During their fall training at Zozo Marine Stadium, Lotte is focusing on base running practice.

Coach Ishimitsu Shota explains, "First of all, we are focusing on actively aiming for the next base. To do that, we are focusing on things like judging the ball and improving the quality of stolen base."

Speaking of Lotte, during the time of manager Iguchi Toshihito, the team's awareness of base running increased, and with a single hit, they were able to get base running on first, third, and home from first base through `` base running bases one hit ahead'' and ``taking advantage of the opponent's weaknesses,'' but hitter runner was never satisfied with hit he had made, and on many occasions he would make a run from first to second base while outfielder was throwing throw to home base.

Not only are they fast runners, but Inoue Haruya, who weighed over 100 kg and retired at the end of last season, said during his playing days, "base running can be anything depending on the opponent's weaknesses or movements. When it comes to base running, I try to make sure I can run along with everyone else. It's not about whether they can't do it or not, but rather I still try and give it a try." The "awareness of base running" was permeated throughout the team.

Even under former manager Masato Yoshii's tenure, in his first year (2011) and second year (2012), there was a decrease in the number of "foot attacks," but there were still some "typical attacks" in which a player would exploit an opening and come home from first base with a single hit or by exploiting an defense error by the opponent. base running There were "seemingly". Team stolen base also ranked fourth in the league in 23 years with 73 stolen base- success rate of .777, the highest in the league, and last season, the number of teams stolen base ranked fifth in the league with 64, but the success rate was .821.

This season, which ended in last place, the team stolen base had 68 stolen base, more than last year, but a success rate of .723. There were a few occasions when a fly out behind center fielder second base runner failed to touch up on third base, and a few occasions when a single hit was returned alive from first to third base or first to home. I got the impression that his base running awareness, including his decision-making ability, had declined over the course of this year. Coach Ishimine said, "That's how we tend to be seen when we are losing. Basically, we try to make them aware of it.

This season, players with excellent base running judgment, such as Takashi Ogino, Katsuya Kakunaka, and Shogo Nakamura were absent from the first team for long periods, and young players were actively used, so perhaps there was little emphasis on base running.

"base running is all about awareness, so you have to be conscious of being proactive. If you put the brakes on too hard, you'll inevitably become passive, so we're trying to get the players to be conscious of thinking about the next base, the next base," said Coach Ishimine.

When asked what he tells young players during base running practice, Coach Ishimitsu emphasized the importance of experience, saying, "It's not just for young players; it's about experience, so you just have to practice a lot, knowing that this type of hit is a hit and that type of hit is an out.Young players have less experience than veterans and middle-aged players, so I make sure they do it a lot, not just during batting practice but also in games, so that they can gain experience and continue to increase their experience level."

In addition to base running practice, the team is also working on making better decisions about the balls hit by hitter during batting practice, just as they do during the season. Coach Ishimine said, "We are especially focusing on making good decisions about batted balls, and also on aiming for two more bases."

◆ Takabe: "What strong teams do"

Speaking of players with a strong "base running awareness, Akito Takabe fits the bill. He has the most stolen base on the team with 20, and is good at "base running aiming to get one step ahead" and "base running by exploiting the opponent's weaknesses."

This season, he also hit a single to center fielder field, and while center fielder was throwing throw directly to home plate, he advanced to second base.In the game against Nippon-Ham on September 22nd, with the score 2-0 and one out and a runner on second in the sixth inning, Soto grounded out to third base, and while Yuya Gunji was throw to first baseman, he advanced from second base to third base.

Takabe expressed a sense of crisis, saying, "I think there are many areas where we can improve, and aiming for the gaps and space of mediocre opponents to get to the next base is something that strong teams, like the Nippon-Ham Fighters, do. If we don't do that, I don't think we'll be able to catch up with teams like that. I hope that this will take root not only in myself, but throughout the entire team."

Naonori Yasuda, who had been participating in fall practice until the 14th, promptly showed a good base running against Rakuten in the Phoenix League on the 19th, falling from first to second base while catcher played slightly on a wild pitch, although it did not lead to a score.

When they were in Class A, even though they couldn't hit, they scored points by "exploiting the opponent's base running" and "running base running one step ahead," and pitcher protected that lead and won win. When Akira Otsuka was the coach, who left the team at the end of this season, he repeatedly told the players to practice base running for the game in pre-game practice, and they worked hard with a high level of awareness. Next season, with more young players, they will return to their roots and score points by "attacking using their feet" and make it difficult for the opponents.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita