◆ Baseball Musings 2026 - Part 19

It was a sight I hadn't seen in a long time.

In Softbank Hawks vs. Lotte game held on the 10th, the deciding factor was the "speed" of Softbank Hawks 's Ukyo Shuto.

In the bottom of the third inning, trailing 0-2, with two outs and a runner on third base, the runner on third, Shuto, attempted a home steal. It was a close call, with Lotte's catcher, Ko Matsukawa, tagging him out. home-base umpire initially called him out, but the ball was pushed to ground by Shuto's momentum. The game was tied in an instant. This was the first solo home steal (excluding double steals from first and third base, etc.) in 29 years, since Yakult 's Inaba Atsunori recorded one in 1997. It was certainly a rare play to see after such a long time.

"I was blown away," said manager Hiroki Kokubo after the match, and continued:

"You can really change the atmosphere just by using your legs."

In this inning, Yudai Shoji, the leadoff batter, got on base with hit, and immediately afterwards, Shuto's hit went straight into the right field wall. Shoji is just as fast as Shuto, if not faster. The two of them were incredibly quick. In no time at all, Shoji scored from first base, and then Shuto, who had advanced to third base, made a big play right after that. It was a lightning-fast steal of home.

Let's delve a little deeper into this play.

With two outs and a runner on third base, hitter is third batter Yuki Yanagita. On mound for the Lotte Marines is rookie left-handed pitcher Kaito Mori.

Generally, when the pitcher is left-handed, the runner on third base can easily take a large lead. On the other hand, with the team's slugger Yanagida at bat, it's not a situation where they should take risks, according to common sense. However, there was another important point hidden within.

In modern baseball, where data is paramount, when a powerful left-handed hitter steps up to the plate, infielder generally shift defense position to the right. In this situation, Lotte's third third baseman Ryusei Terachi Ryusei, has moved closer to shortstop. It's natural to be wary of stolen base attempt by a speedy runner like Shuto, but with two outs and Yanagita at hitter, the probability of him attempting a steal of home is low.

However, Shuto didn't miss that slight opportunity. After whispering to third base coach Honda Yuichi, he accelerated as soon as he left the base to about the middle of the gap between third and home, and slid into home plate.

Lotte manager Saburo commented on the play where the ball slipped from catcher Matsukawa's mitt, saying, "If he had caught it, it would have been a simple out." This highlights the difficulty of modern baseball. In the past, players were instructed to place their right hand on the glove when catch ball, but now playing with one hand is the norm. This is because it allows for quicker play and wider coverage than using both hands. Looking at it this way, it becomes clear that this first stolen home in 29 years was packed with multiple elements in less than a second.

When you look into the history of this extremely rare home steal, you'll find a surprising figure: none other than Katsuya Nomura, who was a "slow" catcher during his playing days.

It is recorded that he stole home seven times during his playing days with Nankai (now Softbank Hawks). baseball back then wasn't as controlled as it is today. If the slow-footed Nomura was the runner on third base, it wasn't uncommon for the pitcher to throw with a windup without even taking the set position. It feels like we're seeing the roots of Nomura's baseball of exploiting weaknesses.

Furthermore, Tsuyoshi Shinjo (current Nippon-Ham manager), who stole home in the 2004 All-Star Game and won the MVP award, is also a student of Nomura. In addition, Atsunori Inaba, who successfully stole home 29 years ago, played for Yakult, and Nomura was the manager at the time. To add to that, in 2020, Munetaka Murakami (current White Sox), who stole second base, third base, and home in a single inning against Hanshin Tigers, was celebrated as the first such feat in 67 years. He, too, is Yakult Swallows alumnus who inherited the blood of Nomura's ID baseball.

Now that Shuto has become one of the fastest players in the league, the chances of scoring increase dramatically when he gets on base. With Kensuke Kondo, the best hitter currently playing, and Ryoya Kurihara in top form, as of the 11th, they are in second place, 2.5 games behind the league-leading Orix Buffaloes, but if they continue to improve pitcher staff, there don't seem to be any major weaknesses.

"There's no slump in his legs." This is a phrase often used in baseball world. This man will be earning 400 million yen a year starting this season. He has the value and brilliance to justify it.

Text by Kazuo Arakawa