<57> Rebirth – Practice Match (9)
Chapter 57: Rebirth – Practice Match (9)
Bottom of the sixth inning, two outs, runner on third, and the ninth batter up — they found themselves in a tight spot.
"Shin! Time! Time out!" Sendo called out urgently to the catcher. Shin didn't dare delay.
"Time out!" The umpire signaled loudly.
Sendo walked to the pitcher's mound and motioned for the outfielders to come in as well.
"Calling time at just the right moment! This kid would make a great coach with a few years of experience. Though, if the head coach heard me say that, he'd be mad. Who'd believe this kid is only 12?" Coach Takei chuckled.
When victory is in sight, all the talk about "not caring about winning or losing" tends to be forgotten. Even if you try to forget, your body and mind won't let you.
Especially for a team like Akagi, who are close to getting their first win since being established.
It's only natural that, with the thought of winning, fear of losing follows.
The pressure piles on, movements become stiff, concentration wavers, and a series of errors start to happen — similar to the crisis Akagi faced in the first inning.
The Seiwa team is no different. Although Coach Takei claims he's not concerned with the outcome, anyone would be nervous in such an intense game.
Dealing with this comes down to personality, like Sendo's. Even someone like Sawamura can't completely shrug it off, though he doesn't feel the pressure as much, thanks to the support from his teammates.
"Why are you calling a time out, Sendo? … Wait! Are you thinking of pulling me out? No, please don't take me out!" Sawamura protested.
"Take you out? No way, you idiot!" Sendo scolded him.
"Oh!" Hearing he wouldn't be taken out, Sawamura immediately behaved himself.
"Everyone's a bit nervous, huh? It's the first time you're so close to victory!"
"Well…" Some of them scratched their heads.
"It's not a bad thing! But don't get too hung up on it. Remember the start of the game? The opposing catcher?"
"Yeah," they nodded, understanding what Sendo was getting at.
"If you think too much about things like winning or losing, it only holds you back. It makes your body slower and dulls your reactions because the tension consumes you."
"Their catcher struggled at the start too, even if it was different from us. I don't know exactly what Coach Takei said, but they're likely feeling the same pressure as you. Unless there's some special reason."
"A special reason?" Sawamura wondered.
"Don't focus on irrelevant things, idiot!" Sendo smacked him on the head.
"Anyway, don't overthink. Treat this game like one of your practice sessions at school. Take a deep breath together. Sawamura, you lead. Your breathing looks silly enough!"
"Alright! Inhale… exhale…"
"Inhale… exhale…"
"One more time! Hold it longer! Don't stop until I tell you. Everyone, inhale!"
"Inhale…"
"Keep holding!"
They all held their breath until it became uncomfortable, but no one released it first.
"Now, breathe out!"
"Phew… ha… ha… ha!" Sendo had them hold their breath so long they felt relieved to exhale, panting together.
"Alright! Out of breath now, so no more nerves, right?"
"Huh? Hey, it really worked!"
"Same here!"
"Not nervous anymore?"
"Not at all!"
"I'm no pro at coaching, and I don't know how to give motivational speeches. So I'll just say — stick to what you always do. If you can play like you do in practice, that's enough for me. Nothing more is needed. Got it?"
"Yes!" They nodded, looking visibly more relaxed.
"That's right! We're a grassroots team! As long as we keep playing baseball, that's all that matters!"
"No need to overthink things!"
"Yeah!"
Sendo watched his teammates exchange words of encouragement, remaining silent.
"With this, I don't need to worry. Just play like usual!"
"Shin, no need for any bad pitches. Go head-to-head with them!"
"And everyone else, trust in our ace!"
"Eijun, it's up to you. Lead the team to finish this game!"
"Remember, everyone! Don't let your guard down until the game is over. I'm asking you to stay calm, not to slack off. If you get lazy out there, I'll double your training!"
Sendo laid out his instructions.
"Don't worry, Sendo! Ei-chan is our hero. We'll trust him!"
"Then there's no problem!" Sendo turned and walked away, looking confident and calm.
...
"Wait a minute! Sendo!!!
"What did you mean by saying my breathing looked silly?! Explain yourself!"
As Sendo returned to the dugout, Sawamura's shout rang out. It seemed Sawamura had only just realized Sendou's comment about his silly breathing when he led the deep breathing earlier.
"Hahaha!" The teammates around them burst into laughter.
"This is the classic Sen-chan-Ei-chan combo!" they all thought to themselves.
But that single outburst managed to bring the entire team back to normal.
"Though I'm not sure what you did, the atmosphere of this team has completely changed, and I can't find a trace of nervousness! Trust… or maybe a bond?"
"It seems that, even though they're all first-years, they must've been together for a while."
"But now, it's our turn to be in trouble!"
"Our players don't have that strong of a bond, nor the battle-hardened resilience or mutual trust."
"In this final inning's pressure, there's nothing I can do. Saying anything now is pointless; deep breathing only treats the symptoms, not the cause."
"Nicely done, Sendo!" Coach Takei said, observing the team's playful antics.
After Sawamura's commotion, the game resumed.
"Two balls, no strikes!" the umpire called out to start the game.
"Just like Sen-chan said, give it all you've got! We all trust you, Ei-chan! You're our hero!" Shin placed his mitt squarely over the plate.
"Ace, huh? So deep down, you do believe in me, Sendo!" As this thought ran through his mind, the ball zipped toward home plate!
Ping!
"He didn't hit it cleanly!" Even before the ball touched down, everyone on the infield, including Sawamura, had the same thought.
Nearby, Kondou swiftly moved forward. With the third out within reach, the field change was close at hand.
-----------
If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.
Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21