Former Yakult coach Toshihiro Noguchi “The lead was clear behind the opponent’s batter.”
■ Yakult 2-1 Orix (Japan Series, 27th, Hot Kobe)
The 6th round of “SMBC Japan Series 2021” was held at Hotto Motto Field Kobe on the 27th, and Yakult defeated Orix to become the best in Japan for the first time in 20 years since 2001. The winner of the series MVP was catcher Yuhei Nakamura. He made full appearances in all six games and led the pitchers, marking a batting average of .318 (7 hits in 22 at bats).
In the bottom of the 12th inning, 2nd base, McGough, the guardian deity, killed the last batter, Mune, to a grounder, and when Japan’s number one was decided, Nakamura, who also serves as the player’s chairman, leaked a sob. “I never thought I would get it, but I think it’s the best reward I’ve worked on for a year.” I proudly laughed at the stand after the announcement of the MVP.
“Nakamura’s MVP award is appropriate. The lead was clear behind the opponent’s batter, which is typical of Nakamura. I think I’ve grown up. ” Toshihiro Noguchi, a baseball critic who was active as a catcher in four teams such as Yakult and Nippon-Ham during his active career, narrowed his eyes. In 2018, he served as Yakult’s 1st Army Battery Coach and has also coached Nakamura.
“Nakamura was originally a type who liked to outsmart his opponent, but in the past he was caught by a ball that he intended to outsmart and was sometimes asked,’What is he thinking?'” Noguchi “I used to be a lead led by myself, but I have evolved into a pitcher that takes into consideration the pitcher’s feelings by observing the opponent’s batter,” he said.
Tadashi Yoshida, who had only 26 strikeouts (1 in 17.5 at bats), which is the smallest in 12 at-bats with 455 at-bats, took 6 strikeouts (about 4.7 at-bats) with 28 at-bats during the season with Orix’s main gun. It was the result of Nakamura’s research and lead that the batting average was suppressed to .222 (6 hits in 27 at bats). Last season, he played only 29 games due to a series of breakdowns, but this season he got excited and played 123 games. He also marked his highest batting average of .279 at the top of the team this season. From March 31st to the beginning of June, when Aoki became a close contact with the new coronavirus and left the front line, he struggled to function as the second batter.
“I’m really happy now, but we started from the bottom of last year. I wanted to do my best as a challenger. The accumulation led to the best results,” he said. Nakamura. In the ball world, it is said that the winning team always has a good catcher. It is no exaggeration to say that the future of Yakult, which has reached its peak from the bottom for two consecutive years until last season, depends on Nakamura.
(Hirohisa Miyawaki)
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