outfield took to the defense with card-like notes hidden in their pockets. They moved to the right and left, referring to the materials at hand. They put major league-style positioning into practice during a live BP. The keywords were "data" and "step count." Softbank Hawks outfielder Ukyo Shuto (30) expressed interest, saying, "It's easy to understand, if you like that kind of thing. We're thinking of trying it out in a game against The Hawks."

What I carried with me was an "instruction book" that wrote "hitter trends, position guidelines". In Japan, it moves according to the data in mind and the instructions of the bench, but the position for each hitter is clearly quantified in advance. The characteristic is that the actual position to be defended is indicated by the "number of steps" from the fixed position. There was an introduction from an analyst with experience in the U.S. baseball world, and Coach Kamei defense base running said, "In Japan, there are places where you can defend with your senses, but that is still data.

The decision on whether to implement the system will be made in future games, but some issues that need to be addressed have also emerged. Shuto pointed out the need to consider the pitch clock. Because the "starting point" is fixed, he questioned, "You have to go back once. How will that work within the time limit?" Is it feasible under unfamiliar rules? Time will also be needed to determine the number of steps, taking into account individual strides and defense ranges. "We'll exchange various opinions," he said, as they continue testing. With about two weeks until the start of the WBC, Samurai Japan will evolve by exploring all possibilities. (Ryo Ando)