Those words were too shocking and too lonely.
“As a pro, I couldn’t throw a single ball of my own.”
Hope, a high school student who joined the team in 3rd place in the draft, received a notice of being out of force after only two years and left the professional world. Behind this extraordinary situation was a demon named Yips.
Hiroto Suzuki was selected by Hiroshima in the 3rd round of the 2019 draft.
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A full-fledged right-hand man with a promising future
September 2022. At Kasumigaura High School in Ibaraki, beside the bullpen, there was Hiroto Suzuki watching over his juniors throwing fastballs in the 140km range.
“I used to get thrown around when I was in high school, but I want to teach them how to get better.”
Suzuki currently lives in the baseball club dormitory in Lake Kasumigaura and participates in baseball club practice. Kasumigaura coach Yuji Takahashi said, “I want to practice here for a year, cure my yips, and have him return to a team somewhere, including working adults.” It’s too bad to take off the uniform like this. From Takahashi’s words, such a heartbreaking parental feeling faded.
In high school, Suzuki was an orthodox right-handed pitcher with a promising future. He is 186 cm tall and weighs 79 kg, a slim pitcher. He measured the fastest 148km straight from his well-balanced pitching form.
In the practice match before the summer of his third year of high school, he shut out Toin Gakuen, which has Keito Mori (currently DeNA), and gained confidence, leading him to win the Ibaraki Summer Tournament as an ace. Although he was hit by Riseisha at Koshien, his arm swing that could hit his right arm vertically was highly appreciated by the scouts.
Joined Hiroshima in 3rd place in the 2019 draft. Atsushi Endo, who was two years senior to Suzuki, was also in Hiroshima. He should have been able to jump into the professional world without much anxiety.
In mid-February 2020, director Takahashi visited the Hiroshima 2nd Army camp in Nichinan, Miyazaki. Then, the leaders of the second army called out to me, “Please take a look at Suzuki.” When Director Takahashi saw Suzuki playing catch, he was a little concerned.
“In high school, I was taught not to put my right hand on my back during the take-back (the backswing that rotates my throwing arm). But at this time, Hiroto’s right arm was on his back. I thought you were throwing it with force.”