My Book Ⅰ
Written by Hiroyuki Ikeda
No.29 Those That Lack Hanshin Tigers 10/1/2013
The Tohoku Rakuten Eagles accomplished their first league victory – a long-cherished wish! The Eagles hadn’t had a league victory in the Pacific League since its inception in 2004 and it has been a thorny 9 years. Their first year they ended in the lowest position with a losing record as large as 38 wins, 97 losses. This season, Masahiro Tanaka, a pitcher nicknamed Makun, is leading the team with 22 straight wins from the opening of this season and achieved the first league victory. The win is largely due to Senichi Hoshino, manager for a 3-year appointment. He says joy fully, "It’s a wonder, really. I can not believe it!” In his first year the Tohoku earthquake of 2011 happened. Fighting together with local fans in the reconstruction of the earthquake damage and the team, they finally won the impressive victory after 3 year’s hard efforts. The team practiced hard, led by manager Senichi Hoshino, who once led the Hanshin Tigers to a Central League victory. This is why baseball fans of Kansai are overjoyed with the Eagles’ victory this year.
The Tokyo Yomiuri Giants captured the Central League title early last week. They are the overwhelming strength of this year. With few remaining games this year, the Hanshin Tigers are running second in the Central League. Against the Hiroshima Carp, in third place, the Tigers, in second place, fight in the CS (climax series) and the winning team is going to fight against the Giants, as a representative of the Central League. The winning team between the Pacific League champ and the Central League winner will become the number one Japan champion. Recently, Tigers pitchers and batters have seemed tired: pitchers can not keep games and batters can not hit at critical times, so there is no sign of them winning the CS. The Hiroshima Carp are in good spirits lately, with strong pitchers and batters. At first the Tigers must win against the Carp and next, they have to win against the Giants but it seems a difficult case to say the least. In my opinion, the amount of practice in spring camp of the Tigers was not enough so in autumn, their power seems to have fallen. These difficulties are not limited to this year. Enthusiastic support of the Tigers fan spoiled the Tigers. So fans also wrecked the team by pulling down the Tigers. Fans should be eager to cheer even when losing often. Next year they should change their minds, and fight to the end .
Good luck and more practice to my Tigers!
Hanshin Tigers : http://hanshintigers.jp/
