“Otani measures” directed by Nishitani “Aim for the best straight ball and crush it”
The 94th Selected High School Baseball Tournament, which announces spring, will finally begin on March 18. It was Osaka Toin who got the “Bluish-purple championship flag” at the tournament 10 years ago. The match against Hanamaki Higashi, who has Shohei Ohtani (currently the Angels), which was realized in the first match, is still handed down as a legendary match. Shintaro Fujinami (currently Hanshin Tigers) and other captains at the time, Gen Mizumot, who put together unique players, told us the truth about “defeating Otani.”
Mr. Mizumoto walked the elite course of Osaka Toin High School-Asia University-Toho Gas and the amateur ball world, and retired from active duty only last year. It was a turning point, “says Hanamaki Toin, who is still burning in his mind.
Spring 2012. High school baseball fans were enthusiastic about the sudden big card. On the first day and the third game of the tournament on March 21, the high-ranking draft candidate “Fujinami vs Otani” will face off with a straight ball over 150km as a weapon. Nine and his friends joked to the captain who returned to the ground after the lottery, “What are you doing?”, But only Fujinami pretended to be calm.
“Fujinami usually speaks a lot, but he didn’t change his facial expression at that time. He said,’I’m not conscious,’ but I was absolutely conscious (laughs).”
Otani measures were very simple. Nishitani said, “I will crush the ball aiming for the best straight. I have no stamina to throw 9 times. Let me throw the number of balls.” It’s the second half of the game. ” He believed in the words of the master of battle training and prepared for the first time.
