This autumn, the Seibu Lions are conducting training camps at three domestic locations: Nango in Miyazaki, Tokorozawa in Saitama, and Izu in Shizuoka. Among these, reporter Ayami Ohnaka, who covers the Seibu Lions, 'witnessed' the Izu camp, where 12 pitchers are focusing on running drills that utilize the local terrain.

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Players collapsed one after another on the stair landing. 'The lactic acid... the lactic acid...' their painful screams echoed. Since the weather was unfortunately poor that day, stair sprints using a hotel adjacent to the Shida Stadium in Izu City were incorporated into the practice. On other days, the menu includes running for about 1.5 kilometers through the vineyards surrounding the stadium or sprinting up a 100-meter slope in under 20 seconds.

Watching over this camp as the "General Director" is Performance Coordinator Koichi Osako (73), who was a mentor to alumni such as Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideaki Wakui (currently with Chunichi). He emphasizes the importance of running, stating, "A pitcher must be able to throw throughout the entire year, so they have to build up physical strength. They need to train with an eye on the future." Manager Nishiguchi, who recorded 182 career wins over 21 professional seasons, was also one of those trained under Mr. Osako. He spoke of the benefits, saying, "Running is not just about strengthening physical endurance; it is a full-body exercise. By running both uphill and downhill, the muscles being used change."

The team finished this season in second place and advanced to the CS for the first time since 2022, but failed to capture the long-awaited national title. As the manager stated, 'We need the players here to work hard,' the emergence of new talent is essential to aim even higher. Speaking of grueling running camps, The Giants' famous 'Hellish Ito Camp' of 1979 is well-known, but the Izu group is not to be outdone. These young lions, pushing themselves to the limit with Mount Fuji—the highest peak in Japan—in the background, seem likely to hold the key to next season. (Ayami Ohnaka)