◆ Musings on the White Ball 2026 - Part 24

The interleague series between the Central and Pacific Leagues is reaching its climax, and all eyes are on who will emerge victorious.

On the 14th, Seibu Lions took the top spot, replacing Softbank Hawks.

In a fierce battle against The Giants, they held onto the single run scored by Kazunari Ishii 's home run, accumulating wins with a record of 13 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw.

There are three interleague games remaining that were canceled due to rain. If the Seibu Lions Hanshin Tigers Koshien the 16th, Seibu Lions will win their first ever interleague championship. If they lose, Softbank Hawks and Nippon-Ham will also have a chance, but for Seibu fans, having come this far, they want to achieve their long-cherished dream.

While Seibu Lions is comfortably leading the pennant race overall, being the first team in both leagues to reach 40 wins, a strange phenomenon is occurring in the fan voting for the All-Star Game (July 28th and 29th Tokyo Dome and other venues).

Even in the interim voting results announced on the 15th, no Seibu Lions players are currently in first place. While Kaima Taira in the starting pitcher Tyler Nevin in the first base category are in second place, it's unusual for a player from the team that's comfortably leading the league to not be at the top.

Possible reasons include the lack of any fielder with outstanding individual performance, and the fact that many players are still relatively unknown throughout the baseball world. Conversely, this could be seen as a sign that a different "hero of the day" is emerging.

Among the otherwise unassuming Lions players, the one who has been attracting the most attention lately is Natsuo Takizawa. He will almost certainly be selected for this year's All-Star Game, not by fan vote, but by manager recommendation. At bat, he's a reliable number two hitter, and defensively, he's a seasoned player who handles the middle infield with ease, even surpassing defense genius Sosuke Genda.

He joined the team in 2021 as the second pick in the developmental draft from Sekine Gakuen High School in Niigata. At 164 centimeters tall, he was the shortest player in the league until last year. This year, he lost the "shortest player" label because Narumi Katsuta, who joined Hiroshima, is 1 centimeter shorter, but it's remarkable that he's succeeding with this physique in an era where sports in general are becoming more competitive.

As of the 15th, his batting average of .286 ranks 8th in Pacific League, and he is the team's top hitter. His most memorable performance was on the 12th of this month against The Giants, where he At Bat 3 hit 4 with 2 RBI. At that point, he had reached base in 32 consecutive games. Now, his partnership with fellow farm team player Shinya Hasegawa batting second and third, has become an indispensable part of the team.

baseball A small-scale player with no connection to Koshien in Niigata, a land often called barren. Moreover, in the summer of his third year, he was mound with a number 1, so it was hard for scouts from each team to catch their eye. He said that only two teams, Seibu Lions and Softbank Hawks, requested a professional entry report. Among them, Seibu Lions was noticed early on for defense 's skill and reliability, and was able to acquire him through development.

His small stature made him face a formidable challenge against professional players' power, but through extraordinary practice and batting practice, he gradually gained strength, and last year he had a mini-breakout, playing in 125 games. In particular, his brilliant defense earned him the top spot in a "defense master" survey conducted by a television station during the offseason, which asked 100 active players. This led to his full-fledged blossoming this year.

Looking back at past examples of small but great players, names like Yoshio Yoshida (Hanshin Tigers), Daijiro Oishi (Kintetsu Buffaloes), and Norichika Aoki (Yakult) come to mind. However, pitcher' fastball speeds have risen to over 150 km/h, and the number of games played has increased compared to the past. Consequently, the burden on smaller players is greater, and overcoming it is no easy feat.

Now, manager Fumiya Nishiguchi places his complete trust in him, calling him "an indispensable member of the team."

How far can this 22-year-old, who excels at hitting, fielding, and running, go? The success or failure of Seibu Lions after the summer tournament will depend on this.

The world is completely engrossed in the FIFA World Cup. In Japan's first match, the Netherlands fielded a team of powerful players, many over 190cm tall, and tried to overpower Japan, but the Japanese team did not flinch and managed to secure a draw. Overcoming the size difference is the only way for Japanese sports to find their way forward.

164cm tall and 65kg is more than enough. Natsuo Takizawa 's "Summer Festival" is just beginning to reach its crucial stage.

Text by Kazuo Arakawa