E15 - The Key to Success

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[00:01] Dai
    Our eyes firmly fixed on Nationals,
    we, the Mifune Dolphins, have made it
[00:05] Dai
    to the second round of Regionals.
[00:07] Dai
    Nijigaoka Beetles' ace, Tamaki,
[00:10] Dai
    has finally taken to the mound.
[00:13] Coa
    According to Urabe, he's an Eephus
    pitcher who mainly throws slower balls.
[00:18] Coa
    That's why we practiced
    hitting pitches at half speed.
[00:20] Kid
    What's an Eephus again?
[00:23] Fuj
    Put simply, it's an extremely slow pitch.
[00:26] Coa
    I wonder what his throw will be like.
[00:30] Ump
    Play!
[00:38] Kid
    That's mega slow!
[00:41] Ump
    Strike!
[00:42] Fuj
    That's even slower than I imagined!
[00:45] Fuj
    But it's just slow, nothing more.
[00:47] Fuj
    If he got a no-hitter with those pitches,
[00:49] Fuj
    their opposition in the first round
    must've been very weak.
[00:52] Mom
    That's some relaxed pitching
     from such a big youngster.
[00:57] Mom
    With throws like those, they'll claw
    back those two runs in no time.
[01:01] Old
    No, if the balls were just slow,
    they'd be easy to hit.
[01:06] Old
    But with a slow rainbow pitch like that,
[01:08] Old
    the impact point becomes tiny,
    so getting a hit is quite difficult.
[01:14] Ump
    Strike two!
[01:15] Old
    And because they use a softer ball,
    even if you do make contact,
[01:19] Old
    it won't go far unless you hit
    the ball pretty much dead center.
[01:28] Ump
    Out.
[01:29] Coa
    He's good.
[01:30] Fuj
    That was a hard hit to field.
[01:34] Coa
    Well, they do have Komori as their manager.
[01:36] Coa
    It's not surprising
    their defense is so solid.
SIGN    The Key to Success
[03:13] Ann
    Batting second, catcher,
[03:15] Ann
    Shigeno-kun.
SIGN    Catcher
SIGN    Shigeno Daigo
SIGN    Mifune Dolphins
SIGN    Coach Fujii
[03:19] Fuj
    Go Daigo!
SIGN    Center Field
SIGN    Satou Hikaru
SIGN    Right Field
SIGN    Sakura Mutsuko
[03:21] Hik
    Good luck, Daigo-kun!
[03:24] Gram
    Dai-chan's up!
[03:25] Old
    Yeah.
[03:27] Dai
    The Eephus pitch.
[03:29] Dai
    Their tactic is to baffle
    you with a slow ball,
[03:31] Dai
    and then use their strong
    defense to pick you off.
SIGN    Nijigaoka Beetles
SIGN    Pitcher Tamaki
[03:34] Ump
    Play!
[03:36] Dai
    Satou-san showed me how
    to deal with slow balls,
[03:38] Dai
    and using that technique,
    I managed to get a hit.
[03:44] Dai
    That pitch wasn't as slow as this one,
    but the technique is the same.
[03:48] Dai
    Don't be hasty.
[03:50] Dai
    Wait for it to get really close...
[03:54] Dai
    Then, swing at your normal spot!
[03:58] Coa
    He did it!
[03:58] Coa
    Heading to center field!
[04:00] Gramp
    He got a hit.
[04:03] Ump
    Out!
[04:05] Fuj
    What?
[04:06] Hik
    He caught it.
[04:07] Coa
    Why did they even have someone there?
[04:10] Tam
    Nice catch!
[04:13] Fuj
    What the hell?
[04:14] Fuj
    Usually, that'd be a hit to center field.
[04:16] Fuj
    Why was he standing there?
[04:18] Tam
    Two down, two down!
[04:22] Ura
    So that's how they got a no hitter.
    It wasn't just an iron-tight defense...
[04:27] Dai
    Damn.
[04:28] Dai
    And that was a good one, too.
[04:30] Dai
    What a waste of a hit.
[04:32] Ura
    They're using an infield
    shift for the Eephus.
[04:34] Dai
    Huh?
[04:35] Ura
    I don't know if they're
    using signs to co-ordinate it,
[04:38] Ura
    but they change their formation
    as soon as the pitch is thrown.
[04:42] Ura
    Guess it's their way of improving the odds
     of picking us off once we hit their slow ball.
[04:47] Ura
    Work out how to counter it on the bench.
[04:52] Ann
    Batting third, pitcher,
[04:54] Ann
    Urabe-kun.
[04:56] ---
    Urabe-kun!
SIGN    Pitcher
SIGN    Urabe Hayato
[04:57] ---
    Urabe-kun!
[05:00] Coa
    What?
[05:00] Coa
    An infield shift for the Eephus?
[05:03] Dai
    That's right.
SIGN    Mifune Dolphins
SIGN    Manager Tashiro
[05:03] Dai
    Somehow, they're shifting
    positions with the pitch.
[05:07] Coa
    Really?
[05:12] Ump
    Strike!
[05:16] Ura
    Three fielders between second and third?
[05:18] Ura
    And around first, there's
    only the first baseman!
[05:22] Fuj
    What's going on?
[05:24] Fuj
    Their whole right side is empty!
[05:27] Coa
    I see. That's what they're up to.
[05:30] Coa
    With a slow ball, there's no
    such thing as swinging too late,
[05:33] Coa
    so for a right-hander,
    the ball will usually veer left.
[05:35] Coa
    So tightening up the defense
    on that side makes sense.
[05:39] Fuj
    Then, all we have to do
    is hit it out to right field.
[05:42] Fuj
    We can rip apart an infield
    shift like that, no sweat!
[05:44] Coa
    Easy for you to say! They're grade schoolers.
[05:47] Coa
    They're having a hard enough time
    just hitting these rainbow balls...
[05:50] Coa
    You honestly think they can hit
    to opposite field, too?
[06:00] Ump
    Foul!
[06:02] Coa
    Urabe's trying to hit it to right field.
[06:04] Coa
    But even with his skill,
    the ball has a mind of its own.
[06:09] Ura
    Damn.
[06:10] Ura
    I haven't practiced this kind of hit,
    so it's not surprising I'm finding it hard.
[06:16] Ura
    Guess all I can do is
    smash it out of the park!
[06:20] Ura
    Huh?
[06:24] Tas
    An uncaught third strike!
[06:25] Tas
    Run, Urabe!
[06:29] Ump
    Safe!
[06:30] Sak
    He did it!
[06:32] Gramp
    Yes! We've got a runner!
[06:35] Gramp
    All right!
[06:38] Gramp
    Huh?
[06:40] Gramp
    What are you doing, Hikaru?!
[06:42] Gramp
    You're up next!
[06:44] Hik
    Oh, yeah, I'm batting fourth, aren't I?
[06:48] Kid
    I'm sorry, Tamaki!
[06:49] Tam
    Don't sweat it.
[06:52] Tam
    These short, arcing pitches
    always end up bouncing.
[06:54] Tam
    They're the kind of throws
    that make catchers cry.
[07:01] Tam
    We don't have any data on their cleanup,
     so I won't go straight for him.
[07:05] Tam
    Manager told me to be wary of him, too.
[07:08] Tam
    So in this case, we'll use Plan B.
[07:11] Kid
    Okay.
[07:12] Ann
    Batting fourth, center fielder,
[07:14] Ann
    Satou-kun.
[07:16] Gramp
    That's the kid who made that
    great catch in center field.
[07:20] Gramp
    If he's playing cleanup,
    he must be a good batter, too.
[07:22] Gramp
    So the Dolphins has an all-rounder, huh?
[07:25] Gram
    Huh? Didn't I tell you about him?
[07:28] Gram
    That boy is Toshi-kun's son.
[07:30] Gramp
    Huh?
[07:31] Gram
    That's the boy who got Daigo
    interested in baseball again.
[07:37] Gramp
    Seriously?
[07:38] Ump
    Play!
[07:40] Ura
    An uncaught third strike is
    pretty lame, but whatever.
[07:44] Ura
    At least I managed to get on base.
[07:46] Ura
    Once I'm out here, I get to dictate the game.
[07:48] Ura
    Stealing bases is a cinch on slow balls!
[07:54] Coa
    He's running!
[07:55] Ump
    Ball!
[08:01] Fuj
    The hell? He just started running without
    waiting to see what would happen?
[08:05] Fuj
    He could've thrown a fastball
    from the slide step!
[08:08] And
    No, Urabe's looking at his form
    and starting his run based on it.
[08:12] Fuj
    Huh?
[08:13] And
    With that slow pitching motion, he can wait
    to confirm it and still steal the base.
SIGN    Suzuki Andy
[08:19] Dai
    What's up with this pitcher?
[08:21] Dai
    He's still throwing Eephus
    pitches when there are runners?
[08:24] Dai
    A runner can do whatever he wants!
[08:27] Dai
    That's a ridiculous tactic.
[08:31] Ura
    Slow ball!
[08:37] Sak
    Wh-What?
[08:38] Coa
    So fast!
[08:41] Ump
    Out!
[08:44] Ump
    Three outs!
[08:45] Ump
    Change sides!
[08:46] Kids
    Yes! Time to switch!
[08:47] Kids
    Nice one, Catcher.
[08:50] Dai
    What... was that pitch just now?
SIGN    Nijigaoka
SIGN    Mifune
[08:58] Ump
    Strike! Out!
[08:59] Ump
    Three outs! Change sides!
[09:02] Fuj
    Good job, Urabe!
[09:04] Fuj
    Looks like things have
    calmed down this inning.
[09:07] Coa
    The two runs they scored off
    no hits in the first hurt bad.
[09:11] Coa
    But if it's only a two-run lead,
    we've got a chance.
[09:14] Coa
    Question is, how do we defeat that guy?
[09:18] Dai
    Manager, that last pitch he threw...
    what kind of ball was that?
[09:26] Coa
    That's what they call "a snap throw."
[09:30] Coa
    It's an infielder's throw that doesn't
     require a big swing of the arm or a windup,
[09:34] Coa
    like a pitcher's or an
     outfielder's throw does.
[09:37] Coa
    By twisting your forearm and releasing
    from your fingertips with a snap,
[09:41] Coa
    you can hasten your throwing motion.
[09:45] Coa
    Most grade schoolers don't have strong
    enough arms to execute the technique.
[09:51] Coa
    With his physique, though,
    it's not surprising he can do it.
[09:55] Ump
    Who's batting for the Dolphins?
[09:59] And
    Satou, you're up.
[10:02] Hik
    But I batted last in the last inning,
    so now it's the fifth batter's turn.
[10:08] And
    You idiot!
[10:09] And
    Urabe got out as a runner,
     meaning you're still at bat!
[10:12] Hik
    Huh? Oh, really?
[10:14] Hik
    Lucky!
[10:16] Hik
    Sorry about that!
[10:19] Ump
    Play!
[10:28] Ump
    Strike!
[10:30] Kom
    They were already struggling
    when it was just slow balls,
SIGN    Nijigaoka Beetles
SIGN    Manager Komori
[10:33] Kom
    but now they've seen that fastball,
    their hands are basically tied.
[10:44] Ump
    Strike two!
[10:48] Coa
    This isn't good.
[10:50] Coa
    This situation's a hard one to handle.
[10:52] Coa
    That fastball isn't so fast, but when
    it comes hot on the heels of a slow ball,
[10:57] Coa
    it seems impossibly quick.
[10:59] And
    What's more, when a throw like
    that comes from such a slow windup,
[11:03] And
    it's really hard to time your swing.
[11:06] Coa
    Just like it's hard to hit a change-up,
[11:07] Coa
    when the pitcher's stance
    suggests a fastball's on its way.
[11:11] Coa
    For a grade schooler
    to overcome an Eephus pitch
[11:14] Coa
    and this pitching style in just
    one or two at bats is nigh impossible.
[11:27] Gram
    That was so cool!
[11:29] Gram
    I see you've still got your reflexes, honey!
[11:32] Gramp
    You think so?
[11:33] Gramp
    Maybe I should start playing again!
[11:37] Tam
    That old geezer has a good throw on him.
[11:39] Tam
    But this guy...
[11:41] Tam
    He may have swung late,
    but he managed to hit my snap throw.
[11:46] Tam
    I see now why our manager was wary of him.
[11:50] Kom
    Don't rush it.
[11:51] Kom
    Slow and steady.
[11:54] Hik
    His form tells me nothing about what kind
    of throw is coming until he releases the ball.
[11:58] Hik
    Isn't there anything I can use to
    figure out what he's about to throw?
[12:06] Ump
    Ball!
[12:06] Fuj
    Yeah! Good eye!
[12:11] Dai
    M-Manager!
[12:15] Ump
    Ball.
[12:16] Coa
    Time out!
[12:17] Coa
    Satou!
[12:24] Tam
    What's this?
[12:26] Hik
    Got it.
[12:28] Coa
    Great observation, Daigo.
[12:30] Dai
    It's nothing.
[12:32] Dai
    Their fielders shift positions for
    the Eephus just as he releases.
[12:37] Dai
    I figured there must be some sort of sign,
    so I've been watching them all closely.
[12:41] Ump
    Play!
[12:42] Dai
    Of course, I wouldn't be able to tell
    what the signs themselves meant.
[12:47] Dai
    But if you look closely, you'll see that
    the fielders prepare differently.
[12:51] Dai
    When it's a slow ball and they have
    to shift, everyone stands naturally,
[12:56] Dai
    but when a fastball's coming,
    everyone drops their center of gravity.
[13:06] Dai
    Go!
[13:12] Sak
    A center fly.
[13:14] Tam
    Nice, Okegawa!
[13:17] Ura
    That's their leadoff with the fast legs.
[13:20] Ura
    So their outfield is iron-tight, too...
[13:22] Txt
    Shortstop
SIGN    Nagai
SIGN    Kimura
[13:22] Moto
    If they can catch a ball like that,
    we won't get any hits.
[13:27] Dai
    Don't worry about it!
[13:29] Dai
    We can now tell what pitch is coming,
     based on the fielders' body language.
[13:32] Dai
    This battle has just begun!
[13:33] Ann
    Batting fifth, third baseman,
SIGN    Third baseman
SIGN    Ariyoshi
[13:35] Ann
    Ariyoshi-kun.
[13:37] Ari
    So if they're crouched
    down, it's a fastball,
[13:41] Ari
    and if they're not, it's a slow one.
[13:44] Ari
    Slow ball!
[13:46] Ari
    And a slow ball it is!
[13:52] Ump
    Out!
[13:55] Ann
    Batting sixth, left fielder,
SIGN    Left fielder
SIGN    Kishimoto
[13:58] Ann
    Kishimoto-kun.
[14:01] Ump
    Strike! Batter out!
SIGN    First baseman
SIGN    Matsubara
[14:03] Ump
    Strike! Batter out!
[14:05] Ump
    Three outs! Change sides!
[14:19] Dai
    Knowing what pitch was coming
    basically changed nothing.
[14:22] Dai
    Other than Hikaru, nobody else
    got clean hits on either type of pitch.
[14:27] Dai
    On top of that, under Manager Komori,
    the Beetles have an ironclad defense.
SIGN    Nijigaoka
SIGN    Mifune
[14:31] Dai
    With the score at two to nothing,
    we're heading into the final stages.
[14:36] Ump
    Ball.
[14:37] Ump
    Ball four!
[14:38] Nij
    All right! Okegawa's on base!
[14:40] Naka
    No outs, runner on first!
[14:42] Kom
    After scoring two runs in the first,
    I thought we'd rack up runs easily,
[14:45] Kom
    but Urabe-kun's giving it his all out there.
[14:48] Kom
    But his weakness is his lack of stamina,
    and his control has started failing him.
[14:53] Kom
    Since our lineup's good this inning,
    we'll add some insurance runs.
[14:56] Ann
    Batting second, shortstop,
[14:58] Ann
    Ageo-kun.
[14:59] Ura
    This guy's gonna try to steal again.
[15:02] Ura
    With Shigeno's arm, the throw he did in
    the first inning is the best he can offer.
[15:08] Ump
    Safe!
[15:10] Ura
    I've gotta keep trying to pick him off
    and delay his start as much as possible.
[15:20] Fuj
    Good job, Urabe!
[15:21] Fuj
    Make him fight for it!
[15:28] Ump
    Ball!
[15:33] Gramp
    This is bad.
[15:34] Gramp
    His control was already shaky this inning,
[15:37] Gramp
    but because his focus is on the
    runners, he's hurrying his pitches.
[15:41] Gramp
    Ball!
[15:45] Coa
    Urabe, don't worry about the runner!
[15:47] Coa
    There's no sense in walking the batter!
[15:49] Coa
    Calm down and pitch freely!
[15:56] Kom
    Wait.
[16:02] Ump
    Ball three!
[16:04] Hik
    Jeez... Are you all right, Tobe-kun?
[16:08] Fuj
    Pull yourself together, Urabe!
[16:10] Dai
    What should I do?
[16:12] Dai
    Should I call a timeout?
[16:14] Dai
    But I'm in no position to tell him
    I won't let them steal,
[16:18] Dai
    or to try and calm him down.
[16:21] Ura
    Damn it.
[16:24] Ump
    Ball!
[16:25] Ump
    Ball four!
[16:31] Gram
    Wasn't that a strike just now?
[16:34] Gram
    The umpire's a bit harsh, don't you think?
[16:37] Gramp
    No, that was probably Daigo's fault
    more than it was the umpire's.
[16:42] Fuj
    Hey, Tashiro! This game's over
    if we give up any more runs.
[16:46] Fuj
    We've got Satou as
    a fully-fledged relief pitcher.
[16:49] Fuj
    Urabe's exhausted. We should make
    the switch sooner rather than later.
[16:53] Coa
    You're right.
[16:55] Coa
    We should make a switch.
[16:57] Coa
    But not the pitcher. The catcher.
[17:00] Fuj
    The catcher?!
[17:02] Coa
    Andy, you know I don't
    really want to risk you,
[17:05] Coa
    but this is an emergency.
[17:06] Coa
    Sorry about this, but can you play?
[17:09] And
    Sure.
[17:11] And
    I mean, if we lose here, getting back
    to full fitness won't matter much, anyway.
[17:15] Coa
    Time out!
[17:26] Sak
    Huh?
[17:27] Hik
    Daigo-kun's going off?
[17:30] Gramp
    So he noticed, after all.
[17:32] Coa
    I can tell you're tired, Urabe,
    but you're not at your limit yet.
[17:36] Coa
    Daigo's the one who has reached his limit.
[17:40] Dai
    What?
[17:41] Tam
    What?
[17:42] Tam
    He's switching out the
    catcher, not the pitcher?
[17:46] Gram
    Really?
[17:47] Gram
    They're going to switch out Daigo-chan,
    when the pitcher walked two batters?
[17:53] Dai
    Why am I getting switched out?
[17:57] Coa
    It's been on my mind since last inning,
    but it looks like you haven't noticed yet.
[18:04] Coa
    We wouldn't have walked those two batters
    if you'd caught the ball properly.
[18:09] Dai
    Huh?
[18:11] Coa
    On the riskier pitches, you haven't been
    catching the ball with proper framing.
[18:16] Coa
    You only used your hand, and after that,
    you let the mitt move and shake.
[18:21] Coa
    We can't really blame the umpire
    for calling them as balls.
[18:25] Coa
    It's your first game as catcher, and the
    nerves and constant focus have you beat.
[18:30] Coa
    A catcher who can't catch properly
    anymore must be switched out.
[18:38] Ump
    Are you swapping someone out?
[18:39] Coa
    Yes, sorry.
[18:40] Coa
    But I want you to replace
    Kishimoto in left field.
[18:45] Coa
    There's no telling if Andy's leg will hold out.
[18:49] Coa
    If I take you off the field entirely, I won't
     have anyone left who can play catcher.
[18:53] Dai
    Yes, sir!
[18:55] Coa
    Kishimoto!
[18:56] Ish
    Huh?
[18:58] Kom
    Naturally, as Tashiro-san
    used to play catcher himself,
[19:01] Kom
    he noticed Daigo-kun was playing badly.
[19:06] Kom
    He was left out of the starting lineup
    because his leg is injured.
[19:10] Kom
    But if you're on the field,
    we'll push you as hard as we can.
[19:18] Kis
    Aw, man, I got swapped out
     as collateral damage.
[19:22] Kis
    I guess I struck out twice,
    so I can't really complain.
[19:25] Kid
    What do you mean you can't complain?!
[19:27] Kid
    Why the heck are those three
    newcomers still out there,
[19:29] Kid
    when we've been benched despite
    being on the team for three years?!
[19:33] Ishi
    Sorry, but don't lump me in with you.
[19:35] Ishi
    I'm in the starting lineup.
[19:39] Gramp
    So they put Daigo out into left field.
[19:44] Dai
    I didn't notice at all.
[19:47] Dai
    Even though Satou-san had
    stressed how important framing was.
[19:51] Dai
    Without noticing,
    because of my exhaustion,
[19:53] Dai
    I reverted to lazily grabbing at
    the ball without moving my body.
[19:58] Dai
    Just by catching the ball wrong,
    I was holding the pitcher back...
[20:03] Ump
    Play!
[20:05] Fuj
    Is Andy's leg really okay?
[20:07] Fuj
    Will he be able to put any
    force through it if he needs to?
[20:11] Coa
    I told him not to push himself too hard.
[20:13] Coa
    I just hope our opponents get intimidated
    by Andy's arm and stop running so freely.
[20:23] Ump
    Strike!
[20:27] And
    Nice one!
[20:30] And
    We gave away back-to-back walks.
[20:32] And
    They must want to go easy
    now and do a sacrifice bunt.
[20:36] And
    Don't sweat it, Urabe.
[20:37] And
    Dead center's just fine.
    We're going to corner them!
[20:44] Ump
    Strike two!
[20:45] Coa
    All right!
[20:47] Gramp
    I see.
[20:48] Gramp
    So he's their regular catcher.
[20:50] Gramp
    Their synchronization's a cut above.
[20:53] Gramp
    Of course, he's also more skilled
    in the position than Daigo.
[20:57] Gramp
    If the catcher has a strong
    arm and good technique,
[21:01] Gramp
    the pitcher can throw
    without a care in the world.
[21:05] Ump
    Ball.
[21:07] And
    Okay, okay!
[21:09] Gramp
    But that's not all.
[21:11] Gramp
    A battery has a synchronization to it.
    You can't get that in just a couple of days.
[21:17] Gramp
    Their throws to each other,
    the signs they use...
[21:19] Gramp
    the considerate act of cleaning
    the ball and talking to the pitcher...
[21:25] Gramp
    A long-term synchronization with the catcher
[21:28] Gramp
    calms the pitcher and gives him courage
    in a tight spot.
[21:36] Coa
    He's running!
[21:37] Fuj
    It's a hit and run!
[21:39] Ad
    Wha—
[21:39] Ump
    Strike! Out!
[21:40] Fuj
    He missed!
[21:41] Kom
    A pitchout?!
[21:45] Ump
    Out.
[21:49] Fuj
    Nice, Andy!
[21:52] Ura
    Yeah! A double play!
[21:57] Hik
    Nice!
[21:58] Kom
    They got us.
[21:59] Kom
    I didn't expect him to have the
    courage to waste a pitch there.
[22:04] Dai
    Wow!
[22:06] Dai
    So that's a real catcher?
[22:09] And
    Two outs!
[22:12] Tam
    Hmph, not bad.
[22:18] Ann
    Batting fourth, pitcher,
[22:20] Ann
    Tamaki-kun.
[24:01] Dai
    The game has reached the closing stages!
[24:03] Dai
    What? Sakura made an error?
[24:05] Dai
    No, it was a trap our
     opponents set for us.
[24:09] Dai
    Curse them for playing dirty!
[24:12] Dai
    We're going to pull together as a team
    and turn this game around, no matter what!
[24:17] Dai
    This is a no-holds-barred match now!
SIGN    All-Out Battle
[24:20] Dai
    Next time: "All-Out Battle!"
[24:22] Dai
    Run to the stage of your dreams!