for the closer spot.
Like hell they're not gonna use the foreigner after they sign him!
I'm gonna regress back to a middle reliever!
Aguilera has racked up good stats in the Triple-As this season,
but he's been feeling discouraged that they won't bring him to the show.
They say he plays for much less than Segawa, too.
And rumors say the club is prepared to offer him 60 million.
It's gotta be a done deal.
I beg you! Don't let it be a done deal!
But it's not manly to leave it all up to prayer.
Let's get running!
One year of solid performance
isn't enough to convince the club that you're a real closer.
But there's one man who'll be panicking even more than Segawa-san.
Coming!
Thomas!
I read the news.
You managed to read it?
I sure did!
On the internet, you can translate stuff with one click.
If they sign some new foreigner,
won't I get fired?!
It's gonna be me!
I'll be the one on the chopping block!
Thomas Hotpopper, age twenty-five.
A foreign pitcher, born in the USA, with a contract of 20 million.
In two seasons, he's racked up a mere three wins.
None of them this year, of course.
He spends most of his time in the minors.
He's very occasionally brought up to the majors as a spot starter and such.
But any time he starts, regardless of the result,
he's purged from the roster the next day.
Why do they use him this way, you ask?
It's because of this thing called the major league roster foreigners' cap.
A club may sign any number of foreign players. However, no more than four may appear on the active player roster, and no more than three may serve in either fielding or pitching positions at any one time.
Article 82-2 (Number of Foreign Players)
A club's official player cap is 70,
and there's no limit on how many of those can be foreigners,
but no more than four can be active on the roster at any one time.
No more than three of them can be pitchers,
and no more than three can be fielders.
So you get a total of four, split between pitchers and fielders.
Desmond Pitcher (right-hander)
Our team has Desmond, a pitcher in the starting rotation,
Homer Pitcher (right-hander)
middle relief pitcher Homer,
Tib Center Field (throws right, bats right)
clean-up hitter and center fielder Tib,
Garrett Utility Player (throws right, bats right)
and right-handed pinch hitter and utility player, Garrett.
That is to say, two pitchers and two fielders.
These four foreigners on our team are all reliable,
so we don't like to pull them without a serious reason.
This all means that on days when Thomas starts,
we have to drop someone else.
That's why, even though Thomas gets the occasional chance to pitch in the majors,
he spends most of his time in the minors.
Right now, there are six foreign players signed with the Spiders.
They won't make it seven. They won't cut their Japanese players.
But they can cut me! I'm a foreign pitcher just like him!
Then why not sign on as a trainee player?
Then you could stay in the club!
T-Trainee?
They only make 2 or 3 million a year, don't they?
If that's not for you, why not go back to America and try for the show?
That's the obvious choice, isn't it?
Oh, there's no way I could make it to the show!
There are independent leagues, too.
Independent leagues?
Those are hamburger leagues!
You can't afford anything better than hamburgers! You know that!
Japanese pro ball is the best there is.
There's no other country where I could make 20 million.
Let's see...
Hey, it's Support Staff Manager Takeoka.
Hello? Thomas speaking.
Yes? Yes?
Manager?
Can it be...?
Tomorrow? In the majors?!
Y-You mean...
That's right. You're starting.
We're in Yokohama Stadium tomorrow.
Can you make it by yourself?
Y-Yokohama...
Um... well...
If you can't make it, I can come get you at noon.
Thomas, put me on.
Bonda here, Takeoka-san.
I'll get him to Yokohama Stadium, safe and sound.
Hey, Natsunosuke. Really?
Sorry to impose, but please do.
If you're starting,
that means the club still needs you!
If you pitch well tomorrow,
they might decide you're too good to fire!
I-I'll do my best!
Natsunosuke, please take me to Yokohama Stadium tomorrow, without any mistakes.
I won't make mistakes!
The fact is, I commute to Jingu by bike.
I hear there are some clubs that forbid their players from riding bikes,
but it gets me there in ten minutes.
I get to the Dome by bike, too.
For Yokohama Stadium...
I take the train!
A lot of major leaguers drive,
but I'm not famous enough to be recognized by fellow commuters.
Most foreign players use public transport to get to these three stadiums, too.
To put it bluntly,
the club forbids its foreign players from driving to work.
Thomas takes his train in a different direction than the other foreigners.
That's because the Spiders' minor league field is in Toda, in Saitama Prefecture.
Young Japanese players tend to live in this area,
but the apartments the club arrange for the foreign players
tend to be in the heart of the city,
which means Thomas has a rough commute.
Rapid Shonan-Shinjuku Line
And when he does occasionally get called to pitch in the majors, he gets disoriented.
If it's in another city, we go as a group, so there's no need to worry about that.
But Yokohama means changing trains, so it's even worse.
I'd probably get lost if I were by myself.
It's my job to escort our precious starter to the stadium.
He's two meters tall.
Thomas is so tall,
but he's a left-handed sidearm pitcher like me.
Still, he throws a hell of a junk ball, and his pitches pack a punch.
Thomas, this is our train.
You got it!
We will now announce the battery for each team.
For the away team, Jingu Spiders: Pitcher, Thomas.
Pitcher, Thomas.
Let's do this!
But Coach Yoshikawa of the Blue Comets had taken countermeasures.
He prepared a lineup of all right-handers to crush Thomas.
Thomas might be in real trouble tonight.
I love Japan!
I want to stay in Japanese pro baseball!
No, I will stay in Japanese pro baseball!
I love Japan!
I want to stay in Japanese pro baseball!
No, I will stay in Japanese pro baseball!
Thomas is running into trouble with the foreign player cap.
If he doesn't pitch well in this game,
he could get dumped mid-season.
I gave him a little advice of my own on the way to the stadium.
Thomas, you have a tendency to lose your temper on the mound.
Listen up, don't forget to breathe.
No worries, no worries! I'll be fine!
Stacking the lineup with righties, are we?
Batting first. Second base, Manda.
That doesn't matter.
That doesn't matter!
If Thomas can make it through this batting order once,
that's all we can ask for.
I don't even know much about you Japanese batters, anyway!
His arms are so long!
Strike!
144.
While the ball doesn't have much spin, it's really sharp.
But it's easy to see his release point.
I can hit it!
And so, the leadoff hitter pops out to second.
Thomas did well with his first time through the order, but...
In the fourth, the Blue Comets have scored twice and still have the bases loaded.
Thomas has been getting pummeled his second time through the order.
Well, he has gotten two outs here.
He's really struggling with all those right-handers.
They're still ahead by three, but...
Thomas is just... Yeah, he's losing his temper.
They'll probably bring in a reliever here.
When Thomas gets mad,
he tends to throw everything right down the plate.
Even with a three-run lead, they'll be scared.
They won't let him throw to another batter.
Coach Tanabe is leaving the dugout.
They might bring in one of Nitta or Fukuyama, both right-handers.
Look at Thomas! He's laying into the pitching coach!
Pitching for Thomas,
Bonda. Bonda.
Bonda?!
They've chosen Bonda, a southpaw just like Thomas!
Not a righty?
It's still early innings. Maybe they want to save the righties for later.
But while Bonda's throwing practice pitches,
Thomas is still offering a piece of his mind on the mound!
Thomas is finally leaving the mound!
Shit! Goddamn!
Thomas is on the bench, still fuming!
He's usually such a nice guy,
but when he gets mad, he's like a different person!
Thomas. Look carefully at Natsunosuke's pitching.
"Thomas, watch Natsunosuke's pitching."
B-Ball!
Ball four!
He walks in the run!
Now it's five to three!
The lead's down to two!
He walked him in!
I could have gotten him out!
But I led the next guy into a grounder to shortstop,
and the inning ended.
Natsunosuke only walked him because he was aiming for the corners.
He was right on the black, and they just happened to get called as balls.
To put it another way,
Natsunosuke has the courage to throw balls.
Even though he walked in a run,
we're still leading by two.
Natsunosuke pitched carefully to minimize the damage,
got the next batter to ground out, and ended the inning.
Thomas, when you get in trouble, you throw all your pitches down the plate.
It's because you lose your temper and try to rush things to a conclusion.
And it's not just that.
It's because you don't have the courage to throw balls.
Okay, Natsunosuke.
Nice pitching.
Thanks.
Natsunosuke, take us as far as you can today.
Sure thing.
That day, I stayed on the mound for the next inning and on.
And then...
In the end,
the game ended five to three,
and the winning pitcher was me, Bonda Natsunosuke!
My second win of the season!
Thomas.
They're gonna take this out of your pay.
How much does it cost?
About 80,000 yen, I bet.
No way a plastic bucket costs 80,000 yen!
Why, you...
You must think you're pretty hot, blowing your top all the time!
Yeah! Think you're hot stuff, huh?
Like you're some great player!
H-Hey! Stop that!
Hey, Thomas! Where are you?
Y-Yes? I'm here! Right here!
Takeoka-san, help me!
What's all this?
Are you getting sanctioned for losing your head today?
S-Sanctioned? What's that mean?
That's right. Thomas is the type who gets ragged on a lot.
We're playing in Tokyo Dome tomorrow. You can make it there yourself, right?
D-Dome?
You're not sending me back down tomorrow?
We're not going to send you back down right away every time.
Thomas, want to commute with me again tomorrow?
Natsunosuke?
Yeah! Show me the way, please!
You've got your own bike, right?
Thomas! This is the Yasukuni Shrine!
Hey, I've heard of that!
May Japan and America never go to war again!
The Skytree!
On top of the hill in Kudan,
you can see it so clearly between the skyscrapers!
Yep! It's a great viewing spot, in its way.
I love Tokyo! I love Japan!
By the way, a little bird told me that talks with Aguilera aren't going well.
Apparently, he doesn't want to leave America.
Really?!
I guess we'll be keeping Segawa-san as our closer for a while.
And, Thomas, looks like you get to keep your job.
Yeah!
After everything I told you, you still lost your stupid temper on the mound!
Sorry! Sorry!
But it's true of all baseball players.
When we get out there on the pitch, it's hard to think about our jobs.
All that aside, Natsunosuke.
I learned something from watching you pitch.
The courage to throw balls.
That's not a mindset we see in America very often.
That's a Japanese... and a pro baseball mindset.
I don't have the speed that you do, so I have to think about that stuff!
Thomas, we're free to go!
Time to go!
When we turn left on this street, Tokyo Dome will be within our sights.
Japanese baseball has so much depth!
In the end, the club's attempts to secure a new closer fell through.
Our closer, Segawa, returned to the majors.
The club's so stingy.
If they'd brought in a new foreigner, I would've been stuck down there.
But getting dropped down to the minors instead was...
Yeah, it figures.
Thomas.
Take care!
Hey!
Hey there!
Keep at it, Thomas.
And Thomas is still...
You teeny-tiny Japanese batters can't hit off me!
...pitching away in the minors.
And losing his temper all the while.
Natsunosuke here.
Boy, what to do about Kuriki-senpai?
He's a batting pitcher and a scorer,
but he's always giving me pitching form advice about how to speed up.
He helped me a lot back in the minors,
so I can't just blow him off.
What'll I do?
Next time: "Teacher or Cautionary Tale?"
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Pitch!

▶ [HorribleRips] Gurazeni S1 - 09 [1080p]

On days when the Spiders are playing at Jingu,
you'll see a staff member in a three-digit jersey running around the park grounds.
Then, when the players show up, he withdraws into the clubhouse.
Heya!
Batting practice pitcher and scorer, Kuriki Satoshi.
He's four years older than me, Bonda Natsunosuke.
Back when I was a rookie,
Kuriki-san taught me a heck of a lot down in the farm.
For a two-seam fastball,
you just grip it down the seams like this, and it'll break toward the arm.
Stuff like this, too.
Listen up, Natsunosuke! Don't move that glove one millimeter!
Okay!
Dead on!
Now, move it two balls higher.
Dead on again!
Now, two balls higher and one ball in.
Perfect accuracy!
Pro pitchers are incredible!
Being a pro is all about control!
Control is what separates us from the amateurs!
And if you want to improve your control, you gotta work out your lower body!
Obviously, you gotta run, run, run, run, run, and run!
Right!
Before long, Kuriki-san was called up to the majors,
while I got left behind with a leg injury from all that running he made me do.
Kuriki-san was, like I am now, a left-handed middle reliever.
However,
he'd get hammered.
And so, he came back to the farm.
My speed is just crummy, you know?
It takes me all I've got just to hit 141 or 142.
If you want more speed, you gotta work out your upper body!
Natsunosuke, do weight training with me!
Okay!
143.
Not as effective as I'd hoped...
133.
What's with you, Natsunosuke?
Your speed's really been dropping lately.
I'm sorry...
Natsunosuke, have you been slacking on your weights?
No, I don't think that's it.
It's clearly been dropping since I started the weight training.
I don't think weights are for me!
As expected, when I cut back on the weight training,
my speed came back to me.
But instinctively, pitchers can't help but be attracted to speed.
In games, I try so hard to pitch faster
that I lose my control and start giving up hits.
Natsunosuke, that's how it goes for me, too.
Maybe we shouldn't be so obsessed with speed.
Kuriki-san seemed to be on the fence, too.
But I guess that goes for everyone.
Once, Kawasaki-san, who was thirty at the time,
came to practice in the minors park, and I saw him up close.
At that time, I believe he'd racked up ninety wins as a pro.
The pitches of a man with ninety wins packed a punch that ours didn't.
But what surprised me was...
Unlike us, he didn't really practice keeping control in mind.
He aimed for the center,
and his pitches were just spraying around.
People like him are confident they won't get hit even if they pitch over the plate.
They're a whole different breed of pitcher!
Being attracted to speed won't get us anywhere.
Kuriki-san was probably right.
That's what I thought.
He was also the first one who said those words to me.
Natsunosuke.
No pitcher wants to fall behind in the count and give up a walk, right?
But guys like us can't be afraid of the base on balls.
We need to have the courage to throw balls.
You're saying that if we refine our control,
we can gain the courage to throw balls?
That's right!
That's what he said, but in practice...
Let's see some speed!
This guy couldn't fully throw out his obsession with speed.
And then last year, after eleven years as a pro, he retired for good.
He'd even had a season where he pitched fifty games,
but his total record was one win, seven losses, and two saves,
with a career-high contract of 15 million yen.
If he hadn't been so obsessed with speed, I think he could have gone a lot further.
And I saw him as both a teacher and a cautionary tale.
Then, this season,
even as lots of pros have to quit baseball every year, Kuriki-san got lucky.
As a pitcher who is a lefty, has good control,
and is decently fast,
the club wanted him to stick around as a batting practice pitcher and scorer.
When his job as a batting practice pitcher is done...
Heya!
...his job as a scorer awaits him.
Thirty years old this year, with a salary of 6 million yen.
In his last year as a pitcher, he was earning 6.5 million,
so it wasn't too big of a step down.
Huh? Kuriki-san!
Hey, Natsunosuke.
I'm organizing the data I got down today.
Used to the job yet?
Not at all. How could I be?
I'm aching all over.
I didn't think being a batting practice pitcher would be as draining as it is.
So I'm still running every day...
You're running more than you did as a player, I bet.
Maybe I am.
It'll take a long time before I get really used to my scorer work, too.
Natsunosuke.
I'm still a newbie scorer, so I won't get too high-and-mighty about it.
But there is something I've realized.
I spent eleven years as a pro, bouncing between the minors and the majors.
I really was second-rate.
What are you talking about?
You had a season with fifty games on the mound!
That was just one year.
But even I can tell.
Pro baseball pitchers are speeding up every year.
Since I joined the pros eleven years ago,
the average speed has gone up by two or three kilometers per hour.
But I think batting technique is advancing even faster.
So, how do pitchers compensate?
Obviously, with junk balls!
Those are pitches that move just a little bit.
But to cope with those junk balls,
the batters do a lot of studying and refine their art even more!
The game of escalation between pro pitchers and batters is incredible.
And lackluster players who can't keep up with it
will find their careers cut short around the age of thirty.
Just like me, you know?
Natsunosuke, you've been seeing a lot of action this season, huh?
Not just games pitched. You're getting a lot of innings in, too.
You can probably expect a fat raise when you re-sign in the off-season.
Well, we don't know that yet.
Natsunosuke.
The season I pitched fifty games
was when I was twenty-six years old. The same age you are now.
Three years later, I was cut.
A man who pitched fifty games, you know?
Natsunosuke, the way things are now, can you imagine being fired in three years?
I certainly don't want to think about it!
I felt the same way three years ago.
Anyway, if you want to have a long pitching career,
you need to reinvent your game every year.
Maybe so, but...
I couldn't do that because I didn't have enough up here.
Becoming a scorer has changed the way I look at the game.
I've learned a lot, too.
So...
I have an idea!
Want to hear it?
An idea?
Maybe you'll want to try it out!
I bet it'll show results!
It's on this video. Watch it for a minute.
Here?!
Just a minute. I'll have it in a sec.
To me, he's both a teacher and a cautionary tale.
Wh-What kind of idea is this?
Well, it's not a flash of inspiration or anything...
I'm taking video every day, so sometimes I notice a thing or two.
Well, it's up to you whether you want to try it out or not...
I mean, you're an active player and I'm just a batting practice pitcher and scorer.
Given our history...
Should I listen to his advice? Or should I ignore it?
If I listen to it, it'll be hard to just forget it later.
He's been both a teacher and a cautionary tale in the past,
but it's not impossible he could give me good advice, too...
Natsunosuke, look! Here it is!
And while I was thinking about it, he's gone and turned it on!
This is footage of Tejima with the Makuhari Savage.
R-Right. I think I might know what you're getting at!
This was taken from the third base side.
I'll pause it.
That right elbow. The angle of the right wrist.
They're bent really sharp, huh?
Like this.
Yes, that's true.
He's trying to hide his release point, right?
Oh, you know it already?
Yeah...
More and more pro pitchers nowadays are using a more compact cocking position.
Small in the back, big in the front, they call it.
If you do it right, it becomes seriously hard for the batter to read.
It becomes a lot more obvious when you're watching from behind the backstop.
That feeling of an arm hidden behind the body that lashes out all at once!
Fujimura of the Kyushu Sharp Hawks does something similar, right?
C-Come on, Natsunosuke...
Don't look at me like I'm preaching to the choir.
I-I wasn't trying to!
It's called stuff like Maneki-Neko Pitching and Telephone Box Pitching, right?
What's with you?
You even know all the crazy names they give it, huh?
Maneki-Neko and Telephone Box both refer to a cramped up form.
Yeah, "cramped" is the keyword.
But this is what I call it!
Dart Pitching!
D-Dart Pitching?
Hang on a minute!
Did he just want to tell me about the name he thought up for it?
I-If I tried it...
Would it look like that?
Well... Sorta, maybe...
Maybe I just can't do it...
Well, of course it's not gonna be easy.
So let's look at one more!
One more?
Look at this one.
This is Gotohda of the Sapporo Purple Shadows.
They say he's the best pitcher in Japan right now.
There!
It's like there's a wall made from your right arm.
The wall has to hold solid.
This wall here.
Then right as you get to this point...
You fold your right arm.
Then suddenly, your left arm appears from out of nowhere...
Got it? One more time.
Fold your right arm.
There. You get it?
Well, I think I get it, but...
What I'm saying is that Dart Pitching by itself won't give you much force.
It'll make the ball slower, right?
So try adding the "wall" method in there.
You'll keep the wall up until the last second
and then pull your right arm back in one quick motion.
To around here.
This way, even if you're cramped in the back,
your arm will swing big and fast.
The best of both, huh?
This is really hard for batters to read.
It's hard to hold that wall, of course...
Then there's that feeling of pulling back swiftly.
Well, just forming the wall in the first place is a hard technique to pick up.
I call this Breaststroke Pitching!
Damn this guy!
"Dart Pitching." "Breaststroke Pitching."
He really just wanted to tell me about the names he thought up!
Of course, since I'm not a coach,
I'm not much of an authority when it comes to technique.
But after all that, I can't just ignore it!
But, Natsunosuke, there's one thing I can say...
Reinventing your game might be going too far,
but being a pro ballplayer is all about constant minor changes!
Well...
He's not wrong.
Huh?
U-Uh, it says 146.
I-I was just throwing it lightly.
That's a couple of kilometers per hour higher than my usual max.
But that form...
Well, it increased his speed, so maybe it's all right.
A-Are you sure, Pitching Coach Kozato?
Well, we won't know until you test it in a real game.
Kuriki-san's advice helped me speed up more than I expected.
And today, I was going to try it out in a real game.
With two outs, they bring in Bonda.
Color Commentator Nishi Toshihisa-san?
It was a surprise watching him at pitching practice.
Did he change his form?
Whoa! That's fast!
It's a pop-up to second! Three outs!
He got him out!
N-Natsunosuke!
For now, I've shut them down.
And then, the next day...
And the day after that, I shut them down.
Natsunosuke...
When I want to, I can get up to 145 or 146 on the mound.
But this form... I think it's causing my accuracy to slip a bit, maybe?
Natsunosuke. This is great.
Yeah, great!
Maybe this form is a better fit for you!
When you're getting good results, all anyone around you says is "Great."
Natsunosuke!
This man...
Is he my teacher or my cautionary tale?
Generally speaking, when a pitcher increases his speed,
his control conversely declines.
The question is where you strike the balance.
Before I changed my form, it was maybe around here.
Right now, I might be in this area.
It's the eternal question for pitchers, you know?
Incidentally, it was Kuriki-san's obsession with speed
that kept him from making an impact in the pros.
When you gain speed, it clearly jams the batters.
Jamming the batters... It's a great feeling I'd almost forgotten.
It honestly makes me happy to get guys out like this.
Has Kuriki-san's advice reawakened the pitcher instincts I'd started to forget?
However...
Pitcher: Bonda.
The one that shattered all my illusions
was the man I'd shut down in a matchup two weeks ago.
The Wild Ones player who makes 180 million, exactly ten times my salary.
Last time, Bonda-san really got the better of him, huh?
Sekiya hits it!
This one's looking big!
The right fielder goes back, back, back!
That's Sekiya for you.
He really crushed that one.
It's true. Being a pro player means constant minor changes.
You really were right.
Sekiya turns it around with a grand slam!
You really slacked in your control this time.
Unlike last time.
I got hit at the worst possible time.
But if not for this, I would never have realized.
Now I see! I really do!
If I'd kept this up, my career would've ended before I turned thirty!
Just like yours was!
A teacher and a cautionary tale... We learn from them both.
Senpai!
I have to thank you so much!
I can't do it out loud, though.
I'm all about control.
Control!
He went back to his old form.
Natsunosuke...
I can't give in to the allure of speed!
Control... Control... Control!
Money Pitch!
Natsunosuke here.
Boy, I'm in trouble!
I loaded the bases with no outs!
I hate Koshien Stadium,
with the Tempters' cheer squads getting inside my head!
But next in the order are the golden rookie from college
and the golden high school rookie of four years ago!
I'm crazy strong against players with lower contracts than mine!
Next time: "High School Recruit, College Recruit."
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Pitch!

▶ [HorribleRips] Gurazeni S1 - 10 [1080p]

That day, we of the Jingu Spiders got off at Shin-Osaka Station.
Our destination was, of course...
Here in Koshien Stadium,
we're kicking off a three-game series against the Osaka Tempters.
Speaking of Koshien...
At the Summer Koshien tournament five years ago,
there were two star infielders who got the bulk of the attention.
One was Ishimoto Atsuo, from Osaka's Kiso High School.
He batted .590 at Koshien and hit three home runs.
The other was Ezure Makoto, from Hyogo's Tengai High School.
He hit .450 at Koshien with one home run.
They both throw right and bat left.
Ishimoto went straight to pro ball, while Ezure went on to college.
Then the Osaka Tempters drafted Ishimoto,
giving him jersey number 54, a signing bonus of 80 million,
and a contract starting at 8 million.
Wherever this "golden rookie" went, the press was right there with him.
Coach!
What are we gonna do with Ishimoto in the opener?
Well, he sure has been gettin' a lot of press.
Okay, let's put him on the bench!
Amazingly for a high school recruit, he was in the majors from day one!
He didn't make it to the regular rotation,
but he played in fifty games,
and the next year, his salary rose to 15 million.
But in his second year, he started seeing less and less action,
and his contract shrunk to 14 million by year three,
13 million by year four,
and 12 million by year five.
Also that year...
the Tempters acquired a new "golden rookie."
The star of the Kansai College League, Ezure Makoto!
Signing bonus: 100 million!
Contract: 15 million!
The two, star high school infielders five years ago, were now teammates and rivals.
But Ezure wore 7, representing their high hopes for him,
while Ishimoto was still stuck with number 54.
On opening night, number 7 played second base and hit seventh in the order.
Number 54 was on the bench, a pinch hitter and defensive sub.
But in practice, their abilities at that time were roughly equal.
If we're equally good, they'll give the opportunities to the new face.
It makes sense.
I got those same opportunities four years ago.
But jersey number 7 struggled to put up the numbers
and eventually became another spoke on the rotation wheel.
I got a chance to play from the opening game,
but I just couldn't make anything out of it.
C'mon, don't panic. You only just made it to the pros.
I ain't panicking!
You and I're gonna be in the pros a long time.
We're gonna be true rivals, y'know?
True, but while we might be the same age,
a guy in his first year and a guy in his fifth ain't treated the same.
I couldn't live up to their hopes and spent four years never becoming a regular.
That's the hard truth.
A guy like that just ain't the same as a golden rookie.
C'mon, you're bein' too hard on yourself.
I didn't come here to hear you beat yourself up.
People can't help watchin' when they see you an' me together.
See?
Like the ladies in that kitchen.
Um, h-have a look at this dish...
What is it? What is it?
Should I snap at you more and play up the competition, then?
A fifth-year pro finds it easy to switch gears, huh?
Either way, you got the advantage this year.
The hell I do!
I got pressure to perform!
You're better off than I am, since you got no pressure.
What'd you say? You sayin' I got no pressure?
I ain't gotta take that from you!
I wish those two wouldn't fight so...
Same to you!
I swear...
What'd you say?!
But a cold, calculated professional decision was fast approaching.
I'd like to bring a right-handed pinch hitter up from the farm.
If we wanna do that, we gotta send a southpaw to the minors.
Ishimoto or Ezure, you mean?
Yeah.
If it was me, I'd send Ishimoto.
Ezure's our golden rookie. We can't drop him just like that.
True enough, but...
I don't think it's as simple as all that.
Everyone seems to think Ishimoto and Ezure got equal skills,
but if you ask me, Ishimoto's just a little bit better.
Yeah, but Ezure's got more room to improve.
Okay, I've made up my mind!
Let's give 'em both a chance in today's game against the Spiders!
Whoever performs better can stay in the majors!
Hey, did you hear?
I'm battin' 8th and playin' shortstop today.
Yeah, and I'm battin' 7th, playin' second.
They've never put us in the starting lineup together. Ever.
They're plotting somethin', I bet.
The Spiders' starting pitcher was the right-handed Akiba!
It's shaking.
The Tempters must be smashing it...
I really hate the Koshien bullpen.
The way it shakes...
Yeah! Way to go, Tempters!
Akiba wasn't pitching well at all.
I gave up two runs right off the bat...
With a pitcher like that...
...I bet I can hit off him!
And in fact, Ezure's first at bat
was a shallow hit to center.
He was followed by Ishimoto,
who knocked one into shallow right in a hit and run.
We both have one hit out of the gate!
But I'll get more credit for nailing that hit and run.
Lookin' good! Nice hit and run!
Ezure, too! Nice legs!
This game's in the bag!
I can't do this today!
Natsunosuke, you're in for the third.
They're giving up on Akiba for the day.
You'll have to go long, obviously.
H-How many innings?
Through the sixth, if you can.
Third, fourth, fifth, sixth...
Four innings!
Contract check!
The Tempters have a lot of players with big contracts.
Batting first, Urano. 122 million.
Batting second, Saki. 98 million.
Batting third, Todoroki. 130 million.
Batting fourth, Tano. 200 million.
Batting fifth, Watson. 150 million.
Batting sixth, Miyamoto. 45 million.
Batting seventh, Ezure. 15 million.
Batting eighth, Ishimoto. 12 million.
Ishimoto and Ezure are the only ones with contracts lower than mine!
Natsunosuke, you're a long reliever today.
Put the contract stuff out of your mind.
None of that matters, okay?
You hear me? You got it, right?
Y-Yeah...
The Spiders have announced a change in pitchers.
Pitching for Akiba: Bonda.
Yeah, who's next for the slaughter?
Hey, you bum!
You ain't gonna last one inning, Bonda!
Get him! Get him!
I-It's not just my imagination...
The mound really is shaking.
The Tempters fans are thirsty for blood today!
They sent in a southpaw!
You think they're gonna keep us in the game?
We got a big lead, and it's only the third.
At the very least, I think we'll get one more at bat.
Batting fourth, Tano. 200 million.
I really hate this shaking mound...
Nice batting!
Batting fifth, Watson. 150 million!
More nice batting!
Batting sixth,
Miyamoto.
Ball!
Forty...
Strike!
...five...
Ball!
...million!
Ball four!
It's a walk!
No outs, bases loaded!
Suck it, Bonda! You useless sack of crap!
I guess Natsunosuke's in bad shape, too.
Damn it, Natsunosuke.
I warned you, yet your bad habit still surfaced.
But in that case, the last part of the order...
Batting seventh, second base, Ezure.
Seventh in the order, Ezure,
makes 15 million?
And eighth in the order, Ishimoto,
makes 12 million!
They're followed by the pitcher...
Yes, yes.
Let's make this inning a shutout!
Bottom of the third, no outs, bases loaded.
We're entering the bottom of the batting order.
Batting ninth is the pitcher, so that's a freebie.
Batting seventh is Ezure, who makes 15 million a year.
After him is Ishimoto, 12 million a year.
And I, Bonda Natsunosuke,
make 18 million a year!
The seventh and eighth batters make less than Natsunosuke.
In these situations,
Natsunosuke tends to really shine, so he might pull through, but...
Batting seventh, second base, Ezure.
I got a shallow hit to center in my first at bat today.
If I get a hit here, that'll be two RBIs.
Our team is primed to have an offensive explosion in this game.
I should ride this wave!
Strike!
That was fast! What's the speed gun say?
139?!
Do his pitches move more?
That last one felt a lot faster than 139.
Strike two!
Th-That one was fast, too...
Strike! He's out!
Too fast!
All right!
Batting eighth, shortstop, Ishimoto.
Ezure struck out in three.
If I get a hit here, I can put myself in the lead!
Strike! He's out!
Bonda Natsunosuke works out of danger,
striking two batters out back-to-back!
We're still tied.
Two at bats, one hit...
And one strikeout!
But I gotta say, Bonda really found his groove against those two.
Yeah, in situations like these, Natsunosuke is solid.
Bonda strikes out the pitcher.
The Tempters had a huge opportunity with no outs and bases loaded,
but they end up with a goose egg.
Bases loaded with no outs,
and all three batters friggin' strike out?!
I held them to nothing, but I still feel like the stadium's shaking...
And I still have to carry three more innings.
The bottom of the fourth, Tempters on offense.
First in the order, Urano.
Second, Saki.
Third, Todoroki.
I worked hard for another inning and managed to retire all three.
Freaking hell!
Bonda pulled himself outta the fire, and now he thinks he's hot stuff!
All right! Next inning, we'll get in his head with the Tempters cheer squad!
The top of the fifth came and went.
Crush him! Crush him! Bo-n-da!
I-It's gotten worse this inning!
It's shaking... It's shaking!
Leading off is the cleanup hitter.
Fourth!
Fifth!
Sixth!
Ball four!
Yeah! We got him this inning!
Now finish him off!
No outs, bases loaded.
It's a repeat of the third inning.
The next batters in the order will be: seventh, Ezure;
eighth, Ishimoto; and ninth, the pitcher, Tada.
This time!
Strike! He's out!
This time!
Strike! He's out!
And number nine, the pitcher...
Strike! He's out!
It's the friggin' third inning all over again!
Three up an' three down!
What's your damn problem, bottom of the lineup?!
Get a hit off Bonda already!
B-Bonda's pitches...
...are so fast.
And as I faced my fourth inning, the most I've pitched as a reliever this season...
Natsunosuke!
Please, get us through this inning!
Yes, sir.
We'll get you this time, you piece of crap!
You're a dead man walkin'!
This inning starts from the top of the lineup.
Crush him! Crush him! Natsu-no-suke!
It's getting even worse!
The whole stadium is shaking! It's shaking!
They got a sixth run!
What now, Manager? Natsunosuke's tired!
Crush him! Crush him! Bo-n-da!
Knock him out! Knock him out! Bo-n-da!
I'm not tired...
I just can't stand the Tempters' cheering and this shaking mound!
Crush him! Crush him! Natsu-no-suke!
Send him out! Send him out! Bo-n-da!
Six to nothing in the 6th.
I doubt we'll catch up to them today.
Sorry, Natsunosuke,
but I'd prefer to give as many pitchers as possible the day off.
Just see this inning through to the end, all right?
We're keeping Natsunosuke in.
R-Right...
The manager has given up on this game, I guess.
He's converted our long reliever into a mop-up man.
The Spiders' bench shows no sign of hooking Bonda.
They must have missed their chance to do it.
Seven to zip!
They're not gonna take me out, I guess.
Looks like I'm mopping this one up!
I managed to get one out, but...
I gave up another run, and now it's eight to zero.
Besides, my mission was to see this inning to the end!
Suck on it, Bonda Natsunosuke!
Guess you're stuck as a mop-up man now!
Batting seventh, second base, Ezure.
I'm one for three with two strikeouts.
I gotta land something this time.
It may be eight to nothing, but for some reason,
I can look down on this guy!
Strike! He's out!
I hate this!
Batting eighth, shortstop, Ishimoto.
I gotta avoid a third strikeout!
Even if I'm a mop-up man, this guy's no exception.
I can look down on him, too!
Another strikeout!
Two runners left stranded!
My job for the day is finally done!
In the end, the Tempters wiped the floor with us, eight to zero!
Those two were yanked from the lineup after that,
so they didn't get a fifth at bat.
They both went one for four with three strikeouts.
What'll we do, Coach?
Which one are we sending down—
Isn't that obvious?!
Even if they were lefties against a lefty,
striking out three times to a loser like Bonda?!
They both stink!
Send 'em both down to the minors to get their acts together!
And thus, the two men of the same age, recruits from high school and college,
were sent to the minors together.
I can't help but feel...
...we got dealt a bad hand today.
I feel like I lost to the ballpark today.
On nights like these, I can't sleep unless I go out and get smashed.
After all, when in Osaka!
Natsunosuke here.
Big-talking delinquent king Haratake-san.
He's a super-popular pitcher in my hometown, Hiroshima,
as part of the Setouchi Carnavits.
I love him, too, and I really admire him!
But he's got no speed, so he takes a long time between pitches.
It takes him forever just to throw one pitch!
Next time: "No Pitch to Throw"!
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Pitch!

▶ [HorribleRips] Gurazeni S1 - 11 [1080p]

Travel day.
With a three-game series against the Setouchi Carnabeats coming up,
we've taken the train from Osaka to Hiroshima.
Hey! It's on, it's on!
Go Go Channel!
The adventures of the Setouchi Carnabeats' Haratake Hiromi.
The Setouchi Delinquent King's Gourmet Patrol!
Asahikawa versus Hiroshima Death Match Arc!
It's the Boss! The Boss!
And I'm back here again, darn it.
Today, the Boss will be ambushing Asahikawa ramen shop Shinchan.
Welcome!
I want this featured item.
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki over Asahikawa butter corn.
Got it?
Yes, sir!
Here you are, sir!
You've put Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki on top of Asahikawa ramen.
Naturally, there are noodles in the okonomiyaki, too.
In other words, noodles with more noodles on top!
You think this is a joke?
If this ain't good, I'll beat you to death.
It's great!
Hiroshima atop Asahikawa.
Carbs atop carbs!
And between them... more carbs!
How can somethin' so crazy be so delicious?
You got me this time.
You keep up the good work, now!
Thank you very much!
The Setouchi gourmet delinquent king...
Travels again today...
Even if it's just local TV,
I can't believe an active ball player is taking on work like this!
And I'll get to see him tomorrow!
Hey, Bonda!
It's the Boss!
Listen...
If you pitch today, you better give up at least three hits, okay?
I watch Gourmet Delinquent King every week!
Please! That's Hiroshima local TV!
It doesn't air in Tokyo!
Quit lyin' to me!
This guy...
I hear he really was a loose cannon back in high school.
It's his fourteenth year as a pro.
He outlasted all of his peers.
Fourteen uninterrupted years as a middle reliever.
He got popular for his early loose cannon image and consistency,
and he's become a local media celebrity.
While we're on different teams, I'm a younger middle reliever,
so he always says hi to me whenever we meet.
Haratake-san, is it true you used to get into fights and stuff?
Back in my high school days, sure, but those days are long gone.
I'm actually a pretty weak guy now.
Even you could beat me up, I bet.
You think?
The fact is, I'm not much of an athlete at all.
Back in high school, I mostly bluffed my way through.
Oh, wait.
My whole pro career has been me bluffin' my way through, too.
Haratake steps off the mound again.
Yeah, here it comes.
This is gonna take forever.
He'll take forever to throw that ball...
When Haratake-san takes the mound, it means the game's gonna be a long one.
Getting through Haratake's time on the mound takes patience.
Back when I was a pro,
I'd throw five pitches in the time it takes Haratake to throw one.
He finally threw it!
He went with the forkball...
Garrett hits!
It's going, going...
Foul!
It's clear that Haratake has no more pitches to throw.
Fastballs, breaking balls... Inside and out, nothing's working!
That's why he's taking more time between pitches.
Haratake's "fastballs" aren't very fast,
and his breaking balls aren't especially hard to hit.
His best pitch is the forkball,
but if they get a piece of it, they'll really send it flying.
He really doesn't have a pitch to throw.
Natsunosuke.
Do you know Haratake Hiromi's "Full Throttle Life Advice" column?
His web column?
I read it every time he updates!
It's the best!
I read it yesterday in my hotel, too!
"I'm not great at my job,
but I've made it to section chief based on my alma mater connections.
Sick of faking it, I'm seriously considering a change in careers
at the ripe young age of thirty seven..."
What's wrong with fakin' your way through life?
Dummy!
As a pro ballplayer who's not a great athlete,
I've spent fourteen years fakin' my way through stuff.
Figurin' out little strategies to get through each moment.
Not everythin' in life is gonna be picture perfect, darn it!
If you want an honest life, change careers right now, dummy!
Or live a full life bein' grateful to your alumni network.
That old man can really dish it out, huh?
But that's what we love about the Setouchi Delinquent King!
He proudly declares that he's not much of an athlete,
so he fakes his way through.
Pitchers with no particularly excellent pitches
can't be starters or closers.
They're stuck in the life of the middle reliever.
But spending fourteen years as a middle reliever is still pretty amazing.
Career stats: 8 wins, 14 losses, 2 saves.
ERA 3.89.
Thirty-two years old.
Contract: 29 million yen.
Haratake with another forkball!
This one's outta here!
Hook!
It hooked foul.
Foul!
Did you hear Haratake shouting "hook" from the mound there?
Yeah, I sure did.
Sometimes, I find myself on the mound with no pitch to throw.
For Haratake-san, that's all the time.
That's why he spends as much time between pitches as he can.
Annoying the batter... That's the only strategy he has.
But the batters know that, too, so it doesn't faze them much.
I know it, but...
Even I'm losing patience here!
Hurry up and pitch, Haratake!
How did someone like Haratake-san make it fourteen years as a pro?
Oh, Haratake pitched already!
It's an unremarkable fastball...
Right down the plate?!
Strike! Out!
Garrett got caught looking at a fastball down the middle!
The speed was...
a mere 137 kilometers per hour.
Garrett had Haratake against a wall,
then totally let his guard down.
That's it! This is what Haratake does!
That moment when he just says "the hell with it!"
That's the end of the top of the 5th.
Haratake-san's "the hell with it!" moments.
Pro baseball pitchers aren't supposed to lose their heads like that.
They're supposed to stay cool to the end!
But some people think the opposite.
That gutless wonders who never lose their heads can't make it in the pros!
Haratake-san stays patient and pitches really carefully.
But there's always a point when he says "the hell with it."
And his timing is always genius!
He's got a gut instinct you couldn't mimic even if you tried.
That was scary...
It takes real courage to get fed up and throw caution to the wind.
In a way, he's the one older pro I respect most in the world!
Nice pitching.
Natsunosuke, emergency.
They want you to jump in this inning.
But...
Well, I guess I am warmed up...
Pitching for the Spiders: Bonda.
Jersey number 39.
Haratake's on deck.
He's got his helmet on.
You mean Haratake's pitching next inning, too?
Carnabeats! You're keeping him in?
You gotta be kidding!
Batter: Haratake.
Jersey number 29.
S-Senpai...
He's entered the batter's box.
Haratake struck out the righty in our seven-hole to end the top of the inning.
Katoh in the eight-hole is also a righty,
so they probably want him to pitch to him, too.
But sending Haratake in to hit...
The Carnabeats are being very passive.
Well, both teams have hooked their starters early and sent in relievers.
Given the score,
they might need bullpen relays to get through the rest of the game.
So they'll want their middle relievers pitching as long as possible.
But all that aside,
the thought of Haratake pitching another inning really gets under my skin!
We're gonna get another series of ridiculous gaps between pitches.
This is his first at bat of the season, isn't it?
Actually, I don't think he hit at all last year or the year before.
I've batted a few times this season, though...
Inside, away, and away?
Or away, inside, and away?
He's muttering something.
Strike!
Fastball.
Curve.
Fork.
Fork.
Fork. Fork.
Fork. Fork.
The lights are on, but nobody's home?
Wait.
Is he running simulations against the batter he'll have to face next inning?
Well, no big.
It means I get a free out, after all!
Strike!
No. Maybe I should throw a screwball for the second pitch.
Strike!
Batter out!
He never showed any sign of swinging.
When should I pitch inside?
The first pitch? The third? The fifth?
Bonda has a three up, three down inning.
Great, Natsunosuke! Nice pitching out there!
Hey, Natsunosuke. You seem to be on fire.
I want you in next inning, too.
Another inning?
That means you'll be hitting this inning.
If Katoh gets on base, go with a sacrifice bunt.
And if he doesn't, swing for it.
They're probably expecting a close game to the end,
so both sides are trying to preserve their pitchers.
Which means...
I'm gonna face him again, with me as the batter this time?!
I guess you get days like these, too...
A batter-pitcher matchup between middle relievers!
Batting 8th: shortstop, Katoh!
He hits it!
It's going, going...
Foul!
"I'm not much of an athlete at all."
That's what Haratake-san told me.
It was such a surprise.
I was the worst in my rookie class.
Ab strength, back strength, vertical, grip strength, 50-meter sprints...
Even long throws... I was bottom of the barrel in each.
I thought I was never gonna make it in the pros.
Foul!
He keeps middling them.
Even the eight-hole, Katoh, is giving him a hard time.
Haratake-san on the mound is making full use of those weak pitches of his.
Pitching strikes, balls, curves, forks...
Or taking forever to pitch at all.
He's irritating not just the batter, but everyone else along with him.
Haratake, pitch already!
Not pitching...
Even though there's no runner...
Staying so long in set position!
This is ridiculous! I'm giving him a balk!
And just then, he throws!
Look at that man work!
There was a hint of "the hell with it" in that pitch, too.
It's over.
Hey, Haratake! One more!
The pitcher! Pitcher!
Bonda's up...
No pinch hitter?
Bonda's heading for the batter's box.
The Spiders are letting their middle reliever hit, too.
Both teams are expecting this to go down to the wire, I guess.
He's gonna pitch to me, too.
We really did end up facing off!
Let's do this!
This is a rare sight.
Two middle relievers, both pitching to each other!
The next pitcher will be Aono, followed by Yoshida, then Morino...
And if a left-hander comes up,
we can send that at him, and him at this guy...
Foul!
He ripped it down the first base line!
Bonda got a piece of it!
Wh-When I face him as a batter,
I can tell his pitches really are weak.
Shockingly so.
B-Bonda made contact.
What'll I do?
Come on, Haratake! Get a grip already!
People take it for granted that you'll get a pitcher out.
Which, in a way, increases the pressure.
B-Bonda is scary...
What'll I do?
I'm already out of pitches...
To be honest, I'm impressed he lasted fourteen years with pitches this slow.
When he throws these flimsy pitches,
then says the hell with it and throws a really fat fastball,
it probably feels especially fast and straight in the moment.
Incorporating the element of surprise in your pitches is a skill pitchers need,
but he does it instinctively...
Senpai's advice column got a request that went,
"My superiors are cruel, and it's driving me crazy.
I want to film them in the act, upload the video, and get my revenge!"
His response to that twenty-seven-year-old salaryman:
"If you're gonna say the hell with it,
go through the calculations first, dummy!"
Sometimes, when I run out of pitches to throw a batter,
I get annoyed and throw caution to the wind.
But I've made my calculations first.
For instance, even if you throw ten pitches down the plate,
you'll give up at most five hits.
In other words, 50 percent or less!
I know I can afford to say "the hell with it" now and then!
Use your brain and learn when and how to do things!
Putting aside whether only five out of ten pitches down the middle get hit,
are his flashes of temper really that calculated?
There's an entertainment factor to his advice column,
so he probably just writes whatever sounds convincing and amuses people.
But maybe the "delinquent king" character he plays in media appearances
overlaps with real life more than you'd think.
Sometimes, I really get that feeling.
And because he plays that role, there might be batters who think,
"Haratake is a great fool."
And maybe in some small way,
that makes the batters hesitate.
Does Haratake Hiromi-san really have talent as a pro?
Not even I can answer that.
All I know is...
This man has spent fourteen whole years earning a living as a pro.
It's outta here! Home run!
I'm a pitcher,
so when I'm in the batter's box, I don't think about much.
I think that's why I hit off him.
In that moment, I realized how deep pro baseball can go.
The way he pitches,
even a pitcher like me could easily hit him out of the park.
But actual batters get tied up in knots.
Bonda...
Why?
I think that's pretty amazing!
Even so, the life of a pro is unforgiving!
Because Haratake-san gave up the winning run to me,
he was sent down to the minors the next day.
The minors are no place for a delinquent king.
I'd better get back up soon.
But he didn't make it back to the majors that year.
Natsunosuke here.
Yuki-chan...
She works at the lunch place I frequent, and I have a huge crush on her!
She makes the absolute best fried chicken 'n' rice!
But outrageously, she's a huge fan of the Osaka Tempters!
And she came to see our match at Jingu!
I can't stop thinking about it!
Next time: "The Lonely Gourmet."
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Pitch!

▶ [HorribleRips] Gurazeni S1 - 12 [1080p]

Ebisu is the god of success in business.
And here I am in a town that seems like it'd have his blessings.
There's a street in this town full of these old-fashioned shops.
I don't know why, but you tend to find the best restaurants in places like this.
Here's the place. Kitchen Ajihei.
Welcome!
I love it because it's open until midnight.
That'll be a saury set with extra rice, a tonkatsu set,
They do great business here, so it stays this lively until late at night.
and a Salisbury steak set?
This is great!
It has your standard menu for a diner,
I'll have more of whatever this is.
I think you've had too much to drink.
I ain't drinkin'! All I'm drinkin' is water!
and it's all delicious.
But my absolute favorite is...
Are you ready to order?
Fried chicken 'n' rice!
One fried chicken 'n' rice!
Got it! One fried combo!
One fried combo!
At this hour, they're mostly serving students and white-collar workers.
But none of them recognize me.
Excuse me! I'd like another beer!
Right away!
Anyway, it's my favorite restaurant.
Oh, that kara-age fried rice is coming up, okay?
Sure.
It's just so cozy here!
Order up! Fried chicken 'n' rice!
This is what I live for!
First, a bite of fried rice...
That flavor!
And then, the fried chicken...
That juicy, tender meat! It's irresistible!
And this time, a heaping spoonful of fried rice!
The fried chicken and rice come together in my mouth
and start playing an orchestra in my stomach!
Delicious!
Now the pickles!
It's bliss!
Here's our pop culture segment.
Pro baseball player Inogashira of the Tokorozawa Jaguars
and performer Tanizaki Megumi-san have announced their engagement.
Come on, you gotta be kidding me!
There were rumors of their relationship during the off-season last year,
Tanizaki Megumi, huh?
Inogashira's got a nice contract, 150 million a year.
but the announcement during the season
was a huge surprise to everyone.
No wonder he can marry a celebrity like that.
Of course, none of that has anything to do with me.
In the shining world of pro baseball,
here's the marriage status of the guys on our team.
Ace pitcher Shiina Keishi, age twenty-eight.
He's been a pro for ten years.
He has eighty-four career wins.
Next season, he'll probably reach 100 wins.
His contract reached exactly 200 million this year.
Did I hit the next money milestone? I sure did.
There's money buried under the pitch,
and this guy proved it!
He's got a luxury apartment in Minato Ward,
and a wife who's eight months pregnant.
And her job before they got married was...
news anchor!
Pro baseball players sure love their news anchors.
But he's the only man on our team who's married to one.
Shiina here!
Now, let me talk about our regular first baseman, Inoue.
Nine years in the pros, twenty-seven years old.
Last year, his salary was 120 million.
Yeah, I hit nine figures...
And how much over? 10 million? 20 million?
At the end of last year, he announced his marriage.
She's beautiful! Great figure!
Naturally, since she was a fashion model for a magazine.
Incidentally, our team has two other players married to models.
Next up...
Our rotation pitcher, Nitta-kun, twenty-five years old.
His contract this year is 49 million.
His wife is a flight attendant.
She's a gorgeous woman, too!
There are two others on our team who have married flight attendants.
Seriously, they could have a beautiful wife competition...
The higher a player's salary, the more he tends to marry a lady with a flashy career.
But I, Bonda Natsunosuke, aged twenty-six and making 18 million this year...
When will I be able to get married?
As a pro baseball player, I don't know how long my career will last,
and I don't know what kind of money I'll make after I retire...
I have to make as much money as I can,
then save as much of it as I can.
That's always in the back of my mind,
but to be honest, with what I make now, it's hard to save up anything.
First of all, I pay a ton in taxes.
Then, a pro baseball career comes with expenses.
Equipment, training fees, et cetera...
And you have to go out eating and drinking with the team for team bonding purposes.
With an income like mine, it's hard to plan for life post-retirement,
because you can't hold on to enough cash.
In reality, to have cash left over,
you need to be making at least 40 million,
and then keep that up for several years...
But...
This year, I've made a lot of appearances and pitched a lot of innings.
We're not to interleague play yet, and I already have three wins.
I could start pulling in 30 million next season!
But I could also get hurt tomorrow
and have to sit out the rest of the season.
Then my salary would probably go down.
That's just the kind of world this is.
So unless you're really fit and really good at baseball,
it's hard to ask any woman to marry you.
A woman to marry me...
It's hot, so be careful.
Okay.
Hey, where's that fried chicken?
Coming!
It's a pretty ordinary place for a pro ball player to set his eye, huh?
It's the main reason I come here, to be frank.
Well, "ordinary" sounds a little rude.
She's pretty cute for a girl you just see on the street, right?
The way that apron ties tight around her waist
accentuates the beautiful curves of her backside.
That apron might be on the small side...
No, I'm not just ogling her!
News anchors, celebrities, models, flight attendants...
I've never wanted girls like that!
But a lady at the local diner...
As usual, I've got a real working man's sensibility, huh?
Bonda-san?
It's really Bonda-san!
I saw you recently!
You took the mound with no outs, bases loaded,
and sat down three batters in a row!
Aw, shucks...
Maybe I'll go to Jingu sometime!
Yuki-chan! I need a lemon sour!
What?
You're drinking too much, Takeshi-san.
...Is something that's never happened.
I ain't drinkin'.
And all I know is that her name is Yuki-chan.
It's not good for you!
This'll be my last one.
Yuki-chan, another draft beer!
Got it!
She's probably in her early twenties.
Is she related to the people who run this place?
Hey, hey, Yuki-chan.
Did I hear this fried chicken 'n' rice was your idea?
Yep!
Really?!
Yuki-chan's going to cooking school now, after four years of college.
So she's got all kinds of ideas.
So twenty-three or twenty-four...
She'll be a successful culinary researcher some day!
Aw, ma'am! Y'know that's not gonna happen!
She's got a slight Kansai accent...
Does that mean she's not their kid?
But going to a cooking school means she'll study nutrition science and stuff...
Player Bonda, do you leave all your dietary choices to your wife?
I certainly do!
Great! Great!
And does she make all your meals herself?
She does!
Hey, Yuki-chan! Let's go out for a drink some time!
The four of us, all together!
That group of young white-collars just asked her out!
Hey, this isn't a pub where you can pick up girls!
Sorry!
But that's no surprise... I bet all the guys crush on her.
There's probably a lot of competition.
In fact, there must be a ton of competition!
In fact, she might already have a boyfriend!
We could hit up Jingu Stadium, then!
Yeah! Our company has four season tickets!
Yeah!
Does that include the Tempters games?
They're season tickets,
so we can go to any game as long as no one's taken them.
I'd sure love to go to a Tempters game!
Yuki-chan!
C'mon, it's just a baseball game!
Yeah!
Then we'll go see a Tempters game!
Yuki-chan, you sure about this?
Oh gosh, I dunno...
Excuse me! Could I have another water?
Coming right up!
That was great!
C'mon, let's go home.
No way! No way! We're hittin' up another place.
Put it all on his tab.
Here you are.
Thanks...
I'll have water, too.
Me, too.
Okay!
When should we go?
There's a three-game series from Tuesday to Thursday next week.
Oh gosh, I dunno...
They're talking about baseball, but nobody's noticed I'm sitting right here.
That's because no one in this place has realized I'm a pro baseball player.
I'm so full! Dumbass.
Thanks for coming!
I barely talked to her again today...
Though I did get a little info!
Few Days Later
The game between the Jingu Spiders and the Osaka Tempters will now begin.
She's here! And she's so close to the bullpen!
Money Pitch!
Money Pitch!
Yeah! Kill it, Urano!
Hey, Yuki-chan. Do you come to Tempters games a lot?
Naw, I don't come to baseball games much at all.
Two or three times a year maybe...
And only when someone else buys.
But I'm the biggest Tempters fan there is!
Please watch out for foul balls.
But, boy, Jingu's a great stadium!
It's nice not havin' a roof on!
And it's home to the Spiders franchise,
but it seems like there's a lotta Tempters fans from Tokyo in here!
Boy, I didn't think she'd be sitting so close to the bullpen...
Yeah!
She's so happy when the Tempters get a hit...
She really must love the Tempters.
Man, she is so cute!
I wonder if she has a boyfriend...
She's cheering for the Tempters, and they have the lead.
Natsunosuke, warm up!
Right!
Go, Tagawa! Knock it outta the park!
She hasn't even noticed me.
No interest in the Spiders' bullpen, huh?
Natsunosuke, you're up next inning.
Stay in until you come up in the batting order.
Got it!
The Spiders will be making a substitution.
Bonda will be pitching for Shiina.
Tokunaga-san, we're seeing a lot of Bonda this season, aren't we?
Yeah, he is doing good work.
We're not even into interleague play, and this is already his 20th game pitched.
The heart of the Tempters' lineup is coming up.
Go for it, Natsunosuke.
If you keep this up, your salary's going to skyrocket!
Batting second: left fielder, Saki.
Play ball!
Oh! A drag bunt!
First base scoops it up, to the pitcher...
Whoa! Pitcher and batter collide!
Safe!
The call is "safe," but is everyone okay down there?
Looks like Bonda can stand under his own power,
but I think Saki's in pain.
I wonder if he twisted an ankle...
Hey, Bonda! What's your damn problem?!
She's standing up!
Saki's being carried back to the bench!
I'm worried about you, Natsunosuke.
You've been doing so well this season. Don't get yourself hurt now.
Bonda's playing a little bit of catch.
He seems to be okay.
But the Tempters' player...
Shibata will be running for Saki on first.
Saki's outta the game?
I wonder if I hit him somewhere really bad...
But it's not like it was intentional.
Hey, Bonda!
You'll pay for this!
This stuff always happens in Tempters games!
It's starting to feel like an away game at home!
Bonda, you're pissin' me off!
Batting third: third baseman, Todoroki.
First pitch, sinker.
Crud! Too far in!
Hit by pitch!
Looks like he was hit on the toe! Is he going to be okay?
Oh, they're sending in a pinch runner.
That's runners on first and second with no outs.
After only two pitches...
I'm sure that batter's feeling it, but Bonda's probably hurting, too.
Freaking Bonda! Not again!
The next batter, batting fourth, Tano!
He's moving with confidence, but he's glaring at Bonda.
It's like he's saying, "If you hit me, you'll pay for it."
Another, to the same place?
"A pro shouldn't wimp out," huh?
Fine. I've just gotta do it, right?
Strike!
What?!
It got him!
It just caught the inside corner!
Tano doesn't look happy.
I wonder if that hit by pitch rattled him.
Now a fastball away.
A waste pitch.
Oh no!
Strike!
What?!
Tano sure is mad!
You hear a lot of complaints from foreign hitters on calls in that location.
What do you mean?
The MLB strike zone is located an extra ball's width away from the batter.
When its players come to Japan, they see pitches thrown there as balls
and always end up fighting the ump's calls in that area.
Yeah, yeah.
I'll get it out of the strike zone this time.
Not again!
Strike! Out!
What?!
You damn blind ump!
I'll beat you up, you moron!
Yo strike zone is as wide as yo momma!
Yer outta here!
Here's something you don't see very often!
The Tempters have lost three of their starters in a row!
Natsunosuke, I know you're not doing it on purpose, but...
Tano's out of the game too.
B-Bonda!
What the heck is with this pitcher?
Play ball!
One out, batters on first and second.
Next up is fifth in the lineup, Watson, who's had seven hits the past three games.
Bonda's being cautious... He throws!
He swings on the first pitch!
But it's right to the third baseman.
He touches the base, and it's a double play!
Huh? Inning over?
Two men on base with no outs, and now the inning's over!
I freakin' hate you, Bonda!
I didn't give up any runs.
I feel bad for her, but...
We made eye contact!
Bonda...
She's mad!
Sh-She noticed me for the first time!
For negative reasons.
But even if it was a bad first impression,
the next time I visit her shop, at least we'll have something to talk about.
All six pro baseball games of the day are over.
Welcome! Take a seat!
We'll tell you the results after this.
Welcome!
What can I get you?
Huh? Should I bring you a menu?
Um...
Fried chicken 'n' rice!
One fried chicken 'n' rice!
Got it!
This makes the Tempters' third win in a row.
Yeah!
Ma'am! The Tempters won again!
She didn't recognize me at all...
I'm a pro baseball player.
We're three months into the season,
a third of the way through the pennant race.
Okay, almost time to go in.
Right!
Oh, Manager Tanabe's come out of the dugout!
Bonda's pitching!
The Spiders are announcing a change of pitcher.
Bonda will be pitching for Shibuya.
Bonda's coming out again tonight!
I'm counting on you, Natsunosuke.
This is my workplace.
Play ball!
I may make 18 million a year right now,
but someday, I'd like to make four or five times that much.
And if I want to do that, I have to do everything that's asked of me.
Strike!
It's an unforgiving world,
but this is the path I chose for myself.
Because baseball is all I have.
There's money buried under the pitch.
Money Pitch!

更改后文本

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Commie
▶ [Commie] Gurazeni - 01v2 [805E9F43]

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to inform you that I make 18 million yen per year.
I'm 26 years old and single.
What's that? "You don't look like a big shot to me," you say?
Hey, I can't help how I look...
I earn most of my money at night,
though I sometimes work during the day on weekends.
Don't get the wrong idea! My job isn't anything unsavory.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you've caught on by now.
That's right!
I'm a...
professional baseball player!
Here in Jingu Stadium, it's the third game of the series against the Osaka Tempters.
He grounds it to the shortstop for a 6-4-3 double play!
And just like that, the Tempters are back to square one!
What do you think, guest commentator Manaka?
That's gotta be a load off of Shibuya's mind.
That was a tricky spot that could've shifted the balance of the game completely.
The momentum's back on their side now.
My name is Bonda Natsunosuke.
I'm a left-handed middle relief pitcher for the Jingu Spiders.
Natsunosuke. Back to the bench.
Huh?
But I've only thrown ten pitches.
I think it's too early.
Come back out next inning.
Right.
This is Sakota, the bullpen coach.
He watches how the game unfolds and decides who to warm up when.
That's right. This is my workplace.
Of course, I spend time on the mound too, but I spend the vast majority of my time right here,
in the bullpen!
When I'm not pitching, I talk with the guys while we watch the game,
or research my opponents in the player directory.
I might look at players I expect to face off with today, for example.
I'm often brought in to get a single left-handed batter out,
so I'll check all the left-handers on their bench in advance.
I'll pay closest attention to the guys who just came up from the minors.
Takekawa, huh?
What part of their profiles am I looking at in particular?
Of course, I look at their career numbers and how they performed the previous year,
but most important is their contract!
Okay, ready to go.
Right, right!
Murai.
22 million!
Oh, so close!
It's 22.5 million!
Missed the decimal point, huh?
Okay, next one...
Narita?
Think he broke the top ten in batting average last year, so 42 million!
You got it!
Points for speed.
Bonda, you really are incredible.
This is our "contract quiz," and I've got the best record in the clubhouse.
We're surprisingly interested in others' contracts.
Well, less "surprisingly" and more... "extremely"?
In a way, it's everything to us.
The money is what makes you a pro.
We end up seeing those with bigger contracts as above us, and those with smaller ones as below us.
If you get right down to it, that's what it means to be a pro.
The Tempters will be making a substitution.
Takekawa will be hitting for Ushima.
There he is! Nine million!
Okay, Natsunosuke. You're in.
Right!
Manager Tanabe of the Spiders is stepping out of the dugout.
He's probably going to bring out a southpaw.
The Spiders will be making a pitching substitution.
Bonda will be pitching for Kishida.
Jersey number 39.
Once again, Bonda Natsunosuke heads for the mound.
Add one to the "games pitched" column.
A middle reliever's salary will reflect his number of games pitched.
Listen up, Bonda.
The world of pro sports is a harsh one.
A single injury, and it can be all over.
Take my advice: don't touch that signing bonus until you retire.
That's what my scout, Yasuda, told me when I went pro.
So I haven't touched one red cent of my signing bonus.
As the last pick in the draft, my signing bonus was a crummy 15 million!
Your average family man could earn that in three years!
Baseball is a job where your years are limited once you cross thirty.
And only a fraction of us land a coaching or commentating gig after we retire.
I've known many whose income dropped to seven digits the year after they retired.
So while I'm twenty-six, the age when baseball pros are supposedly at their peak,
I can't be earning just 18 million per year!
I need to earn more, or I won't have enough for the rest of my life!
"There's money buried under the diamond."
That's a phrase you hear a lot.
It's true too.
Those words play in my mind as a constant refrain.
There's money buried under the diamond.
Money Diamond!
Hey, we've got more action from the Tempters' bench!
A pinch hitter for their pinch hitter?
Now they're bringing out a righty.
I thought they'd hold on to him a little longer.
The Tempters are announcing a change of hitter.
Doi, wearing number 50, will be hitting for Takekawa.
Now I must pitch to a right-hander, a matchup that puts me at a disadvantage.
But it's common enough.
This hitter, Doi...
Four years as a pro, with a 7 million contract.
When he joined the Tempters, he got a lot of press for being a rookie with two kids.
Hey, now!
Doi, I know you just came up from the minors today.
Still, I need to beat you.
What's more, if it turns out you couldn't hit off a left-hander like me,
you'll probably be dropped back to the minors right away!
A bunt?!
That's right! He's fast too!
Catch!
I got it!
Natsunosuke!
I got it! I got it!
There's money buried under the diamond.
Money... Diamond...
Why am I so desperate to catch this foul ball?
Doi can't want to go back to the bench on a foul fly either.
Money... Diamond...
Money... Diamond... Money... Diamond...
Money... Diamond...
Money Diamond!
Out!
Nice play!
Crap. I ended up saying "Money Diamond" out loud.
Okay, Natsunosuke. Nice play.
I won.
I chose not to watch Doi walk away.
The next day, Doi really was sent back to the minors,
based on one failed at-bat.
And his demotion was also an implicit statement on my lack of worth.
"As a right-hander, he had an advantage, yet he couldn't get a hit off this 18 million-a-year pitcher.
A hitter like that wouldn't stand a chance against an ace earning hundreds of millions."
That was the judgment call.
Our world is unforgiving.
Sometimes, I really want to run away from it.
But I can't run away.
Because baseball is all I have.
I'll fight here again tonight.
To earn myself a tomorrow, a future!
Money Diamond!
I'm 26 years old, with an annual salary of 18 million yen.
My name is Bonda Natsunosuke, and I'm usually brought into the game to get a single left-hander out.
Tonight, my work entails
a tied game in the top of the 9th.
A situation where one hit could win the game.
And I'm facing their cleanup, a hitter with a 200 million contract.
If he hits a home run, we'll end up two runs behind in the 9th.
This is where a guy in my job earns his keep.
It's a ton of pressure, though!
Third!
Got it!
I've got this!
In a key moment, a guy making 18 million can take out a guy making 200 million!
This is my job.
Games like these are what improve my standing during the off-season assessments!
Great work today.
Hey, Natsunosuke.
Toku!
Great to see you!
What you did today will earn you major points in the assessments.
It's an extra 300,000 per year, no problem.
O-Oh, I don't know about that...
I think it really had an impact.
It primed you guys to walk off in the bottom of the ninth.
Shucks!
Doing research today?
Yeah, I'll be doing color commentary two days from now.
Take it easy on me if they do send me out, okay?
We'll see.
So, Natsunosuke, wanna grab a bite?
That sounds great! Let's do it!
Roppongi.
Right.
Oh, it's Bonda.
I've heard Toku's color commentary from the bullpen before.
Wow, that swing had a nice "whoosh" to it!
It might not be nice to say, but I never thought he'd become a commentator.
He was a real entertainer type, gregarious, and pretty popular,
but he was a mediocre pitcher who racked up less than fifty wins.
However, being friends with the director of Otowa Radio gave him a lucky break,
and soon after retiring, he landed a commentary gig that'd just opened up.
The truth is, this week and next week are radio's "special weeks."
"Special weeks"?
Weeks when they research our listener ratings.
In two days, when I'm on deck...
I want to rack up the numbers.
I mean, I want numbers, of course.
But I also want to do commentary people will like.
The Carnabeats' starter will be Nishida for the game in two days.
There's no doubt about that.
Annual salary: 26 million!
It's the Spiders I don't know about.
You're going to have a spot starter that day.
You don't have a starting pitcher available.
Do you know anything?
Wait, did you just ask me that?!
Right. Even if you knew, I doubt you could tell me.
I really don't know, though.
I'm sorry.
If you don't know, does that mean they haven't decided?!
Potential starters right now would be Ida, Yamasato, or Mogami...
They really haven't decided?
Gimme a break!
It'd be easy to look up basic data on those three,
but I'd like to get more information and weave it into my commentary.
Should I investigate all three?
No, that'd dilute my knowledge of each one. I don't have time!
Maybe I should just pick one and go all-in on the research.
Toku's really freaking out about this.
That's it!
That's what I'll do!
I'll narrow it down to one!
Did the station manager say something to you?
Huh?
N-No, not particularly...
Toku, I'm sorry about this!
I managed to rope in Kuwata for the first ratings week!
What are you talking about?
A special color commentator!
You mean you're skipping me?
Yeah.
And in our last ratings period, your days pulled the worst numbers...
What?
Your commentary is kind of seat-of-the-pants.
Maybe instead of just calling out sound effects, could you do a little more data-based commentary?
That's the situation I've found myself in!
But I don't want to tell that to my junior!
A second round, please.
More of the same.
Well, well?
Have you gone fishing lately?
Huh? I don't remember you being into fishing, Tokunaga.
Looks like Toku narrowed it down to Mogami, the youngest of the lot,
Of course I am! Did you forget?
but they're not friendly enough to have a private chat.
Getting married in the off-season, huh?
Where'd that come from?
Don't play dumb. I know all about it.
Which female anchor is it?
Toku was a superstar back home.
It's not like that!
Hey! Yamanashi Tsurumigawa High.
I can't wait to work with you!
He taught me a lot about technique, but he also taught me about life too.
Listen up, Natsunosuke. The money you earn as a pro won't last long.
He'd say that, but then he'd treat me to these crazy nights out even though his own salary wasn't all that high.
Don't fall into the trap of earning money to support your lavish spending.
In his ten-year pro career, there was only one year his salary exceeded 30 million yen.
Not only was he loose with his spending, but taxes also took a lot.
He was probably broke by the end.
During his last year as a pro, he had the same salary I do now.
In other words, 18 million yen.
The next year, when he got his job as a radio commentator, some posit that his salary was less than 3 million per year.
Even the local superstar I admired so much was in dire straits after he retired.
I really want to earn more while I'm still in the game!
You never know how long your baseball career will last.
My best years will be as a player.
Will I be able to find employment after I retire?
Radio commentator is still a pretty good post-retirement career.
I know so many people...
who entered the game before me, at the same time, or after me,
then retired to find salaries less than 1 million.
If I really made a name for myself, I could be a pitching coach!
That's for the true elites!
It's a guaranteed yearly salary of 10 million!
Natsunosuke?
When an athlete living what should be a breezy life in the majors spends it thinking about his plans after retirement,
it's anything but breezy!
But that's what it means to be a pro!
That's my motivation to work even harder!
Go! Go! Spiders!
N-No way...
If they're starting tomorrow, they would've left the bullpen by now.
But all three of them are there!
I missed the mark on all three!
Have I no predictive powers as a commentator whatsoever?
Just who could tomorrow's starter be?
Toku! Toku!
Here's today's lineup!
Look at the Spiders' starting pitcher!
Who is it?
Yowza!
What's wrong?
Matsumoto!
Tonight's commentary is gonna be great!
Now announcing the Spiders' starting battery.
Pitcher: Bonda.
Jersey number 39.
Bonda?
You've gotta be kidding.
Catcher: Terasugi.
Jersey number 2.
Y-Y-Yes...
There he is! Bonda Natsunosuke!
I know everything about that guy!
Toku's way too amped up.
Well, isn't this a surprise? The reliever Bonda is starting today!
What do you think, Color Commentator Tokunaga?
Well, the thing is...
A pitcher in the rotation needs to be able to pace themselves through several innings.
A reliever tends to give it all they've got in short bursts.
And this pitcher, Bonda...
Sadly, he couldn't make it in the pros without giving 120% on each pitch.
He's the archetypal middle reliever!
There's no way I can pace myself!
He won't last three innings.
That's my prediction.
But I happen to know a way to tell whether Bonda Natsunosuke is in the zone or not.
Oh? I'd love to hear what it is.
Gladly.
The moment he releases the ball, if his wrist is upright, his pitches will be lively.
On the other hand, if his wrist is down, his pitches will get hammered.
Which is it today?
Today...
it's up!
Strike!
I take back my statement that he won't last three innings.
I say he'll make it to the fifth.
Toku's really changed up his style!
Starting pitcher Bonda Natsunosuke is taken out in the fifth inning!
Amazing! Just like Toku predicted!
Forty-nine pitches thrown.
Four and two-thirds innings pitched.
Four earned runs.
In that moment, this pitcher who makes 18 million a year had but one thought.
"I-I made it to the fifth! I'm freaking amazing!"
He did well for a spot starter.
Yeah, he kept us in the game.
Perhaps my efforts paid off, because we turned things around, and I got a no decision in the game.
Toku, your commentary was great today!
Work hard for your next appearance, okay?
Okay!
Looks like Toku and I both got through a dicey night by the skin of our teeth.
Of course, I'm not going to become part of the starting rotation based on tonight.
A spot starter is only a spot starter.
A middle reliever is a middle reliever to the end.
If I really want to make money as a pitcher, I need to become a starter some day.
"There's money buried under the diamond."
That's a phrase you hear a lot.
It's true too.
We're doing everything we can to dig it up, for as long as we're pros.
It really is an unforgiving world.
But it's still my job.
Money Diamond!
Natsunosuke here!
Wow, I just realized something crazy.
The hitters below my 18 million yen salary have a hard time against me,
but the hitters above me hit off me all the time.
I can keep the 50 million ones at bay pretty well, but...
What's that? What happens if I face someone with the same salary?
Next time, it's a doubleheader with "Tendency" and "Buddies."
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Diamond!

▶ [Commie] Gurazeni - 02v2 [74157DE4]

I'm Bonda Natsunosuke, 26 years old,
and I make 18 million yen per year.
One of my hobbies is reading the player directory.
I can rattle the yearly salary of any player off the top of my head,
as long as they're on one of the twelve major league teams.
But one day...
Huh?
I've noticed it too.
S-Sakota!
I see it has finally hit you, Natsunosuke.
Huh? What do you mean?
You're such a handful.
I'm talking about your very obvious shortcoming.
The next day...
Batting first, left fielder, Nagasawa.
One out, bases loaded. The Carnabeats have the in-form Nagasawa up next.
There's some activity on the Spiders' bench.
Who's the pitcher?
Bonda!
As expected, it's left-hander Bonda Natsunosuke.
Nagasawa's been their starting leadoff man since breaking out in the preseason,
and he's maintained a .400 average with twenty games under his belt.
Plus, he's already had two hits today!
You think he might break the 200 hit barrier this season?
Getting 200 hits in a season could quintuple his contract!
He could be a 50-million player next season!
But his current contract is worth 10 million— 8 million less than mine.
A player making 18 million won't lose to a scrub making 10 million!
Struck out in three!
What the...
Yes!
Natsunosuke!
Bonda Natsunosuke struck out a .400 batter on a hot streak!
He was treating him as an inferior opponent,
and his pitches looked great.
We've now got two outs.
The next batter is another lefty, Kadowaki.
I bet they'd love to have a righty pinch hitting here.
But Kadowaki is the third catcher they've used in this game.
They can't sub him out as they don't have any more on the bench.
It's a sign of how all-out both sides have gone today,
but Kadowaki's own batting average is .210.
Given how Bonda's been pitching today, this .200-hitting lefty might be in for a hard time.
Kadowaki was an undisputed starter in his younger days,
but now he's thirty-four.
He's lost his starting spot, and his contract has dropped in value, but he still makes 30 million.
Natsunosuke...
It's a hit to shallow center field!
The runner on third scores, and the Carnabeats take a one-run lead!
Yes!
Natsunosuke...
Bonda Natsunosuke retired the .400 hitter but choked on the guy batting .200!
Your performance today confirmed it for me.
Y-Yes, sir...
If we draw the line at those making 50 million a year,
this season you've regularly retired batters with contracts smaller than your own,
while regularly giving hits up to those with bigger contracts.
18 million...
When someone makes less money, you look down on them and pitch with confidence,
but those who make more seem to cause your arm to tense up.
You read the player's directory too much.
You like your reputation as a contract know-it-all, I guess?
However...
for some reason, as we get to the players with contracts over 50 million,
your likelihood of getting them out starts to rise,
and you have a reliable record against players that make 100 million or more.
I guess salaries in that range seem astronomical to you.
And salaries over 100 million only fry your brain.
That triggers a rebellious streak in you, so you start throwing sharp pitches again.
Maybe it reflects a certain pettiness in your character.
You're only playing ball within your own comfort zone.
It's the personality of a middle reliever, through and through.
Someone like you will never make a killing in the pros.
What I'm saying is that you'll never make it as a starter.
Starter...
As long as you judge your opponents by their salaries,
you won't cut it as a starter, who has to face all kinds of hitters.
A middle relief pitcher is all I'll ever be cut out for?
Well, I've made up my mind.
In your next outing, any time a batter making between 18 million and 50 million gets a hit off you,
you'll do ten 100-meter sprints.
Got it?
What?!
And the day after that...
The Blue Comets went into the top of the 8th with the score tied.
They have a man on third with two outs. It's their chance to take the lead.
Batting sixth is left-hander Fukatsu.
Naturally, the Spiders are sending in a southpaw too.
It's Bonda.
Bonda Natsunosuke!
Fukatsu is in a rut, and his average is a mere .220, but there's no sign of a pinch hitter.
Manager Yoshikawa must be interested in building Fukatsu up,
because he's been giving him chance after chance.
Fukatsu, three years out of high school.
Made a starter on potential alone, he played in 100 games last year.
His contract this season is...
18.5 million!
Good fielding, good judgment, good legs.
It's just his batting that's on the weak side.
His contract is padded by future potential, but he still makes more than me.
By a mere 500,000.
But...
there's no way I can't retire a lefty batting .220...
as a left-handed pitcher!
Yes, we've got him! Right field!
The right fielder's got it... No, center?!
It dropped!
It's a bloop single!
The reliever, Bonda, fails to deliver!
Fukatsu pays off his manager's faith in him!
Yes! Yes!
I-Is this the difference 500,000 yen makes?
N-Natsunosuke...
You'll be doing those ten 100-meter sprints.
Fukatsu is nothing! If I'd pitched with confidence, he shouldn't have been any trouble at all!
I hate myself so much right now!
Batting seventh, third baseman, Komori.
It's another lefty at the plate.
It seems they're sticking with Bonda.
This batter, Komori, made the jump from the adult amateur leagues, and he's my age.
His contract is...
That's right, Natsunosuke.
His is...
The exact same as mine!
18 million!
What's his batting average?
.260?
The same age, the same contract...
A batting average that suggests not an amazing hitter, but a fairly reliable one.
In a way, this is a matchup I'm very interested in seeing.
What will happen if your contracts are the same?
I... I can't lose!
I don't want to lose to him!
He's got him!
He can beat players with equal contracts!
It's a weak grounder between the pitcher and first.
The first baseman came out too far!
He won't make it back to the base!
He should've let the pitcher get it!
Damn it!
Natsunosuke, take it!
Huh?
It's a race between the pitcher and the batter!
Y-You won't beat me!
Looked almost simultaneous to me.
What's the call?
He's out!
Yes!
What?!
Natsunosuke!
You gotta be kidding me!
The Blue Comets' manager, Yoshikawa, is out on the field!
He's really giving it to him!
That's one heck of an expression!
Now we have an umpire's conference.
Safe!
Wow! The call is overturned!
Huh?
What?!
Say what?!
Now Manager Tanabe is mad!
C'mon, let's see an instant replay!
Hey! That's only for close plays at the plate!
They're not pulling that out!
Shut up!
Instant replay! Instant replay!
Fine, use it! It's all the same to me!
That's enough!
I-I'll call this game!
Go ahead and call it!
I dare you! Just try it!
Fine. But first...
Yer outta here!
Th-This matchup's...
a dr—
It's a draw.
Natsunosuke, I'm adding ten more 100-meter sprints.
Because I'm extremely annoyed.
What was the final call, you ask?
What does that matter?
Ten more for drawing with the guy!
"I can't go on like this. I have to change!"
So thought the 26-year-old in his 8th season.
Money Diamond!
I'm eight years out of high school.
I haven't seen much of my high school buddies lately.
They're all living their own lives.
Everyone I hang out with now is involved with pro baseball somehow.
Once you're a pro, everyone else is your enemy.
That's what my scout, Yasuda, told me when I got drafted.
High school graduates, university graduates, adults...
Seven of us joined at the same time, but by my eighth season, there was only two of us left.
We're the same age, and we're both pitchers.
The difference is I'm a middle reliever, while he got the dream job in the starting rotation.
Shibuya Akira.
Twenty-one wins in his seven years as a pro.
A salary of 36 million yen.
That's twice what I make in a year.
Even so, we're not rivals.
We really feel like comrades-in-arms.
He can be a little on the moody side, but he's the best friend I've got.
What kind of idiot signals for a sacrifice bunt when we're three runs down in just the second inning?
Must've wanted to cut into the lead one run at a time.
This ain't high school ball.
Tactics like that are bad for morale.
When we're together, we can gripe about the coaches to our hearts' content.
Hey, have you ever noticed we only talk about baseball...
You know, about work?
So what?
Some people say you should never talk about work when you go drinking with coworkers, right?
Yeah.
Well, that's probably smart of them,
but I don't trust people who do that.
Since he and I both like to bellow out whatever not-smart thing comes to mind,
we really get along.
And that same Akira...
This is...
This is...
ridiculous!
He's been on fire this season, but he just can't land a win!
I've started in three games, and I've gone the distance in all of them.
My ERA is 1.00, but I have no wins.
My record is 0-3.
There are three undisputed aces in the Central League.
In each of Akira's three starts this season, he's faced one of them and lost.
In his first game, it was Tonoyama of the Wild Ones.
It ended 1-0.
In the second game, it was Mera of the Carnabeats.
It ended 1-0.
In the third game, it was Tada of the Tempters.
It ended 1-0.
In other words, our batters haven't scored a single run during Akira's games.
Well, I know that's because those three are great pitchers...
Akira's going into his second game against Tonoyama with a 0-3 record.
In the two games following the shutout, Tonoyama's given up two and three runs,
but his record is the opposite of Akira's: 3-0.
Damn, I'm so unlucky.
They even moved Tonoyama's scheduled start up by one day,
like they wanted to take advantage of Akira's rotten luck.
Yeah, Shibuya's gotta be the unluckiest pitcher in the game right now.
I want to get our ace his fourth straight win!
Beat him, Akira!
Strike three! Batter out!
Tonoyama's only given up one hit through five.
Meanwhile, Shibuya's given up six hits, but no runs.
He's holding the line where it counts.
It's been a pitchers' duel so far.
But I'm gonna be in trouble soon.
I feel like I'll give up a run before he does.
The Wild Ones aren't warming anyone up in the bullpen.
But we...
Bonda Natsunosuke.
You're distracting me.
Stop that, Natsunosuke!
I'm sure that's what Akira's thinking.
But this is what the coach told me to do.
I know that, Natsunosuke.
I know exactly how Akira is feeling right now.
If he can't pull off the win today,
it's going to throw off his game.
He's going to fall out of the zone.
No matter how bad a starter's ERA is...
No matter few innings he's pitched...
getting a win can make up for all of it!
A win can provide the biggest boost!
But if he loses another game 1-0 today,
Akira will break! He'll be thrown off his game!
Natsunosuke, you're my only buddy in the world.
But as a middle reliever,
you can never know how a starting pitcher feels!
How it feels to go six days without seeing the mound!
How it feels to have to wait a week when you let a game slip by!
I thought it'd be trouble, but I made it through the 6th.
Akira, I know we'll put runs on the board.
And I'll be here to help you anytime you need it!
Natsunosuke...
I'm sorry to say it,
but I don't want your help.
It's outta here!
The Spiders take the lead!
The first time this season anyone's gotten a run for me...
Akira!
I'm so happy!
I've never been so happy to see our team score!
Natsunosuke, this joy is another thing only starters can understand!
Now I can win!
And pitch a complete game!
If I pitch four straight complete games from the opener, I'll be in a tier of my own in the Central League!
But...
It's the top of the seventh, bases loaded, and no outs!
They're back to the top of the order!
Am I getting tired?
I think Akira's reached the end of his rope.
What should we do, Manager?
They've got a couple of righties coming up.
Not the time for a substitution.
Right.
Strike three! You're out!
Strike three! You're out!
Two strikeouts in a row!
Shibuya's digging deep!
Akira...
I can keep going.
No, I will keep going.
Just seven outs left.
Batting third, third baseman, Akiyama.
What do we have here? A lefty in Akiyama is up to bat, and Manager Tanabe leaves the dugout.
The Spiders are bringing in Bonda for the pitcher, Shibuya.
It's the southpaw, Bonda.
Now you bring in Natsunosuke?
Akira.
Nice pitching.
I...
I wanted to finish the game.
My mistake was striking out two in a row.
If I'd led either into a double play, I could've made it to the next inning.
But with two outs and the bases loaded, and their three-hole being a lefty, it was inevitable.
Inevitable.
Today, I'm going to get my buddy that win.
That's what I'm pitching for.
That's all...
I'm pitching for!
He hits it! It's a big one!
Will it go all the way?!
It's going long!
Natsunosuke.
The moment I was taken out of the game, I gave up.
It was a pitchers' duel, 2-0.
I was facing the great Tonoyama.
In duels like these, whoever leaves the mound first loses.
I never thought those two runs were a safe lead, either.
Th-The right fielder robs him of the home run right at the fence!
He's out!
Natsunosuke...
We did it, Akira!
And after that...
we even got another run!
3-0 in the 7th!
We've won!
My first win of the season!
Then, in the top of the 9th,
our closer...
Segawa got rocked!
He's blown the save!
N-No way...
A-Akira can't get the win now!
But in the bottom half...
The Spiders walk off with the win!
The one who got the win was our closer, Segawa.
Akira?
Natsunosuke.
When you're a starting pitcher, even if you're not awarded the win,
winning the game that you started still feels pretty good.
Do you know what that's like?
O-Of course I do!
Oh, please! A middle reliever couldn't possibly understand!
Next time I get out there, I'm gonna win!
I've got fresh inspiration!
Now, let's grab a drink!
Okay!
Natsunosuke here!
Our team has this thing called the Yamanashi Prefecture Clique.
Our leader, Color Commentator Toku, AKA Tokunaga,
gives promising young outfielder, Ohno Yukio,
and me a kick up the backside and sets us an incredibly steep statistical goal!
There's no way I can hit numbers like that!
Next time: "Prefecture Clique"!
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Diamond!

▶ [Commie] Gurazeni - 03v2 [0FA13BD6]

Batting seventh, left fielder, Ohno.
Jersey number 3.
It's the bottom of the eighth, and the Spiders trail by a run.
With two outs and a runner on base, they have Ohno at the plate.
He's been in a slump lately, so he'd love to come through here in the clutch.
Well, what kind of batting will he show us?
Yukio's due a big one, don't you think?
Yeah. Now sure would be a good time.
Play!
Come on, Yukio. Give us a big one!
I don't know about the other ball clubs,
but we have a thing called the Yamanashi Prefecture clique.
The eldest son, Toku, 35 years old.
Retired, and now a color commentator.
Second son, me. Bonda Natsunosuke, 26 years old.
And the third son, Ohno Yukio, 25 years old.
We all come out of different high schools, but being from the same prefecture gives us a feeling of solidarity.
It's a grounder to shortstop!
He throws to second...
Three outs! The inning's over!
Ohno misses another chance to leave a mark.
Was he hesitating?
Why'd he hit for contact?
Yukio...
I can't let him go on like this.
Yukio!
Natsunosuke.
Another night doing practice swings in the indoor facilities?
Yeah.
I start to get antsy if I don't do it every day.
Yukio.
What is it?
No, it's nothing.
No need to worry.
I'll be fine.
There's something each team gives its best hitter:
the number of glory, jersey 3!
Ohno Yukio...
Our prefecture clique's star of hope.
Three years out of college, twenty-five years old.
His contract: 20 million yen.
He got to wear number 3 starting this season.
When I was in my second year of high school,
there was this scrimmage where a brand new first-year hit a home run off me right away.
That was Yukio.
I faced him in a number of scrimmages after that too, and he pummeled me again and again.
Then, after an impressive stint as a college ball superstar,
he joined the Spiders and became teammates with me and Toku.
The clubhouse had high hopes for Yukio from the start.
But of course, he was a rookie, so his original number was 41.
His first year was pretty rough.
He spent most of it in the minors.
He started his second year on the major league roster,
but the first half was miserable.
Everyone started thinking he was a bust.
But in the last third of the season, he became a fixture in the starting lineup.
His defense was a little weak,
but his incredible hitting more than made up for it.
In his forty-eight games as a starter, he racked up a batting average of .360,
and an incredible 14 home runs!
He didn't get enough at bats for his average to qualify for records,
but 14 home runs is an astonishing number.
Simple math estimates that if he'd played the full season, he would've had three times that,
or 42 home runs!
So management, looking at his potential, doubled his contract,
and his jersey number changed.
Number 3 was already open, so they'd been hoping to assign it to someone...
Yes, yes, one moment!
It's Toku!
Natsunosuke.
Sorry to spring this on you, but we're doing the thing tomorrow.
Huh? What thing?
You'd better bring Yukio.
Don't fail me.
Oh, the prefecture clique meetup!
Hey, remind me. Who's paying today?
Toku, you're such a tease.
You know I'm paying.
Yukio started making more than you this season.
You sure about that?
I told you, it's fine!
In the baseball world, no matter what you earn,
the senior member of the group always pays.
For instance, if a 10 million senior and his 100 million junior go out for a drink,
it's the guy making 10 million who pays.
It's sort of an extension of what goes on in high school and college sports teams.
It lets the older folks strut around thinking, "I'm looking after my juniors."
Two years ago, in Toku's last year as a pro,
his contract was 18 million, mine was 17 million, and Yukio's was 12 million.
That year, it was Toku who always paid.
Then last year, in his first year as a color commentator...
Toku, contract unknown.
Me, 17.5 million.
Yukio, 10 million.
That year, I became the one picking up the tab.
Now, this year, Toku's second year as a color commentator...
Toku, contract unknown.
Me, 18 million.
Yukio, 20 million.
Even though Yukio makes 2 million more than me, as the senior player, I'm the one who pays!
You're pulling my leg.
You really don't have one?
It's true!
Yukio's popular with the girls, though!
No, I don't have one either.
You've gotta be kidding.
I mean it. Seriously.
Pathetic.
What's the point of playing pro ball if you can't get some action?
I couldn't keep them off me when I was in the uniform.
I had to play traffic control.
So it goes.
How about I introduce you to some girls in Roppongi next time?
P-Please do!
Me too!
Well, Roppongi's a bit like my personal backyard.
One word from me, and I'll have a young girl or two—
Hey, a message from Chako!
I need to hit the can.
Hey, Natsunosuke.
How's Yukio looking these days?
He's been pretty down.
He doesn't show it, but he must be beating himself up.
Figures.
I knew it.
It's the pressure of wearing number 3.
Management did sorta force it on him.
They could've waited another year, really.
After 25 games this season, his batting average is .240.
With only two home runs.
To be honest, everyone's feeling pretty disappointed.
He's playing ball every day with this incredible pressure on him.
Well, he needs to learn to live with it!
As the eldest of the Yamanashi clique, I must harden my heart and tell him.
Huh? Tell him what?
Yukio.
A word, if I may.
Listen closely.
Y-Yes?
This is what the bigwigs on every team will be thinking, okay?
It's not just me.
When it comes to outfielders,
if you can't sell yourself on your fielding,
you'd better be batting .300!
And if you can't do that, they'll want at least 30 home runs from you!
Toku!
Yukio's nervous enough as it is! How could you say this to him?!
If we assume 143 games in a year...
One-fifth of that is 29 games.
We're four games away from that milestone.
If we can't get your batting average up to .300 before then, I'd like you to get to six home runs.
Six home runs times five equals 30.
I want you on pace to hit 30 home runs.
Since they're overlooking your below-average defense, they'll want that much out of you!
G-Getting four home runs with four games to go...
There's no way, no way, no way!
One home run a day.
With your talent, it's not inconceivable.
Toku, it's backfiring!
Look!
Maybe I scared him a little much.
But he needs to be able to bounce back from this.
I totally get what Toku is talking about.
If you're at two homers after the first fifth of the season, you aren't worth more than 10 million a year.
Especially in the minds of the pro baseball bigwigs.
An outfielder who only gets ten homers a season isn't worth keeping in the lineup.
They might go looking for a foreigner who can hit more than that.
That said, Yukio, don't go chasing for it.
That'll make it even harder to hit.
No, Natsunosuke. I think I haven't been chasing it hard enough.
What?!
Over the last few days,
I studied film of myself from my hot streak last year.
I think I might need to chase it a little more.
Y-Yukio...
The ball doesn't fly off my bat unless I chase it.
I'm going to chase it!
I'm gonna chase it!
The next day...
Fly!
It didn't fly, but it was a hit.
You think Yukio's turned over a new leaf?
He's really chasing it today.
Well, it's all right.
It got us a hit, after all.
Game one: no home runs.
Next time...
Then in the second game...
Fly!
It flew, but straight to the right fielder.
None in the second game, either.
That Yukio...
All four of his at bats have been cans of corn.
We might have to start thinking about subbing him out in RBI opportunities.
But he's wearing our number 3, you know?
Let's endure it for now.
The third game...
Fly!
There we go!
Fly!
Would you believe it?
Two in a row!
Two home runs in one game!
Yukio!
Ow, ow, ow! It hurts! It hurts!
That's what proves it's not a dream!
The fourth game...
We did it! We did it! We did it!
Another two today!
Ohno's sixth home run gives the Spiders the walk-off!
I hit four home runs in four games!
Yukio! You did it!
Just like that, he's on pace to hit 30 home runs in a year!
He's really got what it takes!
Yamanashi Prefecture clique forever!
That's the story of the guy with talent.
Now, let's rewind back to four days ago.
By the way, I've got a word for you too, Natsunosuke.
Huh? M-Me too?
What's your ERA as of today?
Um... Um...
It's 3.38!
Oh, is it?
ERA, or earned run average, represents how many runs a pitcher would give up in nine innings.
As a simple example, if the starting pitcher on opening night gives up one run in a complete game,
that pitcher's ERA is just that: 1.00.
Now, on that same night, let's say a middle reliever pitches just one inning and gives up one run.
That pitcher's ERA will be 9.00.
Due to some team circumstances in April, you've had to pitch a few long stretches,
which means you've pitched 16 innings in all.
But you've given up six earned runs!
Surely you know that's not good.
O-Of course I do!
A middle reliever's ERA should be in the 2s.
2.99 at the most!
Any higher, and the think tank won't want to send you to the mound.
So in the next four games, you need to get your ERA down to the 2s!
Huh?! There's no way!
Nah, it's possible.
Pitch two innings with no earned runs, and you'll get 3.00.
Okay, but...
But that's not good enough, so...
Three innings with no earned runs, and it goes down to 2.84!
T-Toku!
There's no guarantee I'll even get to pitch three innings in four games!
Sometimes I only get to face one hitter!
Throw some pitches in the bullpen that make a nice whack.
Show off to the coach.
Show off?
Game one.
Show off... Glance.
No chance to take the mound.
Game two.
Nice pitch!
Glance.
Glance.
No chance to take the mound!
None in the third game, either.
No appearances at all in three days!
Then, in the fourth game...
In the top of the 9th, the Spiders send their closer, Segawa, to the mound.
All right!
Segawa, we're counting on you!
It's been a total slugfest, and I'm the only pitcher who hasn't gotten to play?!
You get days like this.
Is it possible they really have lost faith in me?
Oh dear!
Just like that, the lead batter ties it up!
Not good.
What's going on with Segawa on the mound?
He's crouched down, and he doesn't seem able to stand.
That's worrying.
It's not hard to hurt yourself when you're pitching.
He's heading back to the bench.
What could the injury be?
Looks like they're going to take a few to see how he's doing.
I hope it's nothing too serious.
Looks like it is serious!
Kozato is giving the sign!
Hey! He's out!
H-He's out?
But there are no other relief pitchers!
Well, you get days like this too.
Hey, come on...
The Spiders are announcing a substitution.
Bonda will be pitching for Segawa.
Natsunosuke!
Oh boy!
Tied game in the 9th, and I'm the only pitcher left!
What happens if we go into extra innings?!
Hey, hey, hey!
You don't have time to be thinking about extra innings now!
This is a rough situation for any pitcher to find himself in!
He's so unlucky.
Poor guy.
Natsunosuke's gonna get the loss.
Strike!
Huh? Maybe it's because I haven't pitched in a game in a while, but my shoulder feels so loose!
Bonda Natsunosuke, who was rushed to the mound...
gets three up and three down!
H-He held them off!
I must have a ton of speed on my pitches today!
And because I didn't give up any runs, my ERA goes down to 3.18!
We're going into extra innings!
10th inning!
I'm in the zone today!
Bonda Natsunosuke shuts them down this inning too!
Natsunosuke!
My ERA's down to 3.00!
The 11th...
I'm striking them out one after another!
No runs this inning, either!
Toku, I did it! I did it!
Natsunosuke's ERA...
The game will be called after the 12th inning.
If I can hold them off for another inning, I can get my ERA down to 2.70!
I'm on fire!
Just running down that ERA!
But just then...
Y-Yukio!
We did it! We did it! We did it!
Ohno's sixth home run gives the Spiders the walk-off!
Yukio!
Th-The game went and ended!
Look at that celebration!
I hit four home runs in four games!
Yukio!
You bastard! I could've gotten my ERA down to 2.70!
Bonda secures his first win of the season!
I'm glad I hardened my heart for them!
Natsunosuke... Yukio...
You'll get to keep playing for a while now!
For a while, sure.
In the long run, who knows?
What we do know is that there's money buried under the diamond!
Natsunosuke here.
My past is coming back to haunt me.
I'm facing the Setouchi Carnabeats' 41-year-old superstar, Doterai.
Last year, I hit him with a pitch and broke his right wrist!
He just got back in the game recently, and he hasn't had a hit yet.
I hear that if he goes hitless today, management will push for his retirement!
Next episode is a double-header with "Railroad to Retirement" and "The Man Who Couldn't Go Pro."
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Diamond!

▶ [Commie] Gurazeni - 04v2 [254815DD]

This story started last September.
Career home runs: 500.
A three-time home run king with a 400 million yen contract.
That's the Setouchi Carnabeats' Doterai Jou, 40 years old.
Oh no!
It's gonna—
Hit by pitch!
His right wrist was broken!
Doterai was ruled out for the remaining month of the season!
Now, this season...
It's the much-anticipated showdown after six long months.
It took ages for Doterai to return from the broken wrist,
and he didn't make it in time for the season opener.
Then, one week ago, he was finally put back in the starting lineup.
But unfortunately, he hasn't had any hits in 24 at bats over six games.
A batting average of .000.
And on top of that, not so much as a walk!
He hasn't reached base even once!
Could this have less to do with his wrist, and more to do with his age?
Pinch hitter! Pinch hitter!
Doterai can't hit squat!
You've got a good right-hander on the bench!
The Carnabeats are two runs behind.
Two outs, with runners on first and second.
It's easy to see why the fans want a pinch hitter.
They brought their slugger Doterai back to the majors, for better or for worse.
You can't just put out a pinch hitter for him.
At least, that's what Manager Usui from the Carnabeats' is probably thinking.
Of course, if he hits a home run, they take the lead.
The club president and general manager both came along for the Tokyo game.
Just to watch me.
Dote couldn't hit a home run now if his life depended on it.
And the chances of him getting an RBI are even lower.
This showdown...
There's a 98% chance that Bonda will win it!
Even if he does have a .000 batting average,
seeing Doterai at the plate with two runners on base is intimidating.
He's still the man who's hit 500 home runs, after all.
The worst-case scenario is a three-run homer to put them in the lead.
And that's the one thing we want to avoid.
So to inflate our chances...
Southpaw Natsunosuke!
In our ball club, there was an unwritten rule to trade anyone with a contract over 200 million.
But last year, at the roster meeting right after Dote's injury...
President!
We must let Dote go next season!
Let's say we don't re-sign Dote next year.
Who'll pick him up, then?
Someone...
might take him.
Or they might not...
President...
If nobody signs him, he should retire!
Indeed, that may be the most likely scenario.
I dunno about this...
Dote's going to be 41 next year.
With 29 home runs under his belt, he might've hit 30 by season's end.
But a batting average of .260 and 55 RBIs are, quite frankly, troubling numbers.
The hit-by-pitch would make it awkward to reduce Dote's salary next year.
It was an in-game injury.
And since that 29th was his historic 500th home run, maybe he should retire while he still—
But can we really justify spending 400 million on a 41-year-old Dote?
Dote is the face of our team.
He's a treasure of the baseball world.
But why do we have to be the ones paying the "treasure's" salary?
Surely there are other teams with the resources to pay him.
I'd much rather scout two foreigners who'll hit 20 home runs at 50 million!
That'll help the team more.
The meeting's conclusion was "We can't make such an important decision today."
And then, not long after...
Our staff pointed us to three foreign players with good records in Triple-A ball.
Nice, nice!
All three are well-suited to Japanese ball and raring to go!
I'd like to recruit all three, if possible.
With all three, we're bound to hit the jackpot with at least one.
Will they go for this much?
I'm afraid all three are asking for this, at the minimum...
150 million for all three, then...
Not an impossible number, however.
However...
What?!
That's the final word.
Owner's decision.
We'll be signing Dote for another season, with the same salary as before.
N-No...
There's no way we can recruit three players for 150 million!
We just don't have the room in our budget!
Wh-What about just one, then?
If he'll take 30 million.
Only 30 million to hire one rookie foreigner?
I'm really starting to hate this ball club!
I somehow got it up to 40 million, but...
Which one is likely to sign for 40 million?!
And while I was worrying about that,
all three ended up signing with other teams.
But that was just one example.
In order to raise funds to pay Doterai,
we had to build the rest of the roster on a shoestring budget,
and we couldn't afford to give raises to our other regulars.
Our owner is a man of the people!
And he loves Doterai, who's also a man of the people.
That was tripping up our attempts to round out the roster.
But that too may be nearing its end.
After 24 at bats with no hits, Dote's heart...
...is surely on the verge of breaking.
If he goes hitless in this game too, he might ask to be removed from the starting lineup!
That is the moment when...
...Dote's railroad to retirement begins!
This is an epoch-defining moment for us!
Once he's out of the starting lineup, there's no going back.
But if there's just one thing standing in our way,
it's that pitcher, Bonda Natsunosuke!
The man originally responsible for Dote's injury!
Earlier, the manager made a rare appearance on the mound...
Natsunosuke, I know this might be a hard matchup for you,
but all you need to do is pitch the way you usually do.
No matter what else may be true, Bonda Natsunosuke is a major league pitcher!
I hear Doterai pummeled the pitchers in the minors, but he can't hit off major league pitchers anymore.
That's all there is to it.
Of course, he didn't come right out and say it,
but the least I need to do here...
is keep Doterai from hitting a three-run homer!
Which means...
I can let him get a two-RBI hit.
But I can't let myself start thinking like that!
Even if it is Doterai that I'm facing!
What if he starts psyching himself out like that, darn it?!
Darn it!
500 home runs in his 22 years as a pro.
"Mr. Carnabeats."
Am I going to be the one responsible for retiring him?!
Bonda!
For heaven's sake, give us an excuse to retire him already!
What I'd like to do is give him a hit without giving him a home run,
but there's no way I can achieve that kind of precision.
I'll just have to pitch with all the power of my youth...
and finish you off!
Please, Bonda! Don't be afraid!
Even if he's afraid, that pitch is a major league pitch!
It's down the first base line!
The runner on second score!
The right fielder picks it up, and the runner on first scores too!
The hitter, Doterai, gets held at second.
Doterai gets his first hit of the season!
He puts his two runs on the board!
Great job, Doterai! A clutch hit to tie the game!
D-Dote...
B-Bonda...
He got hit off of after all.
It is what it is.
The mighty Doterai's not dead yet, it seems.
That's all.
But more importantly...
Change pitchers!
Y-Yes, sir!
Uchiyama will be pitching for Bonda.
Bonda, that pitch was one hell of a major league pitch.
It wasn't a bad pitch by any means.
But there was still hesitation in it.
That's the only reason you gave up the hit.
And it also means I haven't hit my limit yet!
S-Sorry...
Don't worry about it, Natsunosuke.
Your job was to avoid a home run, that's all.
Holding them to a tie means we can still retake the lead.
A three-run homer would've given them the momentum.
Somehow, the game went just as Manager Tanabe imagined it.
The pitcher who replaced me didn't give up the winning run.
And then...
I don't feel great about my full-force pitch getting hit by Doterai,
but hey, we won the game, so all's well that ends well.
That one hit today...
...may reinvigorate Dote.
If that means we'll have to re-sign him again next year...
...we won't get to improve our roster yet again.
And indeed!
That day would be the start of a major hot streak for Doterai,
but at that point in time, nobody knew that yet!
And the Setouchi Carnabeats' roster would remain stagnant for another year.
But this is another part of pro ball!
It's not bad to be an old man at work!
Well, at least I can breathe a sigh of relief.
The ballgrounds at Jingu Park today are, like always, full of people playing sandlot baseball.
Hey, that's one of the Spiders.
Who is that?
Number 39. Who was that again?
It's Bonda.
The relief pitcher.
Oh, right. Yeah, Bonda.
The Spiders play the Mops tonight.
It's early. I bet they haven't even started practice yet.
I have tickets for tonight, so I'll be watching them later.
But wow, he's been juggling that ball for a while, huh?
It's not even touching the ground.
Bonda stinks at baseball. Maybe he should give it up and go play soccer instead!
He's got a bad case of the yips.
When he's throwing to first,
he can handle a fast throw that goes in a straight line, but he can't handle a slow throw in a nice arc.
I thought of Bonda as being pretty on the slow side,
but seeing him up close, he's got pretty nice motor skills.
No.
They're way beyond "pretty nice."
Is this what it takes to make your living in sports?
Naoki.
You were on Kawasaki's youth team, right?
You can play on his level, right?
You were this close to becoming a pro, weren't you?
In soccer.
Nah.
I was a long way from being a J-Leaguer.
That's right. My field was soccer.
But could I beat Bonda, whose field is baseball?
Bonda's 25 or 26, right?
That's three or four years older than me.
Sorry about that!
Naoki...
Not bad!
Oh boy. Now Naoki's joined in with the juggling.
I guess my skills, or rather my legs, haven't totally atrophied.
Oh no!
It's no use! You can't catch it!
Got it!
Hey! You could hurt your leg or your hip sliding like that!
Okay!
He caught up with it!
H-He's totally fine?
It's not just his motor skills.
Look at that flexibility!
He moves in a way only someone who makes their living at sports could!
It's no use.
I could never have made it as a pro athlete!
You're great, Bonda.
Okay, Noboru!
Let's go!
Oh no!
An amateur can't keep up with something like that!
Go on!
You what?!
Coming your way!
Crap!
Hey, Naoki lost.
Well, at least I caught up with it.
Who is that guy?
That acceleration!
That speed!
And despite heading the ball with the back of his head, he still sent it to me!
I'd been putting all my focus on Bonda,
but that guy might be even better than him.
Uh-oh!
Look at the time.
Bonda.
Sure thing, Noboru.
See ya, Bonda.
Yeah, see ya!
The way he's running... He must be an athlete.
Is he with the Spiders too?
Well, I have to go too.
How'd it go, J-Leaguer? Did you win?
I totally lost.
I mocked Bonda as a low-rate athlete,
but compared to a guy like me, who couldn't go pro,
I could feel this huge wall between us.
But that kid Bonda was juggling with... I feel like I've seen him somewhere.
Yeah, I feel like I've seen him before too.
Where was it, though?
Boy, pro baseball is the best, isn't it?
Going to a night game in this weather is awesome.
I guess Bonda's not in the bullpen yet.
It's still early innings yet.
I'm heading to the concessions.
What are you gonna buy?
Bonda merch.
Since I ran into Bonda today, I've kind of become a fan.
I'll go with you.
Excuse me!
Do you have any Bonda merch?
Sorry, we don't sell any merchandise for Bonda.
Hey, it's you again.
Hey there.
How pathetic.
Why doesn't Bonda have any merch?
Well, because he's just a LOOGY, I guess.
Maybe it was silly to assume they'd sell his merch.
Naoki, I just remembered something about the kid who was juggling with you.
He's Minokawa, a pitcher who won nationals seven or eight years ago.
And the Spiders took him first in the draft.
The winning pitcher at nationals and first draft pick?!
That kid was someone that amazing?
Last fall, he retired.
I can see it.
Those were the moves of a pro athlete.
And he was active until last year?
But in six years, he never made one major league start.
Poor guy.
I think his career was ravaged by injuries.
A number one draft pick working part-time, selling stadium merch?
I actually don't think it's part-time for him.
It's probably a full-time job that the ball club got for him.
The world of pro sports is unforgiving!
Maybe it's a good thing I didn't go pro.
Bonda will be pitching for Shiina.
Hey, it's Bonda.
Grounder to the pitcher.
Bonda has it easily.
He just needs a careful throw to—
It's a wild throw!
The runner scores from third!
What are you doing? You coulda had him!
That was an easy out!
There's the yips.
He tried to be too careful.
Though he can throw as many hard pitches as you need.
Natsunosuke, calm down.
Sorry!
Well, despite all that, he's still standing on a major league mound.
Pro athletes have incredible motor skills!
But the reason they still mess up...
is because they're all playing under absurd amounts of pressure!
A bad throw to first, and the Spiders see the game tied up!
Bonda, get it together already.
Excuse me.
Welcome!
I can't dig up that money buried under the diamond anymore,
but you're still going strong!
I need to become someone they sell merch for!
Money Diamond!
Natsunosuke here!
I'm going to be a model for a baseball manga!
Isn't that great?
No, it's really happening!
But the artist's deadline is coming up, and...
I can't say anything more than that...
Be it sports or manga, the world of pros is always unforgiving.
Next time: "Safe Bets, Risky Bets."
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Diamond!

▶ [Commie] Gurazeni - 05 [983D0468]

Out!
Out!
Yes!
I've pitched enough innings for the win!
I'm gonna get my first win of the season at last!
Today's starter, Shibuya Akira, has held the other team to one solo home run through five.
Natsunosuke.
Switch with Murashita.
Yes, sir.
Akira looks good to go another two innings.
I bet we'll need you to get a lefty out after that.
You got it.
It all started right after the season opener.
That guy's here again today?
He'd been sitting in the front row every day, just staring at the bullpen.
I found myself saying hello to him.
A few days later, Support Staff Manager Degawa said...
Hey, Natsunosuke!
That manga artist I mentioned is here for his research.
A pleasure to meet you.
I'm Miyahara, an editor for Shounen Magazine.
And this is our artist, Makiba Haruhiko.
A pleasure.
I'm Makiba.
Believe it or not, it was him!
A p-pleasure...
But are you sure you want to talk to me?
I'm just a middle reliever.
It's my dream to get a baseball manga published in Magazine.
I know that a story about a relief pitcher might be unusual for a shounen manga,
but I want to take a chance on a story no one's ever done before!
What a shock...
So that guy was a manga artist!
Then, unconsciously, I got a little worked up about showing off for him...
and gave up the lead!
Wow.
When was the last time I had a one-on-one interview?
When I joined the ball club, I think?
I feel like a real star!
Now for my next question.
What's the hardest part of being a relief pitcher?
Oh, you know.
Getting called when you aren't ready.
Now pitching, Bonda.
But all I've done is play some catch!
You get sent to the mound with no warm-up!
I guess that kind of thing really happens, huh?
It does!
But the opposite happens too, right?
Yes! The opposite is even worse!
You're warming yourself up, expecting to go in, but the call doesn't come that inning.
The next inning, you go even harder, thinking, "This time, for sure..."
But you're not called then either.
That happens three or four times in a row...
And in the end, you don't get to appear in the game at all?
Right! That's the worst!
You can tell he really means it, huh?
We're really getting expert testimony.
But, given that, would you say being a relief pitcher is harder than being a starter?
Well, being a starter is hard in its own way...
Your pitch counts in the bullpen are drastically different.
A starter only throws thirty to forty pitches in the stadium bullpen per week,
and then goes right to the mound.
Obviously, there are times when they pitch nine innings,
but they can also be knocked out of the game in the third.
Even when that happens, they don't throw in the bullpen until their next start.
A middle reliever never knows if he'll play or not,
but game after game, repeatedly, he has to warm up in the bullpen under the pressure of a real game!
Doesn't a reliever expend much more energy in the bullpen compared to a starter?
And it adds up across the months to an absurd degree.
I don't have proper data on this,
but I have a feeling that the career span of middle relievers is much shorter!
Plus, starting pitchers get paid a lot more.
W-With starting pitchers,
they bear about 70 to 80% of the responsibility for a game's outcome.
That's the crucial part.
Now, my final question!
Bonda, do you want to become a starting pitcher someday?
I don't think there's a middle reliever out there who doesn't feel that way.
Excuse me.
This is just my opinion, off the record,
but after watching you in the bullpen at Jingu Stadium, I've become a real fan of yours!
A fan?
You do all the grueling work of a middle reliever every game,
like it goes without saying!
Let's make a vow right here and now!
Huh?
I'm going to make my upcoming baseball manga a hit, and you...
need to become a starter before the season's over!
B-But...
I somehow ended up being part of an absurd pact...
Natsunosuke!
This was sent by the publisher.
It's Makiba's manga.
Thanks!
So his baseball manga's starting, huh?
Let me check it out later, okay?
Huh?
Wait, what?
It's not in here.
Battle of Jurou?
What the heck? That's not a baseball manga at all!
What happened?
He seemed so confident about it!
And that was that.
I don't know much about the manga world,
but I'm sure he had his reasons, whatever they may be,
so I decided to focus on my game!
Or so I thought...
Natsunosuke.
Start warming up.
Sure.
Makiba? When did you get here?
H-Hey there.
The top of the 8th.
The hitters got a hold of Akira.
Shibuya had been pitching well, holding them to one run, but he's given up a hit to the pitcher's pinch hitter!
It's 4-3! Down to a one-run game!
Damn...
The Blue Comets are back to the top of their lineup.
If he gets a hit, it's all tied up.
And Manager Tanabe says...
Bonda will be pitching for Shibuya.
He's sending in the southpaw, Bonda!
Counting on you, Natsunosuke.
Tonight has to be the night!
I need to get Akira his first win!
I'm going to get you out!
Yes!
Natsunosuke!
Bonda!
Made it to the 9th!
Now Segawa just needs to hold them down!
But...
Ball!
The closer, Segawa, just gave up a walk with one out in the inning.
Next up is their cleanup, Bobby.
Anything to say, Guest Commentator Takahashi Hisanori?
Well, this guy has power, so try to pitch around him if you can.
Bobby and the guy in the five hole are both 0 for 4 today.
Bobby's one hell of a slugger, though.
In situations like this, we should stick with the safe bet and not rush things.
Get the outfielders ready for a long fly.
The battery can attack the corners, but if they fall behind in the count,
just walk him and go after the next guy.
Crap!
The right fielder doesn't even move!
That ball is out of here!
Bobby's massive two-run homer, his eighth of the season, turns things around!
Poor Akira...
Another blown save,
and another game without his first win!
U-Um, did you see the new Shounen Magazine issue?
Y-Yeah, just before the game.
I'm sorry!
What are you doing?!
I wanted to apologize in person.
Please, stop that!
The reason I'm doing Battle of Jurou instead of a baseball manga...
I wanted to explain it to you in person.
To be honest, I chickened out at the last minute. It's pathetic.
You chickened out?
After I pushed you to try to become a starting pitcher this season,
I'm so embarrassed with how things have turned out!
I'm sure you had your reasons.
Before I tried to put together that baseball manga,
I spent about five years publishing Battle of Kurou in Shounen Magazine.
It's a fighting manga.
Twenty-three volumes got published.
Right.
I'm sorry, but I've never read them!
To be honest, I think it was a pretty good accomplishment.
That's why the editors gave me the chance to do a baseball manga this time.
But the manga industry is just as competitive as pro baseball.
If the reader polls are really bad, they'll cancel you right away.
There's a swarm of hungry new creators all vying for your spot, you see.
You can't let your guard down for a second.
I have to constantly prove to editorial that I'm better than they are.
It's always, "What have you done for me lately?"
That is pretty similar to the pro ball world.
The hero of my new series, Jurou, is Kurou's little brother...
It's a spin-off of my last work.
It's "Battle of Kurou 2."
A safe bet, you could say.
But a baseball manga about a middle reliever in pro baseball is a really daring concept.
It's a risky bet.
Even if I got it published, there'd be no guarantee that it'd be a hit.
Because of that,
I began feeling this tremendous pressure while working, grew more and more nervous,
and lost my confidence.
Meanwhile, for whatever it was worth, Battle of Kurou was a hit,
and fans were clamoring for a continuation.
A spin-off would pull in guaranteed numbers,
so I went to editorial and begged them.
Y-You're saying you ditched the risky bet to go with the safe bet?
Wh-When you say it to me like that, it really does sound awful.
But you're well within your rights to take it that way.
After I put you through that interview and everything...
I'm really sorry.
C-Come on, Makiba.
As a pro myself, I can't really criticize your decision.
Huh?
You made that decision because you're a professional, right?
Don't let it bother you.
Pro baseball is a world where they always go for the safe bet too.
So please, do your best with Battle of Jurou!
Bonda...
The next day,
our closer, Segawa, was dropped to the minors,
and me and Tominaga were considered the top picks to replace him.
I saw the sports paper, and I just had to come right out to the stadium!
Even if it were just temporary, it'd be amazing for Bonda to be closer!
It's the third inning.
If he's been chosen as the closer,
they won't want to bring him to the bullpen yet.
The closer usually shows up around the 5th inning.
Now, which will be the fill-in closer?
Tominaga or Bonda?
And here he comes now!
Hey, Makiba!
So disappointed...
Wait, did he come out here because I showed up in the sports paper?
Sorry, but Tominaga was named the fill-in closer.
Natsunosuke, put down your bag and start your stretches.
While Segawa's out, Tomi will be handling closer duties.
M-Me?
We need all hands on deck to get through this.
I'm counting on all of you guys!
It's hard to make a southpaw closer, anyway.
How many famous left-handed closers have you heard of, Makiba?
I told you to become a starter and then betrayed you.
But if you could be the closer, I want that for you.
I'm rooting for you!
Makiba, it's harder to become a closer than it is to become a starter.
Each team only has room for one, after all.
My first pitching practice...
Natsunosuke, switch with Nitta.
Sure.
The fifth inning.
Our new closer shows up in the bullpen.
The sixth.
Our new closer plays some light catch.
I'm getting in my second pitching practice.
Okay, Natsunosuke, switch with Fukuyama.
Yes, sir!
I'm going to move to light pitches.
Natsunosuke, warm up.
They might send out a lefty pinch hitter.
Sure thing!
But it's a double play, and the inning's over!
Natsunosuke, you can quit.
Yes, sir!
Yes? Yes, understood.
Natsunosuke, I need you to keep it up after all.
They're pinch hitting for the pitcher if he gets an at bat this inning.
And you'll be sent out to start the next inning.
Yes, sir!
He's back!
However, the pitcher never made it to the plate.
The pitcher's staying in.
Take a rest.
Yes, sir.
And in the end, I never got to pitch at all.
Their new closer, Tominaga, takes the mound!
It's a one-run game.
Finish it off, Tomi.
This is where the other relievers head back to the dugout.
Bonda Natsunosuke threw eighty pitches in the bullpen!
And yet, he never went in!
But this is what a middle reliever does!
That's what it means to be a pro!
All that aside, our new closer...
Tomi, we're counting on you!
God, please!
...didn't seem to have the think tank's trust!
Tominaga has a runner on second, but he's made it to two outs.
The cleanup, Bobby, is coming up.
Guest Commentator Takahashi Hisanori?
Bobby smashed the ball out of the park to turn things around last night.
First base is open this time. Use it.
I'd like to use a lefty...
What?!
Facing a lefty with a righty in a one-run game is too frightening.
Especially after what happened yesterday.
But, sir, you said you were making Tomi the closer.
Yes, but I'm a coward.
Tomi's still a risky bet.
Pitcher: Bonda!
What?!
Bonda will be pitching for Tominaga.
The southpaw, Bonda, heads from the dugout to the mound!
That's a surprise.
Bringing out a southpaw means they're taking on Bobby.
They made me the closer, but I guess they don't trust me.
Now, Bonda...
He came straight out of the dugout. Is he sufficiently warmed up?
He was pitching his heart out in the bullpen!
His shoulder's too warmed up!
But he has one hell of a chance to shine right at the very end!
Naturally, there's no pinch hitter for Bobby!
Can Bonda Natsunosuke get this final out?
Bonda with the pickoff to second!
Out!
Yes!
No way!
Great pickoff, huh?
The game is over just like that!
Oh no!
Yes!
Don't leave me hanging!
The game ends with an anticlimax!
Tense situations tend to end in a whimper.
It'd be easy to write it off that way, but...
The runner let his guard down because a lefty was on the mound!
He took a big lead because he thought he was in the blind spot!
I can go a little further, I think.
A whole world of competition packed into this ninth inning.
A bench that couldn't choose a closer second-guessed themselves into sending Bonda out,
and as a result, victory fell into their laps!
He'd warmed up so much in the bullpen.
That's why he could throw that incredible pickoff.
Right, Bonda?
Out!
Yes!
Oh no!
Pro baseball is a world where a risky right-versus-left bet is traded off for a safe left-versus-left bet.
But I can't criticize that.
The people who live in a world of competition are always fighting their fears.
And within that fear, they're trying to make the best choice available!
Makiba!
He stayed to the end!
I made the safe choice too.
But... But...
Someday, I'm going to publish a baseball manga...
in Shounen Magazine!
Eighty pitches in the bullpen,
no pitches on the mound.
The save goes to me, Bonda Natsunosuke!
Natsunosuke here!
There are many pro ballplayers who drink a lot!
Sekiya, who bats third for the Nagoya Wild Ones,
makes exactly ten times my contract, 180 million, and he's quite a drinker too!
Even when he's got a hangover, he always comes through in the clutch!
I'm going up against Sekiya with two outs and bases loaded!
Next time: "Multiplier."
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Diamond!

▶ [Commie] Gurazeni - 06 [95EDFCFD]

I, Bonda Natsunosuke, have one main hobby.
It's looking through the Pro Baseball Player Directory.
As a middle reliever who makes 18 million a year,
I get curious about the players who make more money than me.
But even among them, I'm most interested in...
"multipliers."
It's a bit tragic, but "multipliers" refer to...
For instance, the current pitcher, who joined the team when I did, Shibuya Akira...
He's been having a great season,
and his poor pitching today isn't an indication of his ability...
Anyway, his contract is 36 million.
In other words, he alone earns as much as two Bonda Natsunosukes.
And as luck would have it, the starter for our opponents, the Kawasaki Blue Comets, is 24-year-old Misato.
His contract is exactly 54 million.
In other words, this!
Then there's one more person we just happen to be facing today...
Manda, the current runner on third.
He's in his third year as the Blue Comets' second baseman.
At 28 years old, he's in his prime,
making 72 million.
It's sort of like, you know...
There's something eerie about it when it divides up so cleanly like that.
But I know it's a silly thing to get worked up about.
And while I was thinking about that, Akira got knocked out!
He didn't even last five innings today!
Naturally, our starter is in a foul mood after being hit out of the game.
Natsunosuke! You're eating too much meat!
I ordered all these vegetables too!
Eat more vegetables!
Eat vegetables?
But barbecue is all about the meat!
Protein is important for a pro baller,
but vitamins and minerals are even more important.
Throw in two seaweed salads!
Natsunosuke.
I see you gulping down that second beer!
You'd better not be thinking about a third!
What?! I can't?!
Your third drink will be oolong tea!
Drinking too much during a season leads to slumps!
Drinking too much? It's only three beers!
But anyway, you know...
When you eat heavy stuff like barbecue, it really gives you that craving, right?
For this.
Hey, Natsunosuke! Are you still craving cigarettes?
Well, you know...
I quit smoking because he told me to!
If you want to reach the top, you'd better quit smoking!
You're right, of course!
A pro athlete's health is his career!
You're absolutely right!
Hey, Akira.
Hey there.
Hey, great game today!
Hey!
Triple and quadruple are both here!
The Blue Comets' pitcher, Misato.
Their infielder, Manda.
And two youngsters.
We'll start with four draft beers.
Then we'll have tongue, ribs, loin, and skirt steak.
Five servings of each, your best cuts.
Five servings of each?
Great game today!
Great game!
Okay, chow down, guys!
Pack in that meat!
Right!
We're running out of meat.
Excuse me!
Another five helpings of each, please!
No, make it ten helpings!
Ten helpings of each?!
Yes, sir!
They're not eating any vegetables?
Eating all that meat will mess up your diet.
More beer!
Help yourselves, guys!
Okay, I'll have another!
Same here!
Another ten helpings of each!
They eat, they drink...
They smoke...
More meat! Another ten helpings!
Is this really the meal...
...of a pro athlete?
Man, I'm stuffed! Great meal, guys!
See you later!
Excuse us!
That was fast!
That will be 158,000 yen.
Put it on my card.
Thank you, sir!
I could probably have eaten more!
It makes us feel a little herbivorous.
Like we're too obsessed with vegetables.
I guess people worth three and four times me do just eat meat...
Well, you know how it is.
I don't intend to tell my players how to spend their private time,
but we're seeing more herbivore types these days.
It's a whole new age.
Personality-wise, we have too many players who are totally docile.
They're much too polite.
In the pro baseball world, talent may be the most important thing,
but matters of personality carry a lot of weight too.
In terms of my experience, carnivore types tend to go further than herbivore types!
That's right.
We're too passive, aren't we?
We're the quintessential "small fry."
In terms of multipliers, there's one number I hate the most.
I'm talking about 180 million.
I know it's really stupid to worry about this, but...
I mean, this is what it means.
Exactly ten of Bonda Natsunosuke!
Numbers like 200 million and 300 million are outside my comprehension,
but this "times ten" number feels as real as can be.
The fact is, there's one player who makes exactly that much in the Central League.
He's here in Tokyo this week for an away series.
Been a while since I've been in Tokyo.
Time to play!
First baseman for the Nagoya Wild Ones, Sekiya Masamitsu.
Contract: 180 million.
The man with a contract equal to ten Bonda Natsunosukes!
A salary ratio of one to ten!
That was their travel day, so we didn't play that night.
Akira and I decided to hit up Ginza for the first time in a while.
We're pro baseball players.
We need to head out to Ginza every now and then.
It's pathetic to hold back all the time.
Has Akira changed his way of thinking a bit lately?
Hey, Natsunosuke.
Don't forget, we're going Dutch.
Yeah, I know.
What are you talking about?
Oh, nothing.
Just then, we noticed him.
I'm in the mood for more drinks.
I want some champagne!
Go on, drink up!
Bring a whole bottle!
It's Sekiya of the Wild Ones.
He's a regular here.
He never fails to stop by when he has an away game in Tokyo.
Look at all those expensive-looking bottles.
He always drops at least a million when he's here.
A million?!
The boss says you don't see big spenders like him very often these days.
Is that Shibuya and Bonda?
You guys come here too?
This is our first time, actually...
No problem!
Drink up, you guys!
I'll cover the whole tab!
No thanks. We're on different teams, after all.
Yeah, we'd better not.
Come on! Don't be shy!
Then, the next day...
I woke up early and did some running around Jingu Park.
It was 8:00 AM.
Is this the place?
Yeah!
You're amazing, Maki.
You really have an apartment in Aoyama?
I'm dying for some breakfast.
H-He's with those three Ginza hostesses from last night!
Has he been drinking all this time?!
What are you gonna cook for me, huh?
I can't wait to see!
I forgot to mention one thing.
This guy bats left-handed!
There's a good chance I might have to face him tonight!
We called it a night at 10:00,
but this guy's still drinking!
And would you believe it, it's a one-run game.
Given the way things are going, neither team's likely to run away with it.
Things will probably stay tense all the way to the end.
Which means they may need a left-hander against Sekiya!
So sleepy... I'm not even fully sober yet.
After what I saw, I can't afford to lose!
Even though I only make one tenth of what he does!
Sekiya is the only person in the Central League who makes exactly ten times what I do.
I know it's a bit silly, but I'm extra conscious about this guy.
On an away trip, he spends the whole night drinking before playing the next day.
I've heard the sport used to be full of ne'er-do-wells like him,
but you don't hear much about them in baseball these days.
Anyway, given that I know how he spent his last 24 hours,
I can't afford to lose to him now!
Even if people call me an herbivore, a man still has his pride!
Look at him! He's clearly sleepy!
Sekiya, you'd better be careful.
You reek of alcohol!
Yeah, I guess I do.
I'm in trouble.
Wonder if I can hit the ball today.
Sekiya, the three-hole, is 0-for-2 today.
A fly out to right.
0-for-3.
Is it the booze?
No.
For a first-rate batter like him, a little leftover drunkenness shouldn't make a difference!
As evidence, he's made two great plays on defense today!
He's only 0-for-3 because he's been unlucky.
What's more, the bases have been empty for each of his at bats.
There's a type of batter who gets pointless hits, and a type of batter who gets clutch ones.
Sekiya is definitely the latter.
That's why he earns 180 million a year!
It's the top of the 8th, two outs, and bases loaded.
Sekiya comes to the plate!
If he smashes one out of the park, the Wild Ones will take the lead!
This is the part of the game when Sekiya gets to work.
It doesn't matter that he has no hits today.
He's actually far scarier when he's had a quiet game!
The more runners you have on later in the game, the more he shows his stuff!
That means they could send in Bonda the southpaw to pitch to him.
Hey, Sakota!
Indeed, they are making a move!
Pitcher: Bonda!
I knew it!
I mean, sure, it's a lefty-against-lefty matchup...
Bonda's totally out of his league here.
Yeah, this is trouble.
Are we gonna lose today?
Yeah, if this were a baseball movie, I'd definitely get smashed here!
That's the presence of a man who makes ten times my salary.
Play ball!
Look at those eyes.
He's like a carnivorous beast focused on his prey.
An herbivore who retired at 10:00 last night can't beat a carnivore who pulled an all-nighter!
Sekiya's concentration is far greater than my own right now!
We're in completely different leagues!
B-But I don't want to lose.
I may only make 18 million yen, but I don't want to lose to a guy who makes 180 million.
What will I do, then?
How do I attack?
Natsunosuke.
When you're in trouble, how do you attack?
I think your best bet is zigzagging the corners.
Pitch one, low and away.
Pitch two, high and in.
Pitch three, high and away.
And pitch four, low and in.
In other words, don't pitch anywhere near the middle of the strike zone!
You want the corners!
Aim right for the corners!
Even if he hits off me anyway, I'll have fewer regrets that way.
Ball!
Second pitch!
Strike!
I can throw strikes away, but I have to avoid the center.
Those two pitches were a textbook zigzag.
For a southpaw, Natsunosuke has really good control.
We typically think lefties have slightly worse control than righties.
But Natsunosuke's selling point is being a lefty who also has control.
The third pitch!
Ball!
Hey, pitcher, watch where you're throwing!
You tryin' to hit him?
Yeah, he has to avoid inside strikes.
Two-one!
The fourth pitch!
Strike!
Two-two!
Sekiya has been cornered.
He's taking a minute to readjust his footing.
Actually, he's trying to throw off his opponent's rhythm.
Now, Sekiya gets in position again!
The fifth pitch!
Ball!
Three-two!
The count's full now.
His control so far has been perfect!
That fifth pitch will have straightened him up,
so the next pitch, low and away, will look really far away to him!
My control's been on point, if I do say so myself.
I'm pretty confident that I can nail this final low-and-away slider too.
But of course, he knows that's what I'm aiming for.
I'll be pitching to him despite knowing that he knows.
All batters keep an afterimage of the last pitch in their minds.
Even if he knows I'm going for the outside corner, it's still a hard pitch to hit!
But a clutch hitter like him
might just hit my low-and-away slider easily.
No problem!
Drink up, you guys!
No thanks. We're on different teams, after all.
Yeah, we'd better not.
I'm glad I didn't let you treat me last night.
Change of plans!
I can't throw to that corner!
I'm going for his chest one more time!
If I go even a little easy on him, he'll hit it!
Will it hit him or not?
He mustn't know until the end!
What?
Inside?
It'll hit me!
Strike three!
You're out!
He did it! A slider on the inside!
Natsunosuke outsmarted him!
Bonda Natsunosuke has done it!
Sekiya must've been taken by surprise.
He couldn't even swing.
Well, I could've swung if the pitch had been slightly easier to read.
Bonda, if you had accepted my hospitality last night,
that pitch wouldn't have been so far inside.
But because you refused, you threw it where I was sure it'd hit me.
And I guess that made all the difference.
It was a nice inside pitch.
Next time we meet in town, I'm totally treating you!
Well, well, look at you, Natsunosuke.
So the herbivore ate the carnivore.
I guess that happens from time to time.
18 million yen beat 180 million yen!
The Spiders won today because I put in a real shift!
Money Diamond!
Natsunosuke here!
Tohko, a minor league catcher, has been called up to the majors.
A 5 million yen salary, 32 years old.
He doesn't have much potential as a player.
But even when his best friend from college told him to retire and get another job, he turned him down flat.
He's determined to have a successful career!
And for the first time in a while, Tohko wears the mask in a game.
Next time: "A Minor-League Player in the Majors"!
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Diamond!

▶ [Commie] Gurazeni - 07v2 [5ED60604]

I haven't been to Jingu since last September.
I'm going to stay here longer this time.
Hup!
There.
This practice is pretty rough.
Hey.
You can go. I'll stand in.
Thanks.
Tohko!
You're back in the majors?
Looks like.
Here you go, Natsunosuke.
Tohko Junji, 32.
Catcher.
In pro baseball, each major league team normally keeps three catchers on their bench.
Since no other player can sub in for a catcher,
Tohko in the minors is basically our fourth catcher.
Yesterday, our young catcher prospect was dropped down to the minors,
and Tohko was brought up in his place.
His contract is 5 million yen.
Five million at 32 years of age...
If he plays, it probably won't be as catcher, but as a righty pinch hitter...
I know what you're thinking, Natsunosuke.
You're wrong. I might not be here to pinch hit, but rather to catch.
Ogami, the backup, jammed his finger yesterday, right?
So I might even end up forming a battery with you during a game.
Yeah, I see!
That's totally possible, sure!
Hey!
Bonda, good to see you!
Oh, hey.
Hey.
That's Kitamura, lead reporter for Doyo Sports.
Hello there!
He's extremely affable and outgoing.
Hello!
That's what makes him so good at getting scoops.
Oh, hey!
Kita!
Junji...
Hey, don't look so surprised.
You knew I was coming up, didn't you?
Well, yeah...
Uh-oh, I gotta hit the can!
Bonda!
If Junji's catching when you take the mound today, you'd better be careful!
You'll have to call your own pitches.
You just can't trust this guy's signs.
You shut your filthy mouth!
These two...
They spent their college years together on the baseball team.
They were both catchers too.
Tohko was a college-ball superstar.
He was our first pick in the draft.
Kitamura was the second-string catcher.
In four years, he never once got called up into the dugout.
After they graduated college and entered real life,
one became a minor league player in the pros,
while the other became a major reporter in the sports media.
Why, you...
And I recently heard something from one of the older guys on my team...
Of course, it varies a lot by publication, but I hear those in sports media really make bank.
By your mid-thirties, you can make as much as 10 million in some places!
T-Ten million a year?!
And they can keep the job up well into retirement age.
It's a much better lifelong prospect than us lousy ball players.
Then what about Kitamura with Doyo Sports?
Doyo Sports is a big name, and Kitamura's their lead reporter...
He's probably making 10 million, even at his young age.
He was a major player in college.
Now he's in the minors.
He was a minor player in college, but he got a normal job,
and now he's in the majors.
One makes double the other.
And while Kitamura will also have a steady income into retirement age,
Tohko has to walk the uncertain path of the athlete.
That day, Tohko got a chance to pinch hit.
Fly ball to center!
No runs this time, and we move on to the 8th.
The pinch hitter, Tohko, puts the catcher's mask on.
Top of the 8th with the Tempters at bat.
Their leadoff man gets on base.
Now they're bringing out a lefty pinch hitter.
That means there's movement out of the Spiders' dugout.
Pitching for Ichioka,
Bonda, wearing number 39.
Just as Tohko thought, I'm in a battery with him right off the bat.
That's right, Natsunosuke.
Give me the best you've got.
Oh! The Tempters are making a change!
They're bringing in a righty pinch hitter for their pinch hitter!
He's running!
The batter swings to protect the runner!
Second!
He's safe with time to spare!
It's a successful steal!
It's not good to let a steal happen that easily.
The pitcher's a lefty.
The batter's a righty.
It's hard for the runner to get a lead,
and easy for the catcher to throw.
Tohko's smart, and he's a decent hitter,
but there's a reason he spends most of his time in the minors:
he has a lousy arm.
Our current stock of catchers in the majors includes our regular catcher and today's starter, Terasugi.
He's a well-rounded catcher in all respects.
Our second catcher, who jammed his finger yesterday, is Ogami, who's an effective pinch hitter.
Our third catcher is a prospect, Harada, who was sent down to the minors yesterday.
To be honest, Tohko is a jack of all trades, master of none.
And he's past the age where he can be expected to improve.
A-Again?
It's through!
It's an RBI single!
Bonda gives up a hit! The lead is down to one!
The Spiders are announcing a change of pitchers.
I disagreed with Tohko's sign.
You just can't trust this guy's signs.
The pitchers after me managed to hold them off,
and we escaped with the win, but...
Asking Bonda for another fastball was clearly the wrong call there.
Any major league catcher would've signaled for a breaking ball, no question.
K-Kita!
And it wasn't the pitcher's fault that guy stole the base, either.
Bonda pitched from the stretch, like he was supposed to.
If you give up second that easily, you won't stand a chance in the majors.
What...
What would a reporter like you know about it?
Don't talk down to me!
Junji, you're used to being around minor leaguers.
I'm used to being around major leaguers.
When it comes to major league ball,
I know it better than you.
Kita!
Of course,
the team might need you in the majors from time to time,
but you can't cut it as a pro at this point.
You should retire after this season.
On second thought...
Forget "after this season."
You should retire immediately.
Oh no...
Bonda.
Natsunosuke.
Uh, well...
Were you listening to that?
Er, well...
I wasn't trying to, but I might've heard.
Perfect timing, Bonda.
Give us your judgment as a major league pitcher.
You might have to pitch to Junji again tomorrow night.
If he messes up again, let loose and give him a piece of your mind!
Tell him he can't be a pro anymore!
Natsunosuke.
I-I'm sorry.
Th-That's okay...
S-So awkward!
These two have a history between them.
And Kitamura is a first-rate reporter, so his opinion is certainly credible.
I-I'm sure you're a bit confused after hearing all that, but oh well.
Natsunosuke, I'm going to tell you what this is about.
He wants me to get a job.
G-Get a job?
His family runs a pharmaceutical import business.
It's not a large firm, but it's stable.
He wants me to do sales for them.
He's the second son, so he won't inherit the business,
but he can guarantee a salary equal to my current contract.
Five million yen?!
That's one heck of a deal!
Wait, they're willing to pay someone with no specialized knowledge that much?
Some might even call that outrageous!
They'd mostly want me to handle the sports and fitness-related stuff.
Hence the pay.
But this is what he said:
"Start as young as you can if you want to adapt to the work quickly.
In fact, every month—every day—is of the essence."
That all makes a lot of sense.
If I get any older, he can't guarantee that same starting salary.
Whoa, that's super harsh!
He's probably just looking out for me, in his own way.
Wait, Kitamura might be right on the money!
I mean, will our team really re-sign Tohko after this year?
Next year,
Tohko will be 33.
It's not possible!
It's honestly impressive he's kept his contract for this long!
Retiring now wouldn't be a bad choice at all!
But...
I won't be joining his family's company.
Natsunosuke,
if I'm useless in the majors, like he says, just tell me.
There's a real chance we might get matched up tomorrow.
I-I know, but...
No, I think we will.
Tomorrow, I'll be the starting catcher.
They want to give Tera the day off.
Really?
And I was on a real hot streak down in the minors.
That's why they brought me back up.
Batting eighth, catcher, Tohko.
How long has it been since Tohko started? A year?
Two years?
Our starting pitcher today is a seasoned veteran, 38-year-old Kawasaki.
Second!
Okay! Nice throw!
We stole second off of Tohko easily yesterday,
so I'm giving all of you the green light from the first inning today.
However,
Kawasaki's on his game today, and he sits down the side in order in the first.
Nice pitching, Kawasaki.
Tohko's calling was good too.
I think you're right.
Junji's calling?
I doubt that.
Kawasaki's just pitching well today.
Bottom of the first!
The Spiders take a three-run lead with a flurry of hits!
Now, with one out and the bases loaded, the eight-hole...
and catcher, Tohko, comes up to the plate!
It's in the right-center gap!
The runner on third,
the runner on second,
and the runner on first all score!
Tohko clears the bases with a triple!
Hey, Tohko got a hit!
Tohko, nice one!
He failed yesterday, but he was telling the truth about being on a hot streak!
Tohko, the catcher with the weak arm.
But with a lead like that on the board, the other team probably won't go for any more steals.
Second!
This catcher's got a weak arm!
I'm gonna run.
This guy's going for the stolen bases title.
Better rack 'em up while I have the chance.
Kawasaki held them off with another one-two-three inning.
Tohko is crazy today!
His second at bat:
a double!
His third at bat:
a single!
Incredible!
Tohko, if you can get a home run, you'll have hit for the cycle!
Junji...
Tohko's on fire!
He's calling a great game for the veteran Kawasaki too.
Now it's 8-0!
The Spiders have a big lead!
All right. That's a win in the bag.
All right.
We'll take out Mr. Veteran after the sixth.
Let's split up the remaining innings among the relievers.
Right.
Natsunosuke, you handle the seventh.
Yes, sir.
Then, in the seventh inning...
Ball!
Now then!
Bonda comes in this inning and immediately walks the first batter, Shunsoku Yoshiki!
Yoshiki has stolen twelve bases this season!
I finally got on base.
Kawasaki's just been too good.
I don't know if I'll get the record, but I'm gonna run either way.
The same situation as yesterday.
A runner on first.
A right-handed batter.
But the difference today is that the runner has confidence in his speed.
Natsunosuke, don't worry about it.
Let him run if he wants to. You don't have to pitch from the stretch.
Okay.
Well, if you insist.
The runner takes off!
They're not even gonna try, are they?
He's out!
Tohko's on fire today!
He throws out Shunsoku Yoshiki!
You really lulled Yoshiki into a false sense of security, huh?
During the warmup, you intentionally made your throws to second look slow.
Since you've been in the minors, Yoshiki doesn't know you.
You even fooled your partner Bonda, asking him to pitch from the windup.
When I want to, I can make a throw like that easily enough.
Well?
Well, there's nothing praiseworthy about throwing out a runner in that situation.
Maybe not.
The press box today was full of praise for the game you called for Kawasaki.
But if you ask me, they're wrong.
Kawasaki was just in the zone today.
Yeah, that's right.
I didn't call an especially good game.
The triple, double, and single too...
Every batter has a good hitting day every now and then.
Yeah, sometimes a player just gets a lot of hits.
And sometimes they get a home run after all that.
Hitting for the cycle...
That's crazy!
My breakout season's coming at 32.
Wrong!
Wrong, wrong!
Today was just a coincidence!
You'll go right back to sucking tomorrow, I bet!
Better write that resignation letter!
There's one thing that "first-rate reporter" Kitamura doesn't understand.
It's understandable, since he doesn't watch minor league ball.
That's right.
In pro baseball, you usually only get promoted to the majors when you're on fire.
Natsunosuke here.
There's a cap to how many foreigners you can have on your roster,
which means some players don't get to play.
One of those is perpetual minor leaguer Thomas.
He's always freaking out that he might get fired at any time,
but then he's always losing his temper on the mound!
That same Thomas is brought onto the mound in an emergency situation in Yokohama.
Next time: "The Commute to the Ballpark"!
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Diamond!

▶ [Commie] Gurazeni - 08v2 [5BDB2E10]

I, Bonda Natsunosuke, live in an apartment complex near the ballpark in the city.
It's just a one-bedroom apartment, of course.
But I live alone, so it's more than enough.
Spiders to acquire closer to replace Segawa?
Roster staff visit the US?
I bet Segawa's reading this article and freaking out...
Two weeks earlier.
Our closer, Segawa, blew the save and robbed Shibuya Akira of his first win.
That same day, he was dumped to the minors, where he is currently regrouping.
The right fielder doesn't even move! That ball is out of here!
Bobby's massive two-run homer, his eighth of the season, turns things around!
Poor Akira...
Another blown save,
and another game without his first win!
The sun's so bright today...
He earned the closer spot last year.
He was in the middle of his sixth season, after getting scouted from an amateur team.
He racked up twenty saves as a closer,
and in the off-season, he doubled his 25 million contract to 50 million!
A fairly late bloomer, he was supposed to break out in force this season, at age 29, but...
Th-This is bad news.
Segawa.
Hirakawa.
That there? It's all true.
It's rough.
The pro world is so unforgiving.
I mean, I knew that coming in...
Hey, is this the Triple-A pitcher they made overtures to in the off-season?
Aguilera, I think?
Yeah, they say it's Aguilera.
But their first try was a bust.
What happens to me if they sign him?
Well, if that happens, you'll have to fight him for the closer spot.
Like hell they're not gonna use the foreigner after they sign him!
I'm gonna regress back to a middle reliever!
Aguilera has racked up good stats in the Triple-As this season,
but he's been feeling discouraged that they won't bring him to the show.
They say he plays for much less than Segawa too.
And rumors say the clubhouse is prepared to offer him 60 million.
It's gotta be a done deal.
I beg you!
Don't let it be a done deal!
But it's not manly to leave it all up to prayer.
Let's get running!
One year of solid performance isn't enough to convince the team that you're a real closer.
But there's one man who'll be panicking even more than Segawa.
Coming!
Thomas!
I read the news.
You managed to read it?
I sure did!
On the Internet, you can translate stuff with one click.
If they sign some new foreigner, won't I get fired?!
It's gonna be me!
I'll be the one on the chopping block!
Thomas Hotpopper, age 25.
A foreign pitcher, born in the USA, with a contract of 20 million.
In two seasons, he's racked up a mere three wins.
None of them this year, of course.
He spends most of his time in the minors.
He's very occasionally brought up to the majors as a spot starter and such.
But any time he starts, regardless of the result, he's purged from the roster the next day.
Why do they use him this way, you ask?
It's because of this thing called the major league roster foreigners' cap.
A club's official player cap is 70, and there's no limit on how many of those can be foreigners,
but no more than four can be active on the roster at any one time.
No more than three of them can be pitchers, and no more than three can be fielders.
So you get a total of four, split between pitchers and fielders.
Our team has Desmond, a pitcher in the starting rotation,
middle relief pitcher Homer,
cleanup hitter and center fielder Tib,
and right-handed pinch hitter and utility player, Garrett.
That is to say, two pitchers and two fielders.
These four foreigners on our team are all reliable, so we don't like to pull them without a serious reason.
This all means that on days when Thomas starts, we have to drop someone else.
That's why, even though Thomas gets the occasional chance to pitch in the majors,
he spends most of his time in the minors.
Right now, there are six foreign players signed with the Spiders.
They won't make it seven. They won't cut their Japanese players.
But they can cut me! I'm a foreign pitcher just like him!
Then why not sign on as a trainee player?
Then you could stay on the team!
T-Trainee?
They only make 2 or 3 million a year, don't they?
If that's not for you, why not go back to America and try for the show?
That's the obvious choice, isn't it?
Oh, there's no way I could make it to the show!
There are independent leagues too.
Independent leagues?
Those are hamburger leagues!
You can't afford anything better than hamburgers! You know that!
Japanese pro ball is the best there is.
There's no other country where I could make 20 million.
Let's see...
Hey, it's Support Staff Manager Takeoka.
Hello? Thomas speaking.
Yes? Yes?
Manager?
Can it be...
Tomorrow? In the majors?!
Y-You mean...
That's right. You're starting.
We're in Yokohama Stadium tomorrow.
Can you make it by yourself?
Y-Yokohama...
Um... well...
If you can't make it, I can come get you at noon.
Thomas, put me on.
It's Bonda, Takeoka.
I'll get him to Yokohama Stadium, safe and sound.
Hey, Natsunosuke. Really?
Sorry to impose, but please do.
If you're starting, that means the club still needs you!
If you pitch well tomorrow, they might decide you're too good to fire!
I-I'll do my best!
Natsunosuke, please take me to Yokohama Stadium tomorrow, without any mistakes.
I won't make mistakes!
The fact is, I commute to Jingu by bike.
I hear there are some teams that forbid their players from riding bikes, but it gets me there in ten minutes.
I get to the Dome by bike too.
For Yokohama Stadium...
I take the train!
A lot of major leaguers drive, but I'm not famous enough to be recognized by fellow commuters.
Most foreign players use public transport to get to these three stadiums too.
To put it bluntly, the clubhouse forbids its foreign players from driving to work.
Thomas takes his train in a different direction than the other foreigners.
That's because the Spiders' minor league field is in Toda, in Saitama Prefecture.
Young Japanese players tend to live in this area,
but the apartments the club arranges for the foreign players tend to be in the heart of the city,
which means Thomas has a rough commute.
And when he does occasionally get called to pitch in the majors, he gets disoriented.
If it's in another city, we go as a group, so there's no need to worry about that.
But Yokohama means changing trains, so it's even worse.
I'd probably get lost if I were by myself.
It's my job to escort our precious starter to the stadium.
He's two meters tall.
Thomas is so tall,
but he's a left-handed sidearm pitcher like me.
Still, he throws a hell of a junk ball, and his pitches pack a punch.
Thomas, this is our train.
You got it!
We will now announce the battery for each team.
For the away team, Jingu Spiders: Pitcher, Thomas.
Pitcher, Thomas.
Let's do this!
But Coach Yoshikawa of the Blue Comets had taken countermeasures.
He prepared a lineup of all right-handers to crush Thomas.
Thomas might be in real trouble tonight.
I love Japan!
I want to stay in Japanese pro baseball!
No, I will stay in Japanese pro baseball!
I love Japan!
I want to stay in Japanese pro baseball!
No, I will stay in Japanese pro baseball!
Thomas is running into trouble with the foreign player cap.
If he doesn't pitch well in this game, he could get dumped mid-season.
I gave him a little advice of my own on the way to the ballpark.
Thomas, you have a tendency to lose your temper on the mound.
Listen up, don't forget to breathe.
No worries, no worries! I'll be fine!
Stacking the lineup with righties, are we?
Batting first, second baseman, Manda.
That doesn't matter.
That doesn't matter!
If Thomas can make it through this batting order once, that's all we can ask for.
I don't even know much about you Japanese batters, anyway!
His arms are so long!
Strike!
144.
While the ball doesn't have much spin, it's really sharp.
But it's easy to see his release point.
I can hit it!
And so, the leadoff man pops out to second.
Thomas did well with his first time through the order, but...
In the fourth, the Blue Comets have scored twice and still have the bases loaded.
Thomas has been getting pummeled his second time through the order.
Well, he has gotten two outs here.
He's really struggling with all those right-handers.
They're still ahead by three, but...
Thomas is just... Yeah, he's losing his temper.
They'll probably bring in a reliever here.
When Thomas gets mad, he tends to throw everything right down the middle of the plate.
Even with a three-run lead, they'll be scared.
They won't let him pitch to another batter.
Manager Tanabe is leaving the dugout.
They might bring in one of Nitta or Fukuyama, both right-handers.
Look at Thomas! He's laying into the pitching coach!
Pitching for Thomas is Bonda. Bonda.
What?!
Bonda?!
They've chosen Bonda, a southpaw just like Thomas!
Not a righty?
It's still early innings. Maybe they want to save the righties for later.
But while Bonda's warming up, Thomas is still offering a piece of his mind on the mound!
Thomas is finally leaving the mound!
Shit!
Goddamn!
Thomas is on the bench, still fuming!
He's usually such a nice guy, but when he gets mad, he's like a different person!
Thomas, look carefully at Natsunosuke's pitching.
"Thomas, watch Natsunosuke's pitching."
B-Ball!
Ball four!
He walks in the run!
Now the score's 5-3! The lead's down to two!
D'oh! He walked him in!
I could've gotten him out!
But I led the next guy into a grounder to short and got us out of the inning.
Natsunosuke only walked him because he was aiming for the corners.
He was right on the black, and they just happened to get called as balls.
To put it another way, Natsunosuke has the courage to pitch balls.
Even though he walked in a run, we're still leading by two.
Natsunosuke pitched carefully to minimize the damage,
got the next batter to ground out, and ended the inning.
Thomas, when you get in trouble, you throw all your pitches right down the middle.
It's because you lose your temper and try to rush things to a conclusion.
And it's not just that.
It's because you don't have the courage to pitch balls.
Okay, Natsunosuke.
Nice pitching.
Thanks.
Natsunosuke, take us as far as you can today.
Sure thing.
That day, I stayed on the mound for the next inning.
And then...
In the end,
the game ended at 5-3,
and the winning pitcher was me, Bonda Natsunosuke!
My second win of the season!
Thomas.
They're gonna take this out of your pay.
How much does it cost?
About 80,000 yen, I bet.
No way a plastic bucket costs 80,000 yen!
Why, you...
You must think you're pretty hot, always blowing your top!
Yeah! Think you're hot stuff, huh?
Like you're some great player!
H-Hey! Stop that!
Hey, Thomas! Where are you?
Y-Yes? I'm here! Right here!
Takeoka, help me!
What's all this?
Are you getting sanctioned for losing your head today?
S-Sanctioned? What's that mean?
That's right. Thomas is the type who gets ragged on a lot.
We're playing in Tokyo Dome tomorrow.
You can make it there yourself, right?
D-Dome?
You're not sending me back down tomorrow?
We're not going to send you back down right away every time.
Thomas, want to commute with me again tomorrow?
Natsunosuke?
Yeah!
Show me the way, please!
You've got your own bike, right?
Thomas! This is the Yasukuni Shrine!
Hey, I've heard of that!
May Japan and America never go to war again!
The Skytree!
On top of the hill in Kudan, you can see it so clearly between the skyscrapers!
Yep! It's a great viewing spot, in its way.
I love Tokyo!
I love Japan!
By the way, a little bird told me that talks with Aguilera aren't going well.
Apparently, he doesn't want to leave America.
Really?!
I guess we'll be keeping Segawa as our closer for a while.
And, Thomas, looks like you get to keep your job.
Yeah!
After everything I told you, you still lost your stupid temper on the mound!
Sorry! Sorry!
But it's true of all baseball players.
When we get out there on the diamond, it's hard to think about our jobs.
All that aside, Natsunosuke.
I learned something from watching you pitch.
The courage to pitch balls.
That's not a mindset we see in America very often.
That's a Japanese and a pro baseball mindset.
I don't have the speed that you do, so I have to think about that stuff!
Thomas, we're free to go!
Time to go!
When we turn left on this street, Tokyo Dome will be within our sights.
Japanese baseball has so much depth!
In the end, the team's attempts to secure a new closer fell through.
Our closer, Segawa, returned to the majors.
The clubhouse's so stingy.
If they'd brought in a new foreigner, I would've been stuck down there.
But getting dropped down to the minors instead was...
Yeah, it figures.
...Thomas.
Take care!
Hey!
Hey there!
Keep at it,
Thomas.
And Thomas is still...
You teeny-tiny Japanese batters can't hit off me!
...pitching away in the minors.
And losing his temper all the while.
Natsunosuke here.
Boy, what to do about Kuriki?
He's a batting practice pitcher and a scorer,
but he's always giving me pitching form advice about how to speed up.
He helped me a lot back in the minors, so I can't just blow him off.
What'll I do?
Next time: "Teacher or Cautionary Tale?"
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Diamond!

▶ [Commie] Gurazeni - 09 [77EB2601]

On days when the Spiders are playing at Jingu,
you'll see a staff member in a three-digit jersey running around the park grounds.
Then, when the players show up, he withdraws into the clubhouse.
Heya!
Batting practice pitcher and scorer, Kuriki Satoshi.
He's four years older than me, Bonda Natsunosuke.
Back when I was a rookie,
Kuriki taught me a heck of a lot down in the farm system.
For a two-seamer,
you just grip it down the seams like this, and it'll break toward your dominant side.
Stuff like this too.
Listen up, Natsunosuke!
Don't move that glove one inch!
Okay!
Dead on!
Now, move it two balls higher.
Dead on again!
Now, two balls higher and one ball in.
Perfect accuracy!
Pro pitchers are incredible!
Being a pro is all about control!
Control is what separates us from the amateurs!
And if you want to improve your control, you gotta work out your lower body!
Obviously, you gotta run 'til your legs give out!
Right!
Before long, Kuriki was called up to the majors,
while I got left behind with a leg injury from all that running he made me do.
Kuriki was, like I am now, a left-handed middle reliever.
However,
he'd get hammered.
And so, he came back to the farm system.
My speed is just crummy, you know?
It takes me all I've got just to hit 141 or 142.
If you want more speed, you gotta work out your upper body!
Natsunosuke, do weight training with me!
Okay!
143.
Not as effective as I'd hoped...
133.
What's with you, Natsunosuke?
Your speed's really been dropping lately.
I'm sorry.
Natsunosuke, have you been slacking on your weights?
No, I don't think that's it.
It's clearly been dropping since I started the weight training.
I don't think weights are for me!
As expected, when I cut back on the weight training, my speed came back to me.
But instinctively, pitchers can't help but be attracted to speed.
In games, I try so hard to pitch faster that I lose my control and start giving up hits.
Natsunosuke, that's how it goes for me too.
Maybe we shouldn't be so obsessed with speed.
Kuriki seemed to be on the fence too.
But I guess that goes for everyone.
Once, Kawasaki, who was thirty at the time,
came to practice in the minors park, and I saw him up close.
At that time, I believe he'd racked up ninety wins as a pro.
The pitches of a man with ninety wins packed a punch that ours didn't.
But what surprised me was...
that unlike us, he didn't really practice keeping control in mind.
He aimed right down the middle, and his pitches were just spraying around.
People like him are confident they won't get hit off of even if they pitch over the plate.
They're a whole different breed of pitcher!
Being attracted to speed won't get us anywhere.
Kuriki was probably right.
That's what I thought.
He was also the first one who said those words to me.
Natsunosuke.
No pitcher wants to fall behind in the count and give up a walk, right?
But guys like us can't be afraid walking batters.
We need to have the courage to pitch balls.
You're saying that if we refine our control, we can gain the courage to pitch balls?
That's right!
That's what he said, but in practice...
Let's see some speed!
This guy couldn't fully throw out his obsession with speed.
And then last year, after 11 years as a pro, he retired for good.
He'd even had a season where he pitched fifty games,
but his total record was one win, seven losses, and two saves,
with a career-high contract of 15 million yen.
If he hadn't been so obsessed with speed, I think he could've gone a lot further.
And I saw him as both a teacher and a cautionary tale.
Then, this season, even as lots of pros have to quit baseball every year, Kuriki got lucky.
As a pitcher who is a lefty, has good control, and is decently fast,
the team wanted him to stick around as a batting practice pitcher and scorer.
When his job as a batting practice pitcher is done...
Heya!
...his job as a scorer awaits him.
Thirty years old this year, with a salary of 6 million yen.
In his last year as a pitcher, he was earning 6.5 million, so it wasn't too big of a step down.
Huh? Kuriki!
Hey, Natsunosuke.
I'm organizing the data I got down today.
Used to the job yet?
Not at all. How could I be?
I'm aching all over.
I didn't think being a batting practice pitcher would be as draining as it is.
So I'm still running every day...
You're running more than you did as a player, I bet.
Maybe I am.
It'll take a long time before I get really used to my scorer work too.
Natsunosuke.
I'm still a newbie scorer, so I won't get too high-and-mighty about it,
but there's something I've realized.
I spent 11 years as a pro, bouncing between the minors and the majors.
I really was second-rate.
What are you talking about?
You had a season with fifty games on the mound!
That was just one year.
But even I can tell.
Pro baseball pitchers are getting faster every year.
Since I joined the pros 11 years ago, the average fastball speed has gone up by two or three kilometers per hour.
But I think batting technique is advancing even faster.
So, how do pitchers compensate?
Obviously, with moving fastballs!
Those are fastballs that move just a little bit.
But to cope with those pitches, the batters do a lot of studying and refine their art even more!
The game of escalation between pro pitchers and batters is incredible.
And lackluster players who can't keep up with it will find their careers cut short around the age of thirty.
Just like me, you know?
Natsunosuke, you've been seeing a lot of action this season, huh?
Not just games pitched.
You're getting a lot of innings in too.
You can probably expect a fat raise when you re-sign in the off-season.
Well, we don't know that yet.
Natsunosuke.
The season I pitched fifty games was when I was 26 years old. The same age you are now.
Three years later, I was cut.
A guy who pitched fifty games, you know?
Natsunosuke, the way things are now, can you imagine being fired in three years?
I certainly don't want to think about it!
I felt the same way three years ago.
Anyway, if you want to have a long pitching career, you need to reinvent your game every year.
Maybe so, but...
I couldn't do that because I was lacking up here.
Becoming a scorer has changed the way I look at the game.
I've learned a lot too.
So...
I have an idea!
Want to hear it?
Huh? An idea?
Maybe you'll want to try it out!
I bet it'll show results!
It's on this video.
Watch it for a minute.
What?! Here?!
Just a minute. I'll have it in a sec.
To me, he's both a teacher and a cautionary tale.
Wh-What kind of idea is this?
Well, it's not a flash of inspiration or anything...
I'm taking video every day, so sometimes I notice a thing or two.
Well, it's up to you whether you want to try it out or not.
I mean, you're an active player and I'm just a batting practice pitcher and scorer.
Given our history, should I listen to his advice? Or should I ignore it?
If I listen to it, it'll be hard to just forget it later.
He's been both a teacher and a cautionary tale in the past,
but it's not impossible he could give me good advice too.
Natsunosuke, look! Here it is!
And while I was thinking about it, he's gone and turned it on!
This is footage of Tejima with the Makuhari Savage.
Right.
I think I might know what you're getting at!
This was taken from the third base side.
I'll pause it.
That right elbow. The angle of the right wrist.
They're bent really sharp, huh?
Like this.
Yes, that's true.
He's trying to hide his release point, right?
Oh, you know it already?
Well, yeah...
More and more pro pitchers nowadays are using a more compact cocking position.
Small in the back, big in the front, they call it.
If you do it right, it becomes seriously hard for the batter to read.
It becomes a lot more obvious when you're watching from behind the backstop.
That feeling of an arm hidden behind the body that lashes out all at once!
Fujimura of the Kyushu Sharp Hawks does something similar, right?
C-Come on, Natsunosuke...
Don't look at me like I'm preaching to the choir.
I-I wasn't trying to!
It's called stuff like Beckoning Cat Pitching and Telephone Booth Pitching, right?
What's with you?
You even know all the crazy names they give it, huh?
"Beckoning Cat" and "Telephone Booth" both refer to a cramped up form.
Yeah, "cramped" is the keyword.
But this is what I call it!
Dart Pitching!
D-Dart Pitching?
Hang on a minute!
Did he just want to tell me about the name he thought up for it?!
I-If I tried it...
would it look like that?
Well... Sorta, maybe...
Maybe I just can't do it...
Well, of course it's not gonna be easy.
So let's look at one more!
One more?
Look at this one.
This is Gotohda of the Sapporo Purple Shadows.
They say he's the best pitcher in Japan right now.
There!
It's like there's a wall made from your right arm.
The wall has to hold solid.
This wall here.
Then right as you get to this point...
you fold your right arm.
Then suddenly, your left arm appears from out of nowhere...
Got it? One more time.
Fold your right arm.
There.
You get it?
Well, I think I get it, but...
What I'm saying is that Dart Pitching by itself won't give you much force.
It'll make the ball slower, right?
So try adding the "wall" method in there.
You'll keep the wall up until the last second and then pull your right arm back in one quick motion.
To around here.
This way, even if you're cramped in the back, your arm will swing big and fast.
The best of both, huh?
This is really hard for batters to read.
It's hard to hold that wall, of course.
Then there's that feeling of pulling back swiftly.
Well, just forming the wall in the first place is a hard technique to pick up.
I call this Breaststroke Pitching!
Damn this guy!
"Dart Pitching." "Breaststroke Pitching."
He really just wanted to tell me about the names he thought up!
Of course, since I'm not a coach, I'm not much of an authority when it comes to technique.
But after all that, I can't just ignore it!
But, Natsunosuke, there's one thing I can say.
Reinventing your game might be going too far,
but being a pro ballplayer is all about constant minor changes!
Well...
he's not wrong.
Huh?
U-Uh, it says 146.
I-I was just throwing it lightly.
That's a couple of kilometers per hour higher than my usual max.
But that form...
Well, it increased his speed, so maybe it's all right.
A-Are you sure, Pitching Coach Kozato?
Well, we won't know until you test it in a real game.
Kuriki's advice helped me improve my fastball speed more than I expected.
And today, I was going to try it out in a real game.
With two outs, they bring in Bonda. Your thoughts, Color Commentator Nishi Toshihisa?
It was a surprise watching him warm up.
Did he change his form?
Whoa! That's fast!
He pops up to second!
That's the third out!
He got him out!
N-Natsunosuke!
For now, I've shut them down.
And then, the next day...
And the day after that, I shut them down.
Natsunosuke...
When I want to, I can get up to 145 or 146 on the mound.
But I think this form is causing my accuracy to slip a bit.
Natsunosuke, this is great.
Yeah, great!
Maybe this form is a better fit for you!
When you're getting good results, all anyone around you says is "Great."
Natsunosuke!
Is he my teacher or my cautionary tale?
Generally speaking, when a pitcher increases his speed, his control conversely declines.
The question is where you strike the balance.
Before I changed my form, it was maybe around here.
Right now, I might be in this area.
It's the eternal question for pitchers, you know?
Incidentally, it was Kuriki's obsession with speed that kept him from making an impact in the pros.
When you gain speed, it clearly jams up the batters.
Jamming up a batter...
It's a great feeling I'd almost forgotten.
It honestly makes me happy to get guys out like this.
Has Kuriki's advice reawakened the pitcher instincts I'd started to forget?
However...
Now pitching: Bonda.
The guy who shattered all my illusions...
was the batter I'd shut down when I faced him two weeks ago.
The Wild Ones player who makes 180 million,
exactly ten times my salary.
Last time, Bonda really got the better of him, huh?
Sekiya connects!
This one's going long!
The right fielder's going back...
That's Sekiya for you.
He really crushed that one.
It's true. Being a pro player means constant minor changes.
You really were right.
Sekiya turns it around with a grand slam!
You really slacked in your control this time.
Unlike last time.
I gave up a hit at the worst possible time.
But if not for this, I would never have realized it.
Now I see! I really do!
If I'd kept this up, my career would've ended before I turned thirty!
Just like yours was!
A teacher and a cautionary tale... We learn from them both.
Kuriki!
I have to thank you so much!
I can't do it out loud, though.
I'm all about control.
Control!
He went back to his old form.
Natsunosuke...
I can't give in to the allure of speed!
Control... Control... Control!
Money Diamond!
Natsunosuke here.
Boy, I'm in trouble!
I loaded the bases with no outs!
I hate pitching at Koshien Stadium, with the Tempters' cheer squads getting inside my head!
But their next two batters are the golden rookie from college and the golden high school rookie of four years ago!
I'm crazy good against players with smaller contracts than mine!
Next time: "High School Recruit, College Recruit."
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Diamond!

▶ [Commie] Gurazeni - 10v2 [715DAD9C]

That day, we of the Jingu Spiders got off at Shin-Osaka Station.
Our destination was, of course...
Here in Koshien Stadium,
we're kicking off a three-game series against the Osaka Tempters.
Speaking of Koshien...
At summer nationals five years ago,
there were two star infielders who got the bulk of the attention.
One was Ishimoto Atsuo, from Osaka's Kiso High School.
He batted .590 at nationals and hit three home runs.
The other was Ezure Makoto, from Hyogo's Tengai High School.
He hit .450 at nationals with one home run.
They both throw right and bat left.
Ishimoto went straight to pro ball, while Ezure went on to college.
Then the Osaka Tempters drafted Ishimoto,
giving him jersey number 54, a signing bonus of 80 million, and a contract starting at 8 million.
Wherever this "golden rookie" went, the press was right there with him.
Manager!
What are we gonna do with Ishimoto in the opener?
Well, he sure has been gettin' a lot of press.
Okay, let's put him on the bench!
Amazingly for a high school recruit, he was in the majors from day one!
He didn't make the starting lineup,
but he played in fifty games,
and the next year, his salary rose to 15 million.
But in his second year, he started seeing less and less action,
and his contract shrunk to 14 million by year three,
13 million by year four,
and 12 million by year five.
Also, that year,
the Tempters acquired a new "golden rookie."
The star of the Kansai College League, Ezure Makoto!
Signing bonus: 100 million!
Contract: 15 million!
The two star high school infielders from five years ago were now teammates and rivals.
But Ezure wore 7, representing their high hopes for him,
while Ishimoto was still stuck with number 54.
On opening night, number 7 played second base and hit seventh in the order.
Number 54 was on the bench, a pinch hitter and defensive sub.
But in practice, their abilities at that time were roughly equal.
If we're equally good, they'll give the opportunities to the new face.
It makes sense.
I got those same opportunities four years ago.
But jersey number 7 struggled to put up the numbers
and eventually became another spoke on the rotation wheel.
I got a chance to play from the opening game,
but I just couldn't make anything out of it.
C'mon, don't panic. You only just made it to the pros.
I ain't panicking!
You and I are gonna be in the pros a long time.
We're gonna be true rivals, y'know?
True, but while we might be the same age, a guy in his first year and a guy in his fifth ain't treated the same.
I couldn't live up to their hopes and spent four years never becoming a starter.
That's the hard truth.
A guy like that just ain't the same as a golden rookie.
C'mon, you're bein' too hard on yourself.
I didn't come here to hear you beat yourself up.
People can't help watchin' when they see you an' me together.
See?
Like the ladies in the kitchen.
Um, h-have a look at this dish...
What is it? What is it?
Should I snap at you more and play up the competition, then?
A fifth-year pro finds it easy to switch gears, huh?
Either way, you got the advantage this year.
The hell I do!
I got pressure to perform!
You're better off than I am, since you got no pressure.
What'd you say?! You sayin' I got no pressure?!
I ain't gotta take that from you!
I wish those two wouldn't fight so...
Same to you!
What'd you say?!
I swear...
But a cold and calculated professional decision was fast approaching.
I'd like to bring a right-handed pinch hitter up from the farm system.
If we wanna do that, we gotta send a southpaw to the minors.
Ishimoto or Ezure, you mean?
Yeah.
If it was me, I'd send Ishimoto.
Ezure's our golden rookie. We can't drop him just like that.
True enough, but I don't think it's as simple as all that.
Everyone seems to think Ishimoto and Ezure got equal skills,
but if you ask me, Ishimoto's just a little bit better.
Yeah, but Ezure's got more room to improve.
Okay, I've made up my mind!
Let's give 'em both a chance in today's game against the Spiders!
Whoever performs better can stay in the majors!
Hey, did you hear?
I'm battin' 8th and playin' shortstop today.
Yeah, and I'm battin' 7th, playin' second.
They've never put us in the starting lineup together.
Ever.
They're plotting somethin', I bet.
The Spiders' starting pitcher was the right-handed Akiba!
It's shaking.
The Tempters must be smashing it...
I really hate the Koshien bullpen.
The way it shakes...
Yeah! Way to go, Tempters!
Akiba wasn't pitching well at all.
I gave up two runs right off the bat...
With a pitcher like that...
...I bet I can hit off him!
And in fact, Ezure's first at bat
was a shallow hit to center.
He was followed by Ishimoto,
who knocked one into shallow right in a hit and run.
We both have one hit out of the gate!
But I'll get more credit for nailing that hit and run.
Lookin' good! Nice hit and run!
Ezure too! Nice legs!
This game's in the bag!
I can't do this today!
Natsunosuke, you're in for the third.
They're giving up on Akiba for the day.
You'll have to go long, obviously.
H-How many innings?
Through the sixth, if you can.
Third, fourth, fifth, sixth...
Four innings!
Contract check!
The Tempters have a lot of players with big contracts.
Batting first, Urano. 122 million.
Batting second, Saki. 98 million.
Batting third, Todoroki. 130 million.
Batting fourth, Tano. 200 million.
Batting fifth, Watson. 150 million.
Batting sixth, Miyamoto. 45 million.
Batting seventh, Ezure. 15 million.
Batting eighth, Ishimoto. 12 million.
Ishimoto and Ezure are the only ones with smaller contracts than me!
Natsunosuke, you're a long reliever today.
Put the contract stuff out of your mind.
None of that matters, okay?
You hear me? You got it, right?
Y-Yeah...
The Spiders have announced a change in pitchers.
Pitching for Akiba: Bonda.
Yeah, who's next for the slaughter?
Hey, you bum!
You ain't gonna last one inning, Bonda!
I-It's not just my imagination...
The mound really is shaking.
The Tempters fans are thirsty for blood today!
They sent in a southpaw!
You think they're gonna keep us in the game?
We got a big lead, and it's only the third.
At the very least, I think we'll get one more at bat.
Batting fourth, Tano. 200 million.
I really hate this shaking mound...
Nice batting!
Batting fifth, Watson. 150 million!
More nice batting!
Batting sixth,
Miyamoto.
Ball!
Forty...
Strike!
...five...
Ball!
...million!
Ball four!
It's a walk! Bases loaded with no outs!
Suck it, Bonda! You useless sack of shit!
I guess Natsunosuke's in bad shape too.
Damn it, Natsunosuke.
I warned you, yet your bad habit still surfaced.
But in that case, the bottom of the order...
Batting seventh, second baseman, Ezure.
The seven-hole, Ezure,
makes 15 million?
And the eight-hole, Ishimoto,
makes 12 million!
They're followed by the pitcher...
Yes, yes.
Let's make this inning a shutout!
Bottom of the third, no outs, bases loaded.
We're entering the bottom of the batting order.
Batting ninth is the pitcher, so that's a freebie.
Batting seventh is Ezure, who makes 15 million a year.
After him is Ishimoto, 12 million a year.
And I, Bonda Natsunosuke, make 18 million a year!
The seventh and eighth batters make less than Natsunosuke.
In these situations,
Natsunosuke tends to really shine, so he might pull through, but...
Batting seventh, second baseman, Ezure.
I got a shallow hit to center in my first at bat today.
If I get a hit here, that'll be two RBIs.
Our team is primed to have an offensive explosion in this game.
I should ride this wave!
Strike!
That was fast!
What's the speed gun say?
139?!
Do his pitches move more?
That last one felt a lot faster than 139.
Strike two!
Th-That one was fast too...
Strike three! You're out!
Too fast!
All right!
Batting eighth, shortstop, Ishimoto.
Ezure struck out in three pitches.
If I get a hit here, I can put myself in the lead!
Strike three! You're out!
With his back to the wall, Bonda Natsunosuke puts two consecutive Ks on the scoreboard!
We're still tied.
Two at bats, one hit...
And one strikeout!
But I gotta say, Bonda really found his groove against those two.
Yeah, in situations like these, Natsunosuke is solid.
Bonda strikes out the pitcher.
The Tempters had a huge opportunity with no outs and the bases loaded,
but they end up with a goose egg.
Bases loaded with no outs, and all three batters friggin' strike out?!
I held them to nothing, but I still feel like the stadium's shaking...
And I still have to carry three more innings.
The bottom of the fourth, Tempters on offense.
Leadoff batter, Urano.
Two-hole, Saki.
Three-hole, Todoroki.
I worked hard for another inning and managed to retire all three.
Goddamn!
Bonda pulled himself outta the fire, and now he thinks he's hot stuff!
All right! Next inning, we'll get in his head with the Tempters cheer squad!
The top of the fifth came and went.
Crush him! Crush him! Bo-n-da!
I-It's gotten worse this inning!
It's shaking... It's shaking!
Leading off the inning is the cleanup hitter.
Four-hole!
Five-hole!
Six-hole!
Ball four!
Yeah! We got him this inning!
Now finish him off!
No outs and bases loaded.
It's a repeat of the third inning.
The next batters in the order will be: seventh, Ezure; eighth, Ishimoto; and ninth, the pitcher, Tada.
This time!
Strike three! You're out!
This time!
Strike three! You're out!
And nine-hole, the pitcher...
Strike three! You're out!
It's the goddamn third inning all over again!
Three straight strikeouts!
What's your damn problem, bottom of the lineup?!
Get a hit off Bonda already!
B-Bonda's pitches...
...are so fast.
And as I faced my fourth inning, the most I've pitched as a reliever this season...
Natsunosuke!
Please, get us through this inning!
Yes, sir.
We'll get you this time, you piece of shit!
You're a dead man walkin'!
This inning starts from the top of the lineup.
Crush him! Crush him! Natsu-no-suke!
It's getting even worse!
The whole stadium is shaking! It's shaking!
They got a sixth run!
What now, Manager? Natsunosuke's tired!
Crush him! Crush him! Bo-n-da!
Knock him out! Knock him out! Bo-n-da!
I'm not tired...
I just can't stand the Tempters' cheering and this shaking mound!
Crush him! Crush him! Natsu-no-suke!
Send him out! Send him out! Bo-n-da!
6-0 in the 6th.
I doubt we'll catch up to them today.
Sorry, Natsunosuke, but I'd prefer to give as many pitchers as possible the day off.
Just see this inning through to the end, all right?
We're keeping Natsunosuke in.
Huh?
R-Right...
The manager has given up on this game, I guess.
He's converted our long reliever into a mop-up man.
The Spiders' bench shows no sign of hooking Bonda.
They must've missed their chance to do it.
Seven to zip!
They're not gonna take me out, I guess.
Looks like I'm mopping this one up!
I managed to get one out,
but I gave up another run, and now the score's 8-0.
Besides, my mission was to see this inning to the end!
Suck on it, Bonda Natsunosuke!
Guess you're stuck as a mop-up man now!
Batting seventh, second baseman, Ezure.
I'm one for three with two strikeouts.
I gotta land something this time.
It may be 8-0, but for some reason, I can look down on this guy!
Strike three! You're out!
I hate this!
Batting eighth, shortstop, Ishimoto.
I gotta avoid a third strikeout!
Even if I'm a mop-up man, this guy's no exception.
I can look down on him too!
Another strikeout!
Two runners left stranded!
My job for the day is finally done!
In the end, the Tempters wiped the floor with us, 8-0!
Those two were yanked from the lineup after that, so they didn't get a fifth at bat.
They both went one for four with three strikeouts.
What'll we do, Manager?
Which one are we sending down—
Isn't that obvious?!
Even if they were lefties against a lefty, striking out three times to a loser like Bonda?!
They both stink!
Send 'em both down to the minors to get their acts together!
And thus, the two men of the same age, recruits from high school and college, were sent to the minors together.
I can't help but feel...
...we got dealt a bad hand today.
I feel like I lost to the ballpark today.
On nights like these, I can't sleep unless I go out and get smashed.
After all, when in Osaka!
Natsunosuke here.
Big-talking delinquent king Haratake.
He's a super-popular pitcher in my hometown, Hiroshima, as part of the Setouchi Carnabeats.
I love him too, and I really admire him!
But he's got no speed, so he takes a long time between pitches.
It takes him forever just to throw one pitch!
Next time: "No Pitch to Throw"!
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Diamond!

▶ [Commie] Gurazeni - 11 [392244D1]

Travel day.
With a three-game series against the Setouchi Carnabeats coming up,
we've taken the train from Osaka to Hiroshima.
Hey! It's on!
Go Go Channel!
The adventures of the Setouchi Carnabeats' Haratake Hiromi.
The Setouchi Delinquent King's Gourmet Patrol!
Asahikawa versus Hiroshima Death Match Arc!
It's the King! The King!
And I'm back here again, darn it.
Today, the King will be ambushing Asahikawa ramen shop "Shinchan."
Welcome!
I want this featured item.
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki over Asahikawa butter corn.
Got it?
Yes, sir!
Here you are, sir!
You've put Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki on top of Asahikawa ramen.
Naturally, there are noodles in the okonomiyaki too.
In other words, noodles with more noodles on top!
You think this is a joke?
If this ain't good, I'll beat you to death.
It's great!
Hiroshima atop Asahikawa.
Carbs atop carbs!
And between them... more carbs!
How can somethin' so crazy be so delicious?
You got me this time.
You keep up the good work, now!
Thank you very much!
The Setouchi gourmet delinquent king...
Travels again today...
Even if it's just local TV, I can't believe an active ball player is taking on work like this!
And I'll get to see him tomorrow!
Hey, Bonda!
It's the King!
Listen...
If you pitch today, you better give up at least three hits, okay?
I watch Gourmet Delinquent King every week!
Please! That's Hiroshima local TV!
It doesn't air in Tokyo!
Quit lyin' to me!
Apparently,
this guy really was a loose cannon back in high school.
It's his 14th year as a pro.
He outlasted all of his peers.
Fourteen uninterrupted years as a middle reliever.
He got popular for his early loose cannon image and consistency,
and he's become a local media celebrity.
While we're on different teams, I'm a younger middle reliever,
so he always says hi to me whenever we meet.
Haratake, is it true you used to get into fights and stuff?
Back in my high school days, sure, but those days are long gone.
I'm actually a pretty weak guy now.
Even you could beat me up, I bet.
You think?
The fact is, I'm not much of an athlete at all.
Back in high school, I mostly bluffed my way through.
Oh, wait.
My whole pro career has been me bluffin' my way through too.
Haratake steps off the rubber again.
Yeah, here it comes.
This is gonna take forever.
He'll take forever to throw that ball...
When Haratake takes the mound, it means the game's gonna be a long one.
Getting through Haratake's time on the mound takes patience.
Back when I was a pro, I'd throw five pitches in the time it takes Haratake to throw one.
He finally threw it!
He went with the forkball...
Garrett connects!
It's going, going...
Foul!
It's clear that Haratake has no more pitches to throw.
Fastballs, breaking balls, inside and out—nothing's working!
That's why he's taking more time between pitches.
Haratake's "fastballs" aren't very fast, and his breaking balls aren't especially hard to hit.
His best pitch is the forkball, but if they get a piece of it, they'll really send it flying.
He really doesn't have a pitch to throw.
Natsunosuke.
Do you know Haratake Hiromi's "Full Throttle Life Advice" column?
His web column?
I read it every time he updates!
It's the best!
I read it yesterday in my hotel too!
"I'm not great at my job, but I've made it to section chief based on my alma mater connections.
Sick of faking it, I'm seriously considering a change in careers at the ripe young age of 37."
What's wrong with fakin' your way through life?
Dummy!
As a pro ballplayer who's not a great athlete,
I've spent 14 years fakin' my way through stuff.
Figurin' out little strategies to get through each moment.
Not everythin' in life is gonna be picture perfect, darn it!
If you want an honest life, change careers right now, dummy!
Or live a full life bein' grateful to your alumni network.
That old man can really dish it out, huh?
But that's what we love about the Setouchi Delinquent King!
He proudly declares that he's not much of an athlete, so he fakes his way through.
Pitchers with no particularly excellent pitches can't be starters or closers.
They're stuck in the life of the middle reliever.
But spending 14 years as a middle reliever is still pretty amazing.
Career stats: 8 wins, 14 losses, 2 saves.
ERA 3.89.
Age 32.
Contract: 29 million yen.
Haratake with another forkball!
This one's outta here!
Hook!
It hooked foul.
Foul!
Did you hear Haratake shouting "hook" from the mound there?
Yeah, I sure did.
Sometimes, I find myself on the mound with no pitch to throw.
For Haratake, that's all the time.
That's why he spends as much time between pitches as he can.
Annoying the batter...
That's the only strategy he has.
But the batters know that too, so it doesn't faze them much.
I know it, but...
Even I'm losing patience here!
Hurry up and pitch, Haratake!
How did someone like Haratake make it 14 years as a pro?
Oh, Haratake pitched already!
It's an unremarkable fastball...
Right over the plate?!
Strike three! You're out!
Garrett got caught looking at a fastball right down the middle!
The speed was...
a mere 137 kilometers per hour.
Garrett had Haratake against a wall, but then he totally let his guard down.
That's it! This is what Haratake does!
That moment when he just says, "the hell with it!"
That concludes the top of the 5th.
Haratake's "the hell with it!" moments.
Pro baseball pitchers aren't supposed to lose their heads like that.
They're supposed to stay cool to the end!
But some people think the opposite.
That gutless wonders who never lose their heads can't make it in the pros!
Haratake stays patient and pitches really carefully.
But there's always a point when he says "the hell with it."
And his timing is always genius!
He's got a gut instinct you couldn't mimic even if you tried.
That was scary...
It takes real courage to get fed up and throw caution to the wind.
In a way, he's the one older pro I respect most in the world!
Nice pitching.
Natsunosuke, emergency.
They want you to jump in this inning.
But...
Well, I guess I am warmed up...
Now pitching for the Spiders: Bonda.
Jersey number 39.
Haratake's on deck. He's got his helmet on.
You mean Haratake's pitching next inning too?
Carnabeats!
You're keeping him in?
You gotta be kidding!
Now batting: Haratake.
Jersey number 29.
H-He's...
entered the batter's box.
Haratake struck out the righty in our seven-hole to end the top of the inning.
Katoh in the eight-hole is also a righty, so they probably want him to pitch to him too.
But sending Haratake in to hit...
The Carnabeats are being very passive.
Well, both teams have hooked their starters early and sent in relievers.
Given the score,
they might need bullpen relays to get through the rest of the game,
so they'll want their middle relievers pitching as long as possible.
But all that aside, the thought of Haratake pitching another inning really gets under my skin!
We're gonna get another series of ridiculous gaps between pitches.
This is his first at bat of the season, isn't it?
Actually, I don't think he hit at all last year or the year before.
I've batted a few times this season, though...
Inside, away, and away?
Or away, inside, and away?
He's muttering something.
Strike!
Fastball.
Curve.
Fork.
Fork.
The lights are on, but nobody's home?
Wait.
Is he running simulations against the batter he'll have to face next inning?
Well, no big.
It means I get a free out, after all!
Strike!
No. Maybe I should throw a shootball for the second pitch.
Strike three!
You're out!
He never showed any sign of swinging.
When should I pitch inside?
The first pitch?
The third?
The fifth?
Bonda has a three up, three down inning.
Great, Natsunosuke!
Nice pitching out there!
Hey, Natsunosuke.
You seem to be on fire.
I want you in next inning too.
Another inning?
That means you'll be batting this inning.
If Katoh gets on base, go with a bunt.
And if he doesn't, swing for it.
They're probably expecting a close game to the end, so both sides are trying to preserve their pitchers.
Which means...
I'm gonna face him again, with me as the batter this time?!
I guess you get days like these too.
A batter-pitcher matchup between middle relievers!
Batting eighth, shortstop, Katoh.
He hits it!
It's going, going...
Foul!
"I'm not much of an athlete at all."
That's what Haratake told me.
It was such a surprise.
I was the worst in my rookie class.
Ab strength, back strength, vertical, grip strength, 50-meter sprints...
Even long throws... I was bottom of the barrel in each.
I thought I was never gonna make it in the pros.
Foul!
He keeps middling them.
Even the eight-hole, Katoh, is giving him a hard time.
Haratake on the mound is making full use of those weak pitches of his.
Pitching strikes, balls, curves, forks...
Or taking forever to pitch at all.
He's irritating not just the batter, but everyone else along with him.
Haratake, pitch already!
Not pitching...
even though there's no runner.
Staying so long in set position!
This is ridiculous!
I'm giving him a balk!
And just then, he pitches!
Look at that man work!
There was a hint of "the hell with it" in that pitch too.
It's over.
Hey, Haratake! One more!
The pitcher! Pitcher!
Bonda's up...
No pinch hitter?
Bonda's heading for the batter's box.
The Spiders are letting their middle reliever hit too.
Both teams are expecting this to go down to the wire, I guess.
He's gonna pitch to me too.
We really did end up facing off!
Let's do this!
This is a rare sight.
Two middle relievers, both pitching to each other!
The next pitcher will be Aono, followed by Yoshida, then Morino...
And if a left-hander comes up, we can send that at him, and him at this guy...
Foul!
He ripped it down the first base line!
Bonda got a piece of it!
Wh-When I face him as a batter,
I can tell his pitches really are weak.
Shockingly so.
B-Bonda made contact.
What'll I do?
Come on, Haratake!
Get a grip already!
People take it for granted that you'll get a pitcher out.
Which, in a way, increases the pressure.
B-Bonda is scary...
What'll I do?
I'm already out of pitches...
To be honest, I'm impressed he lasted 14 years with pitches this slow.
When he throws these flimsy pitches, then says the hell with it and throws a really fat fastball,
it probably feels especially fast and straight in the moment.
Incorporating the element of surprise in your pitches is a skill pitchers need, but he does it instinctively.
His advice column got a request that went,
"My superiors are cruel, and it's driving me crazy.
I want to film them in the act, upload the video, and get my revenge!"
His response to that 27-year-old office worker:
"If you're gonna say the hell with it, go through the calculations first, dummy!"
Sometimes, when I run out of pitches to throw a batter, I get annoyed and throw caution to the wind.
But I've made my calculations first.
For instance, even if you throw ten pitches right down the middle, you'll give up at most five hits.
In other words, 50 percent or less!
I know I can afford to say "the hell with it" now and then!
Use your brain and learn when and how to do things!
Putting aside whether only five out of ten pitches right down the middle get hit,
are his flashes of temper really that calculated?
There's an entertainment factor to his advice column,
so he probably just writes whatever sounds convincing and amuses people.
But maybe the "delinquent king" character he plays in media appearances
overlaps with real life more than you'd think.
Sometimes, I really get that feeling.
And because he plays that role, there might be batters who think, "Haratake is a great fool."
And maybe in some small way,
that makes the batters hesitate.
Does Haratake Hiromi really have talent as a pro?
Not even I can answer that.
All I know is this man has spent 14 whole years earning a living as a pro.
It's outta here!
Home run!
I'm a pitcher, so when I'm in the batter's box, I don't think about much.
I think that's why I hit off him.
In that moment, I realized how deep pro baseball can go.
The way he pitches,
even a pitcher like me could easily hit him out of the park.
But actual batters get tied up in knots.
Bonda...
Why?
I think that's pretty amazing!
Even so, the life of a pro is unforgiving!
Because Haratake gave up the winning run to me, he was sent down to the minors the next day.
The minors are no place for a delinquent king.
I'd better get back up soon.
But he didn't make it back to the majors that year.
Natsunosuke here.
Yuki...
She works at the lunch place I frequent, and I have a huge crush on her!
She makes the absolute best fried chicken 'n' rice!
But outrageously, she's a huge fan of the Osaka Tempters!
And she came to see our match at Jingu!
I can't stop thinking about it!
Next time: "The Lonely Gourmet."
Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
Money Diamond!

▶ [Commie] Gurazeni - 12 [ABCBF096]

Ebisu is the god of success in business.
And here I am in a town that seems like it'd have his blessings.
There's a street in this town full of these old-fashioned shops.
I don't know why, but you tend to find the best restaurants in places like this.
Here's the place.
Kitchen Ajihei.
Welcome!
I love it because it's open until midnight.
That'll be a saury set with extra rice, a pork cutlet set, and a Salisbury steak set?
They do great business here, so it stays this lively until late at night.
It has your standard menu for a diner, and it's all delicious,
but my absolute favorite is...
Are you ready to order?
Fried chicken 'n' rice!
One fried chicken 'n' rice!
Got it! One fried combo!
One fried combo!
At this hour, they're mostly serving students and white-collar workers.
But none of them recognize me.
Excuse me! I'd like another beer!
Right away!
Anyway, it's my favorite restaurant.
Oh, that fried chicken 'n' rice is coming up, okay?
Sure.
It's just so cozy here!
Order up! Fried chicken 'n' rice!
This is what I live for!
First, a bite of fried rice...
That flavor!
And then, the fried chicken...
That juicy, tender meat! It's irresistible!
And this time, a heaping spoonful of fried rice!
The fried chicken and rice come together in my mouth and start playing an orchestra in my stomach!
Delicious!
Now the pickles!
It's bliss!
Here's our pop culture segment.
Pro baseball player Inogashira of the Tokorozawa Jaguars and performer Tanizaki Megumi
have announced their engagement.
What?
Come on, you gotta be kidding me!
Tanizaki Megumi, huh?
Inogashira's got a nice contract at 150 million a year.
No wonder he can marry a celebrity like that.
Of course, none of that has anything to do with me.
In the shining world of pro baseball, here's the marriage status of the guys on our team.
Ace pitcher Shiina Keishi, age 28.
He's been a pro for ten years.
He has 84 career wins.
Next season, he'll probably reach 100 wins.
His contract reached exactly 200 million this year.
Did I hit the next money milestone? I sure did.
There's money buried under the diamond,
and this guy proved it!
He's got a luxury apartment in Minato Ward,
and a wife who's eight months pregnant.
And her job before they got married was...
news anchor!
Pro baseball players sure love their news anchors.
But he's the only man on our team who's married to one.
Shiina here!
Now, let me talk about our starting first baseman, Inoue.
Nine years in the pros, age 27.
Last year, his salary was 120 million.
Yeah, I hit nine figures...
And how much over? 10 million? 20 million?
At the end of last year, he announced his marriage.
She's beautiful! Great figure!
Naturally, since she was a fashion model for a magazine.
Incidentally, our team has two other players married to models.
Next up...
A pitcher in our starting rotation, Nitta, 25.
His contract this year is 49 million.
His wife is a flight attendant.
She's a gorgeous woman too!
There are two others on our team who have married flight attendants.
Seriously, they could have a beautiful wife competition...
The higher a player's salary, the more he tends to marry a lady with a flashy career.
But when will I, Bonda Natsunosuke, aged 26 and making 18 million this year,
be able to get married?
As a pro baseball player, I don't know how long my career will last,
and I don't know what kind of money I'll make after I retire.
I have to make as much money as I can, then save as much of it as I can.
That's always in the back of my mind,
but to be honest, with what I make now, it's hard to save up anything.
First of all, I pay a ton in taxes.
Then, a pro baseball career comes with expenses.
Equipment, training fees, et cetera...
And you have to go out eating and drinking with the team for team bonding purposes.
With an income like mine, it's hard to plan for life post-retirement since you can't hold on to enough cash.
In reality, to have cash left over, you need to be making at least 40 million,
and then keep that up for several years.
However...
This year, I've made a lot of appearances and pitched a lot of innings.
We're not to interleague play yet, and I already have three wins.
I could start pulling in 30 million next season!
But I could also get hurt tomorrow and have to sit out the rest of the season.
Then my salary would probably go down.
That's just the kind of world this is.
So unless you're really fit and really good at baseball,
it's hard to ask any woman to marry you.
A woman to marry me...
It's hot, so be careful.
Okay.
Hey, where's that fried chicken?
Coming!
It's a pretty ordinary place for a pro ball player to set his eye, huh?
It's the main reason I come here, to be frank.
Well, "ordinary" sounds a little rude.
She's pretty cute for a girl you just see on the street, right?
The way that apron ties tight around her waist accentuates the beautiful curves of her backside.
That apron might be on the small side.
No, I'm not just ogling her!
News anchors, celebrities, models, flight attendants...
I've never wanted girls like that!
But a lady at the local diner... As usual, I've got a real working man's sensibility, huh?
Bonda?
It's really Bonda!
I saw you recently!
You took the mound with no outs and the bases loaded, and you sat down three batters in a row!
Aw, shucks...
Maybe I'll go to Jingu sometime!
Yuki! I need a lemon sour!
What? But...
You're drinking too much, Takeshi.
That's something which has never happened.
I ain't drinkin'.
And all I know is that her name is Yuki.
It's not good for you!
This'll be my last one.
Yuki, another draft beer!
Got it!
She's probably in her early twenties.
Is she related to the people who run this place?
Hey, Yuki.
Did I hear this fried chicken 'n' rice was your idea?
Yep!
What?! Really?!
Yuki's going to cooking school now, after four years of college.
So she's got all kinds of ideas.
So she's 23 or 24...
She'll be a successful culinary researcher some day!
Aw, ma'am! Y'know that's not gonna happen!
She's got a slight Kansai accent.
Does that mean she's not their kid?
But going to a cooking school means she'll study nutrition science and stuff...
Mr. Bonda, do you leave all your dietary choices to your wife?
I certainly do!
Great! Just great!
And does she make all your meals herself?
She does!
Hey, Yuki! Let's go out for a drink some time!
The four of us, all together!
That group of young white-collars just asked her out!
Hey, this isn't a pub where you can pick up girls!
Sorry!
But that's no surprise.
I bet all the guys crush on her.
There's probably a lot of competition.
In fact, there must be a ton of competition!
In fact, she might already have a boyfriend!
We could hit up Jingu Stadium, then!
Yeah!
Our company has four season tickets!
Yeah!
Does that include the Tempters games?
They're season tickets, so we can go to any game as long as no one's taken them.
I'd sure love to go to a Tempters game!
Yuki!
C'mon, it's just a baseball game!
Yeah!
Then we'll go see a Tempters game!
Yuki, you sure about this?
Oh gosh, I dunno...
Excuse me! Could I have another water?
Coming right up!
That was great!
Come again!
Here you are.
Thanks.
I'll have water too.
Me too.
Okay!
When should we go?
There's a three-game series from Tuesday to Thursday next week.
Oh gosh, I dunno...
They're talking about baseball, but nobody's noticed I'm sitting right here.
That's because no one in this place has realized I'm a pro baseball player.
I'm so full!
Let's go.
Thanks for coming!
I barely talked to her again today...
Though I did get a little info!
The game between the Jingu Spiders and the Osaka Tempters will now begin.
She's here! And she's so close to the bullpen!
Money Diamond!
Money Diamond!
Yeah! Kill it, Urano!
Hey, Yuki. Do you come to Tempters games a lot?
Naw, I don't come to baseball games much at all.
Two or three times a year maybe.
And only when someone else buys.
But I'm the biggest Tempters fan there is!
Please watch out for foul balls.
But, boy, Jingu's a great stadium!
It's nice not havin' a roof on!
And it's home to the Spiders franchise, but it seems like there's a lotta Tempters fans from Tokyo in here!
Boy, I didn't think she'd be sitting so close to the bullpen.
Yeah!
She's so happy when the Tempters get a hit.
She really must love the Tempters.
Man, she's so cute!
I wonder if she has a boyfriend...
She's cheering for the Tempters, and they have the lead.
Natsunosuke, warm up!
Right!
Go, Tagawa! Knock it outta the park!
She hasn't even noticed me.
No interest in the Spiders' bullpen, huh?
Natsunosuke, you're up next inning.
Stay in until you come up in the batting order.
Got it!
The Spiders will be making a substitution.
Bonda will be pitching for Shiina.
Tokunaga, we're seeing a lot of Bonda this season, aren't we?
Yeah, he's doing good work.
We're not even into interleague play, and this is already his 20th game pitched.
The heart of the Tempters' lineup is coming up.
Go for it, Natsunosuke.
If you keep this up, your salary's going to skyrocket!
Batting second, left fielder, Saki.
Play ball!
Oh! A drag bunt!
First base scoops it up, to the pitcher...
Whoa! Pitcher and batter collide!
Safe!
The call is "safe," but is everyone okay down there?
Looks like Bonda can stand under his own power,
but I think Saki's in pain.
I wonder if he twisted an ankle.
Hey, Bonda! What's your damn problem?!
She's standing up!
Saki's being carried back to the bench!
I'm worried about you, Natsunosuke.
You've been doing so well this season. Don't get yourself hurt now.
Bonda's playing a little bit of catch.
He seems to be okay.
But the Tempters' player...
Shibata will be pinch running for Saki on first.
Saki's outta the game?!
I wonder if I hit him somewhere really bad.
But it's not like it was intentional.
Hey, Bonda! You'll pay for this!
This stuff always happens in Tempters games!
It's starting to feel like an away game at home!
Bonda, you're pissin' me off!
Batting third, third baseman, Todoroki.
First pitch, sinker.
Crap! Too far inside!
Hit by pitch!
Looks like he was hit on the toe! Is he going to be okay?
Oh, they're sending in a pinch runner.
There's runners on first and second with no outs.
And that's after only two pitches...
I'm sure that batter's feeling it, but Bonda's probably hurting too.
Freaking Bonda! Not again!
The next batter is the cleanup, Tano!
He's moving with confidence, but he's glaring at Bonda.
It's like he's saying, "If you hit me, you'll pay for it."
Huh? Another in the same location?
"A pro shouldn't wimp out," huh?
Fine.
I've just gotta do it, right?
Strike!
What?!
It got him!
It just caught the inside corner!
Tano doesn't look happy.
I wonder if that hit by pitch rattled him.
Now a fastball away.
A waste pitch.
Oh no!
Strike!
What?!
Tano sure is mad!
You hear a lot of complaints from foreign batters on calls in that location.
What do you mean?
The MLB strike zone is located an extra ball's width away from the batter.
When they come to Japan,
they see pitches thrown there as balls and always end up fighting the ump's calls in that area.
Yeah, yeah.
I'll get it out of the strike zone this time.
Not again!
Strike three! You're out!
What?!
You damn blind ump! I'll beat you up, you moron!
Yo strike zone is as wide as yo momma!
Yer outta here!
Here's something you don't see very often!
The Tempters have lost three of their starters in a row!
Natsunosuke, I know you're not doing it on purpose, but...
Tano's out of the game too.
B-Bonda!
What the heck is with this pitcher?
Play ball!
One out, runners on first and second.
Next up is fifth in the lineup, Watson, who's had seven hits the past three games.
Bonda's being cautious.
He throws!
He swings at the first pitch!
But it's right to the third baseman.
He touches the base, and it's a double play!
Huh? Inning over?
Two men on base with no outs, and now the inning's over!
I freakin' hate you, Bonda!
I didn't give up any runs.
I feel bad for her, but...
Hey! We made eye contact!
Bonda...
She's mad!
Sh-She noticed me for the first time!
For negative reasons.
Even if it was a bad first impression, the next time I visit her shop, at least we'll have something to talk about.
All six baseball games of the day are over.
Welcome! Take a seat!
We'll tell you the results after this.
Welcome!
What can I get you?
Huh?
Should I bring you a menu?
Um...
Fried chicken 'n' rice!
One fried chicken 'n' rice!
Got it!
This makes the Tempters' third win in a row.
Yeah!
Ma'am! The Tempters won again!
She didn't recognize me at all...
I'm a pro baseball player.
We're three months into the season,
a third of the way through the pennant race.
Okay, almost time to go in.
Right!
Oh, Manager Tanabe's come out of the dugout!
Bonda's pitching!
The Spiders are announcing a change of pitcher.
Bonda will be pitching for Shibuya.
Bonda's coming out again tonight!
Jersey number 39.
I'm counting on you, Natsunosuke.
This is my workplace.
Play ball!
I may make 18 million a year right now, but someday, I'd like to make four or five times that much.
And if I want to do that, I have to do everything that's asked of me.
Strike!
It's an unforgiving world, but this is the path I chose for myself.
Because baseball is all I have.
There's money buried under the diamond.
Money Diamond!

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Gurazeni: Money Pitch (2018) - S01 - CR vs Commie @keyframes loading-circle-spin { 100% { transform: rotate(360deg); } }

Gurazeni: Money Pitch (2018) - S01 - CR vs Commie