18 - Lonely Season

Source: Crunchyroll
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
SIGN    Lonely Season
[01:39] bon
    The teams that don't participate
    in the Japan Series
[01:41] bon
    have a fall camp of sorts.
[01:47] bon
    We Spiders get about fifteen days in Shikoku.
[01:50] bon
    The ones chosen to go
    are invariably youngsters—
[01:53] bon
    promising youngsters, at that.
[01:56] bon
    The truth is, I've never once
    been chosen to go.
[02:00] bon
    Probably because I've never
    qualified as "promising."
[02:07] bon
    While I'm twenty-six now,
    being selected would be a badge of honor.
[02:11] bon
    And considering I took
    four months off this season,
[02:13] bon
    I do want to get back in shape...
[02:17] ko
    Hey, Natsunosuke!
[02:19] bon
    Hey, Coach Kozato.
[02:21] ko
    You should stay here.
[02:23] ko
    You really went all-out during the
    pennant race at the end of the season.
[02:29] ko
    There's no reason for you to go
    all the way to Shikoku
[02:32] ko
    and beat up on yourself any more.
[02:35] bon
    Got it.
[02:36] bon
    Does that mean they approve of the job I did?
[02:42] bon
    Well, whatever.
[02:43] bon
    I'll do my best here in Tokyo.
[02:47] bon
    That said, some of our regulars train
    at the indoor practice facility at Jingu.
[02:52] bon
    The other players train at the minor
    league Toda Stadium in Saitama.
[02:57] bon
    Incidentally, the veteran pitchers
    who pitched the entire season
[03:01] bon
    also train at Toda.
[03:04] bon
    Sekijima.
SIGN    Sekijima (23 years old) (No wins as a pro)
[03:06] sign
    Shohno.
SIGN    Shohno (25 years old) (No wins as a pro)
[03:08] sign
    Korekawa-san.
SIGN    Korekawa (27 years old)
    (22 wins as a pro)
[03:10] sign
    The four of us were grouped together
    with the same practice regimen.
[03:17] seki
    Okay, let's swap.
[03:19] seki
    Man, this is rough!
[03:21] bon
    Boy, you guys sure are young!
[03:25] bon
    But that night...
[03:27] bon
    What? Sekijima got released?
[03:29] kore
    Yeah...
[03:31] kore
    He just called me.
[03:33] bon
    I...
[03:34] bon
    I see...
[03:38] bon
    Recruited out of high school five years ago,
[03:41] bon
    and never once made it to the majors.
[03:44] bon
    It's sad, but inevitable.
[03:48] kore
    Looks like we're down to three.
[03:51] bon
    Then, that night...
[03:53] bon
    What? Shohno got let go, too?
[03:56] kore
    I just ran into him, and he told me.
[03:59] bon
    Recruited from an amateur league,
[04:01] bon
    he spent five years with less
    than ten mound appearances.
[04:05] bon
    It's sad, but that's the
    professional world for you.
[04:08] bon
    Just us today, huh?
[04:10] kore
    With the Climax Series over,
    we're into release season.
[04:13] kore
    I'm sure you won't be affected, though.
[04:15] kore
    I guess I'm next in line.
[04:18] bon
    Cut that out, Korekawa-san.
[04:20] bon
    Don't jinx yourself like that.
[04:26] bon
    Korekawa-san is an incredible pitcher,
    recruited out of college,
[04:29] bon
    who rocketed to ten wins in his first year.
[04:33] bon
    He stagnated in his second
    year with seven wins.
[04:36] bon
    In his third year, he had some
    bad luck with just five wins.
[04:39] bon
    His fifth year, he got hurt and didn't
    make any major league appearances.
[04:43] bon
    This year was his fifth,
    and he made it back to the majors,
[04:46] bon
    but started only two games
    and was knocked out early in both.
[04:50] bon
    The highest his salary ever went
    was 34 million in his third year,
[04:54] bon
    and this year, he played for 23 million.
[04:58] kore
    I haven't done the team
    any good in two years.
[05:01] kore
    I might get the call sometime
    during this fall camp.
[05:06] bon
    I'm telling you, that won't happen!
[05:11] bon
    Maybe it's natural that Korekawa-san
    would start thinking that way,
[05:16] bon
    but the next day came and went,
[05:19] bon
    and so did the day after that,
    and he didn't get the call,
[05:23] bon
    so we kept up our daily practice.
[05:26] bon
    But...
[05:31] bon
    One evening...
[05:33] kore
    Natsunosuke.
[05:34] kore
    I finally got the call from Support
    Staff Manager Takeoka-san.
[05:39] bon
    Huh? Wh-What did he say?!
[05:41] bon
    I... I'm being traded.
[05:43] bon
    Traded?
[05:45] bon
    Yes, to the Kobe Oxen.
[05:47] bon
    Kobe?
[05:50] bon
    Who'd they trade you for?
[05:52] bon
    Apparently, they're still discussing
    whether it'll be for players or money.
[05:57] bon
    Hey, are you sure it's going through?
[06:00] kore
    The trade itself is set in stone.
[06:02] kore
    The Japan Series is going on right now.
[06:04] kore
    Apparently, they want to
    announce it as soon as it's over.
[06:08] bon
    B-But... Korekawa-san,
[06:10] bon
    I'm sorry to say this,
    but at least it's just...
[06:13] kore
    Yeah, I'm glad.
[06:16] kore
    At least it's just a trade!
[06:18] kore
    The words "free agent" kept
    bouncing around in my head.
[06:23] bon
    Yeah, that's right.
[06:24] bon
    A trade means you're still needed, at least.
[06:27] kore
    Yeah.
[06:28] kore
    And anyway, Kobe is my home town.
[06:31] kore
    I'm happy with that.
[06:32] bon
    A-Also,
[06:34] bon
    a trade means you still
    have your current contract.
[06:38] kore
    Hey, cut out that money-minded talk.
[06:41] kore
    I'm just happy I get to keep playing baseball.
[06:46] bon
    Sorry...
[06:47] kore
    You're right, of course.
[06:51] bon
    Okay, then! Korekawa-san, let's go drinking!
[06:54] bon
    It'll be my treat, to celebrate the good news!
[06:57] kore
    I'm not sure I'm quite in the mood.
[06:59] bon
    Then food! Let's get some food, at least!
[07:02] ore
    Food, eh? Well, whatever you want.
[07:07] bon
    W-We're in...
[07:09] bon
    We're in Shibuya.
[07:12] bon
    We're right next to Ebisu, where she works...
[07:16] bon
    Okay!
[07:18] bon
    Here, here!
[07:20] bon
    As you can see, it's not a very fancy place.
SIGN    Kitchen Ajihei
[07:23] kre
    That's fine by me.
[07:25] bon
    The last time I came here was
    right after I made it back to the majors.
[07:28] bon
    It's been two months!
[07:38] ann
    Safe!
[07:39] ann
    He's safe by a hair!
[07:43] ann
    In the bottom of the 6th,
    the Tempters have bridged the gap!
[07:46] ann
    It's tied, five to five!
[07:49] ann
    It's the Japan Series in Koshien!
SIGN    4th 5th 6th Total
[07:50] ann
    Neither the Tokorozawa Jaguars nor
    the Osaka Tempters are giving an inch!
[07:54] bon
    What's with this place?
[07:56] bon
    Everyone's rooting for the Tempters...
[07:58] yuki
    Yes! Yes!
[08:01] bon
    She's here! Yuki-chan!
[08:04] yuki
    Thanks for coming by! Right over here!
[08:07] yuki
    Welcome!
[08:09] yuki
    Let me know the minute you decide.
[08:13] bon
    Everything on the menu here is great.
[08:16] kore
    I love places like this.
[08:18] kore
    It's been a while.
[08:20] bon
    This fried chicken 'n' rice is my favorite.
[08:23] kore
    I always get the ginger
    pork at places like this.
[08:28] kore
    Man, I'm stuffed!
[08:31] kore
    Thank you for the meal.
[08:32] bon
    Tasty, huh?
[08:34] kore
    Yeah, it was great.
[08:35] bon
    Hey, Korekawa-san,
[08:37] bon
    you sure you don't want one off the tap?
[08:41] kore
    Just one, then.
[08:47] bon
    Anyway...
[08:49] bon
    She's been so wrapped up in the Japan Series.
[08:53] bon
    I knew she was a Tempters fan,
    but this is something else.
[08:57] man
    Yeah! Go, Tempters!
[08:58] bon
    The other regulars are rooting
    for the Tempters to humor her.
[09:09] bon
    It's obvious they're just to trying
    to get on her good side, of course.
[09:14] bon
    But as usual, she's so pretty...
[09:20] bon
    You know I'm the main one responsible
[09:22] bon
    for putting your beloved
    Tempters in the Japan Series!
[09:30] (Flashback) ann
    Reliever Bonda throws his
    seventh pitch with a full count!
[09:34] (Flashback) ann
    It's a ball!
[09:36] (Flashback) ann
    He walks him in!
[09:37] (Flashback) ann
    The Tempters put the game's
    first run on the board!
SIGN    1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
[09:41] bon
    I got the rest of the order out
    in that inning
[09:44] bon
    and pinned my hopes on our hitters, but...
[09:47] bon
    Would you believe it, they were
    shut out by the Tempters' pitchers!
[09:52] (Flashback) ann
    The Tempters win!
[09:56] bon
    But you don't even know that
    I'm a pro baseball player.
[10:03] kore
    Great job, Tempters!
[10:06] kore
    I've been a hell of a Tempters
    fan since I was a kid!
[10:11] kore
    Hey, miss, another beer!
[10:13] yuki
    Right!
[10:15] yuki
    Pour another from the tap!
[10:16] bon
    Korekawa-san, you said you'd only have one!
[10:20] kore
    It's because the Tempters
    are in the Japan Series.
[10:24] kore
    I wanna cheer them on!
[10:25] yuki
    Here you are!
[10:28] kore
    Hey, miss, I've been watching you.
[10:31] kore
    You seem like one hell of a Tempters fan.
[10:33] yuki
    Oh, could you tell?
[10:37] kore
    You were born in Kansai, right?
[10:39] kore
    Whereabouts?
[10:40] yuki
    Straight from Osaka!
[10:42] kore
    Oh! See, I hail from Kobe!
[10:45] kore
    Wouldn't it be great if the Tempters win?
[10:48] yuki
    The Tempters'll totally win today!
[10:52] bon
    They're talking!
[10:54] bon
    K-Korekawa-san and Yuki-chan...
[10:57] bon
    I-I...
[11:01] bon
    I've been visiting this place
    for over a year now,
[11:04] bon
    and I've never talked to her once!
[11:24] kore
    Delicious!
[11:25] kore
    When I was little, my dad would
    take me on the Hanshin Line
[11:28] kore
    to catch games at the Koshien.
[11:30] yuki
    Our house was on the Hanshin Line.
[11:34] yuki
    I got taken to lots of games, too.
[11:36] kore
    When I was in grade school,
    the Tempters were perpetual losers.
[11:41] kore
    How about you?
[11:42] yuki
    They became champions once when I was a kid!
[11:45] yuki
    It was just the craziest!
[11:48] kore
    I was in high school then.
[11:50] kore
    I went to Dotonbori and saw
    the guys jumping in the river.
[11:55] yuki
    My dad did the beer dunk... on himself!
[11:59] man
    Who's that guy?
[12:01] man
    He sure is getting chummy with Yuki-chan.
SIGN    1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th
[12:08] ann
    Tano's clutch hit sends Sasa home.
[12:10] ann
    The Tempters take a one-run lead!
[12:16] yuki
    The Tempters took the lead!
[12:21] yuki
    Yes!
[12:30] man
    Yuki-chan's aura of joy!
[12:33] man
    It makes me happy, too!
[12:36] yuki
    Sir, the Tempters are going to win!
[12:40] kore
    Yeah, since the teams came
    into this one three to three,
[12:44] kore
    and this is the deciding game.
[12:47] bon
    I'm sure all the regulars are thinking,
[12:49] bon
    "I want to see her moment
    of joy when the Tempters win."
[12:53] bon
    And... Wait, if this keeps up...
[12:56] bon
    Will I end up seeing it, too?!
[13:00] ann
    The Tempters are the best in Japan!
[13:04] yuki
    Oh, we won!
[13:08] bon
    I-I'll say it again... in my mind, anyway...
[13:13] bon
    It was the walk I gave up that sent your
    beloved Tempters to the Japan Series!
[13:20] bon
    The Osaka Tempters came in
    second in the Central League...
[13:23] bon
    Now they're going to be the best in Japan.
[13:26] bon
    I don't need to see her moment of joy, do I?
[13:31] bon
    There's no way I can stay
    here until the 9th inning!
[13:35] yuki
    I wish I could fly to the Koshien right now!
[13:39] bon
    Oh, come on!
[13:41] kore
    Koshien...
[13:43] kore
    Koshien's a great stadium, isn't it?
[13:46] kore
    Hey, have you ever eaten the
    Koshien's famous grilled squid?
[13:50] yuki
    You bet I have! I just love it!
[13:54] kore
    I've eaten it a lot, too.
[13:57] kore
    They put those grills in the
    most random hall, huh?
[14:00] kore
    They redid it recently! Now it feels
    like a proper fast food restaurant!
[14:06] kore
    I know.
[14:07] kore
    I think they cleaned it up too much.
    It lost its atmosphere.
[14:10] kore
    Back in the day,
    when I was taken to the Koshien,
[14:13] kore
    I was always in the bleachers
    or the nosebleeds.
[14:17] kore
    If you ended up behind the floodlight
    pillars, it was hard to watch the game.
[14:21] yuki
    They've taken out the big pillars now,
    so that doesn't happen anymore.
[14:26] kore
    I know that, too.
[14:28] yuki
    They also removed the Ginsan roof's supports,
    so it's a lot easier to see!
SIGN    Before
[14:33] kore
    True enough.
SIGN    After
[14:36] yuki
    They also made the seats bigger,
    which makes watchin' a lot more comfortable!
[14:42] kore
    Though that makes the corridors narrower.
[14:44] kore
    The Koshien...
[14:47] kore
    It might have packed you in like sardines,
[14:50] kore
    and obstructed your view of the
    game with floodlights and such,
[14:57] kore
    but I liked that old-fashionedness.
[14:59] kore
    I liked the chaos of it.
[15:03] kore
    That's how the Koshien's
    floodlights should be.
[15:10] kore
    Rather than trim and tidy fast food,
[15:13] kore
    the grimy stalls were better, weren't they?
[15:17] bon
    K-Korekawa-san, do you have
    a problem with the new stadium?
[15:22] kore
    No, I don't.
[15:23] kore
    Oh, but...
[15:26] kore
    I thought the wideness of foul territory
    was one of the Koshien's defining features.
[15:31] kore
    Now it's the size of a normal stadium.
[15:34] kore
    And the stands jut out over the pitch.
[15:37] kore
    The larger the foul territory,
[15:40] kore
    the easier it is for a pitcher to get outs
    with fly balls, which I really enjoyed.
[15:44] yuki
    Huh?
[15:46] kore
    Natsunosuke...
[15:48] kore
    You never pitched at
    the old Koshien, did you?
[15:52] bon
    Korekawa-san!
[15:54] yuki
    P-Pitched... at the Koshien?
[15:58] kore
    Having some distance between
    the catcher and the backstop
[16:01] kore
    also makes pitching a little harder, though.
[16:05] kore
    The longer the distance,
    the slower your pitches feel.
[16:10] yuki
    Um... Have you two ever
    played ball at the Koshien?
[16:15] bon
    N-No, of course not!
[16:18] yuki
    Of course not!
[16:20] yuki
    It's not like they rent it out
    for grasslot baseball...
[16:26] bon
    She talked to me for the first time!
[16:32] an
    The Jaguars' Bourbon hits a
    three-run homer to take the lead!
[16:40] ann
    It's eight to six in the top of the eighth!
[16:42] ann
    Are the Jaguars about to win this thing?!
[16:45] man
    The Tempters are done for.
[16:47] man
    Now, we don't know that yet.
[16:49] man
    But those three runs really hurt.
[16:51] man
    We only just took the lead...
[16:56] yuki
    D-Don't cry, sir! We ain't lost just yet.
[17:01] bon
    Korekawa-san.
[17:03] kore
    Actually, I was just humoring you before
    because you're so pretty.
[17:09] kore
    I thought that if I said
    I was a Tempters fan,
[17:11] kore
    we could get worked up about it together.
[17:15] bon
    K-Korekawa-san... Wh-What are you saying?
[17:19] bon
    You're just like the other customers.
[17:21] kore
    No, it's true that I was a Tempters fan.
[17:25] kore
    I loved them when I was a kid.
[17:27] kore
    But there's another team I love better.
[17:31] kore
    The Jingu Spiders!
[17:39] yuki
    Even though you're from Kansai?
    You love a Tokyo team?
[17:43] kore
    I can't really explain
    my circumstances to you.
[17:47] kore
    Here, miss. Keep the change.
[17:49] kore
    Natsunosuke, please let me pay.
[17:52] bon
    N-No, I said I'd pay...
[17:54] yuki
    Really, I'll bring your change!
[18:00] kore
    Everyone!
[18:05] kore
    I've taken her heart!
[18:11] man
    What?!
[18:12] man
    Y-Yuki-chan...
[18:13] man
    What's he doing to her?!
[18:15] man
    Natsunosuke, let's beat it!
[18:20] man
    Thanks for the meal!
[18:26] man
    What was all that?
[18:33] bon
    Hey, Korekawa-san!
[18:34] bon
    What are you doing?
[18:36] bon
    Korekawa-san!
[18:37] kore
    Boy, she really was a looker!
[18:41] kore
    Natsunosuke, you've got
    your eye on her, right?
[18:46] kore
    Come on, I can tell.
[18:48] kore
    That's why I wanted to tease you a bit.
[18:52] kore
    It'll be harder for you
    to go there now, right?
[18:56] bon
    Korekawa-san!
[18:57] kore
    You just used me as your excuse!
[19:00] kore
    You should go by yourself!
[19:01] bon
    No, that's not...
[19:04] kore
    I really hate you, you know?
[19:06] bon
    What? Are you drunk already, Korekawa-san?
[19:10] kore
    I hate you.
[19:13] kore
    Because you get to stay
    with the Jingu Spiders.
[19:19] kore
    That's why I messed with you.
[19:21] kore
    Korekawa-san...
[19:24] kore
    Those five seasons I spent with
    the Spiders out of college...
[19:26] kore
    I came to love the team.
[19:31] kore
    I'm a huge Spiders fan now!
[19:35] kore
    After I heard I was being traded...
[19:38] kore
    As time passed, I started feeling really sad.
[19:44] kore
    But today convinced me that
    I can't stay as I am now.
[19:49] kore
    Because even after all I said to that girl,
[19:52] kore
    she didn't realize I was
    a pro baseball player.
[19:58] kore
    Just a warning, but that means
    you've got a long way to go, too.
[20:04] kore
    Hey, the Tempters came back to win it!
SIGN    The Tempters Rally for the Win
[20:07] sign
    I bet she's happy.
[20:16] bon
    That day, the Tempters beat
    the Tokorozawa Jaguars
[20:21] bon
    and earned the title "Best in Japan."
[20:26] bon
    Yuki-chan-san, was it?
[20:28] bon
    Well, I'll be rooting for you to
    win her heart someday.
[20:33] bon
    From all the way off in Kobe.
[20:35] bon
    Good luck to you.
[20:36] bon
    Korekawa-san...
[20:42] bon
    Farewell,
[20:44] bon
    Jingu Spiders.
[21:02] bon
    Korekawa-san!
[21:05] bon
    Couldn't we hit up one more place?
[21:09] kore
    Yeah... Sure.
[21:17] bon
    The next year, Korekawa-san didn't manage
    one appearance with the Kobe Oxen.
[21:24] bon
    That same year, he retired.
[23:01] bon
    Natsunosuke here.
[23:02] bon
    The world of pro baseball
    can be pretty harsh, huh?
[23:06] bon
    Our catcher Tohko-san got declared DFA,
[23:09] bon
    and he has to go through tryouts.
[23:12] bon
    But he'll have to face the 38-year-old
    pitcher with a total 115 wins, Nishigouchi,
[23:19] bon
    who was also declared DFA from
    the Sapporo Purple Shadows!
[23:22] bon
    Next time: "Declared for Assignment."
[23:25] bon
    Seize tomorrow's success and today's money!
SIGN    Declared for Assignment
[23:27] bon
    Money Pitch!