Diary World series
This year’s World Series in the U.S. was incredibly exciting to watch.
In the end, the Dodgers won back-to-back championships by the slimmest of margins.
I’ve always been a big fan of Ohtani, and with Yamamoto and Sasaki joining the team, I felt that their addition brought the Dodgers even closer to victory this time.
I was also really moved by how the Toronto Blue Jays, who finished last place last year, climbed up so quickly this season.
But when I think about it, the Dodgers also won last year, and the way they’ve built a team by gathering expensive star players reminds me a bit of Japan’s old Yomiuri Giants.
It made me wonder if that kind of “money-built” victory is really the best way to win.
In fact, I even thought afterward that it might’ve been nice if the Blue Jays had taken the championship.
Still, pitcher Yamamoto’s performance was truly amazing.
In Japan long ago, there was a pitcher named Inao who threw game after game, earning the nickname “God, Buddha, Inao-sama.”
In Japanese high school baseball, it used to be normal for pitchers to throw multiple consecutive games or go the full 18 innings.
In the old days, players like Ota from Misawa High in Aomori or Kikuchi—who’s now in the Major Leagues—pitched more than 18 innings on back-to-back days. Their perseverance was truly inspiring.
These days, when high school baseball games go into extra innings, they start with runners on first and second and one out to keep the games from dragging on too long.
In American baseball, pitchers are limited to around 100 pitches, and that trend has gradually spread to Japan as well.
For someone like me who appreciates the toughness and spirit of the old days, it all feels a bit lacking now.