◆ Sports Hochi Journalist Column "From Ryogoku"
In the WBC in March, Samurai Japan suffered their first-ever quarterfinal defeat. lose pitcher in the quarterfinal against Venezuela in Miami was Nippon-Ham Fighters pitcher Hiromi Ito (28). He took the mound in the sixth inning under immense pressure with a close score, and gave up a go-ahead three-run homer to Abreu (Red Sox). While it's forbidden to dwell on "what ifs," there are some "miscellaneous stories" I would have liked to write if he had pitched well.
Ito is from Shikabe Town in Hokkaido. His home was located in a place where Uchiura Bay stretched out before him, just a three-minute walk away. As his name suggests, the vast ocean was a familiar presence and his playground. "When I play baseball, it's 'against people,' but fishing is 'against nature.' There are many things that don't go well. I see it as a different sport." When he talks about the joys of his hobby, fishing, he seems to revert to being a simple young man.
He targets yellowtail and flounder from boats and beaches. He uses Google Maps and nautical chart apps to find fishing spots while observing the terrain. Even the times when he doesn't catch anything while targeting big fish, and the times when he repeatedly casts his lures, are relaxing moments for him. His personal best is a flounder measuring 74 centimeters. It's more than a good size, but he's aiming for even greater heights and has decided not to make a fish print until he reaches 80 centimeters.
Just minutes after I was formulating my article, picturing a headline in my mind—"He pitched brilliantly against a Major League team and pulled off a stunning upset"—the "tragedy" occurred. It's a scene I'll never forget. The experience of facing off against the formidable Major Leaguers will undoubtedly be a great asset for Ito. The Los Angeles Olympics are in 2028. I hope he'll come back to that stage to get his revenge. (baseball correspondent: Takeshi Nagai)
◆Tsuyoshi Nagai: Joined the company in 2011. In charge of Samurai Japan. His favorite local program is TV Ehime's "The Definitive Edition! Cho-san's Fishing Information."
