4th grade special feature,《My baseball life》Now, we will ask each of the fourth-year students, who are entering their final season, to look back on their baseball careers thus far.
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《My Baseball Life》 Vol.28 Kodai Umebayashi Captain (4th year/Infielder/Shizuoka)
In November 2022, when I became the captain for the first time in my baseball career, I had a very vague idea that the most necessary quality for the captain of the University of Tokyo baseball team was the ability to encourage all members to move in the same direction.
After spending just under a year as captain, he became a little clearer and realized that he needed “the ability to make all members of the team yearn for victory for the University of Tokyo Baseball Club from the bottom of their hearts, and make them believe that victory is right around the corner.” became. I have come to feel this way because of various encounters I have had in my baseball career. Below I will write down the 16 years and 1 year of my baseball life that made me the person I am.
My encounter with baseball was sudden. Just like Kotobuki, who started playing baseball at the invitation of Goro after watching the anime “Major” on a special program on New Year’s Day in his first year of elementary school, he also found himself participating in the practice of the Hamamatsu Angels, which was active at the elementary school next door. did.
I was blessed with good friends and was able to experience things like winning the team’s first championship in 48 years, but the thing that sticks out in my memory more than anything is the walk-off error in the game against Kama that was about to qualify for the prefectural tournament for the first time in over 20 years. That’s it. I will never forget the kindness of Director Kawai, all the coaches, and my teammates at that time.
When I was in middle school, I was a boy full of dreams and romance.
In junior high school, I joined the softball baseball club with members of the youth baseball team. I loved the Angels, so I had no hesitation.
I was playing baseball fairly well, but a turning point came in my second year. At that time, I became a big fan of NMB48’s Aya Yamamoto, and as a junior high school student, I wanted to get closer to her, so I thought about becoming a professional baseball player for that purpose. She was also very intelligent, so I thought that if she could get into Koshien and enter the University of Tokyo, she would be really amazing and would be able to get closer to Saya’s place, so I drew up a blueprint and started applying to Shizuoka High School, which boasts both literary and martial arts (I was accepted to the University of Tokyo). After that, there were times when I was praised as if I were a very noble person, saying that I was amazing at both literary and military arts, but that’s what my motivation was.By the way, even if I got accepted to the University of Tokyo, it was still a dream come true for me to be able to get close to an idol.) .
When I was a junior high school student, everyone I met was kind and passionate, and they all supported my dreams, so I improved rapidly in both baseball and studies, and was able to enter Shizuoka High School, which was my goal. Mr. Yasuyuki, Mr. Nakamura, and Mr. Katagiri were especially helpful to me when I was in junior high school. thank you very much.
High school baseball was the beginning of my second (baseball) life. It may not be an exaggeration to say that all conventional wisdom was overturned. Not only my seniors but also my classmates were incredibly talented, and in an instant I realized that I was a frog in a well. I also experienced a culture shock due to the strict discipline typical of a traditional school.
However, even the third-year seniors who felt that they lived in a different world were not able to go to Koshien. I will never forget the rumbling cheers that could be heard from the opponent’s stands at the end of the summer tournament, when we lost to local Hamamatsu Commercial. I learned what it means for Shizuka to lose. And I didn’t want to lose again.
Personally, I got more scared than necessary during practice, and my goal was to finish each day safely and without getting scolded. There was a time when I thought that I couldn’t play baseball anymore, so I would just study and get results. At that time, Mr. Kuribayashi told me, “Don’t run away from baseball or studying, and aim to be the best.” These words struck a chord with me as I thought that a great general could see through everything, but at the same time I had lost sight of my big goals.
After that, thanks to my kind seniors and my classmates who were full of personality, I was able to go to Koshien twice. Koshien was a wonderful place. I ran around the field with my favorite teammates as cheers flew overhead. Although he was not able to stand at bat, he stood on sacred ground as the third base coach, and during the game against Komadai Tomakomai, he wrapped his arms around him many times.
The summer ended quickly, with a large number of injuries. As the last batter, I ground out to second base, and my high school baseball career came to an end in the Shizuoka Prefecture Round of 16. I was able to see a scene that I had never wanted to see again. But honestly, I was satisfied with baseball. I praised myself for making it through the three years and decided to study hard next time, so I started studying for the entrance exam the night I retired.
As I mentioned earlier, I was satisfied with baseball and had no intention of playing baseball in college. It was my high school classmates who convinced me to play baseball again. When I found out that they were going to play baseball at the Six Universities, I decided to aim for the University of Tokyo baseball team because I wanted to be on the same stage as everyone else.
Maybe he wanted to change something about himself that he hated in high school baseball. I couldn’t help but hate the fact that I was living a makeshift life, always afraid of making mistakes, and relying on others, thinking that even if I couldn’t make it, my friends would do their best. Perhaps she wanted to proudly say that she had jumped into the same world as the people she had admired, and that she had accomplished something with her own strength.
I continued studying like this, but I was not able to pass the exam, but after a year of being a ronin, I managed to enter the University of Tokyo.
I entered the University of Tokyo, and although I was delayed in joining due to the coronavirus, I was able to participate in the A team during my first year, and I was able to participate freshly, gaining a variety of experiences.
As a second year student, my league debut came suddenly. He was substituted as a pinch hitter in the opening game against Waseda, with the score tied and the bases loaded with two outs. He tried desperately, but he ended up striking out three. Even looking back on it now, it was a frustrating first at-bat. My impression of this past year is this at-bat.
Also, even though I had never been a captain in my baseball career, from the time I became a second year student, I began to feel a sense of mission that I had to become a captain. It’s strange even looking back now.
Now that I’m in my third year, I have more opportunities to participate. At first, I felt honored to be given the important role of No. 4, but on the other hand, I was also anxious because I didn’t have the confidence that I had achieved anything worthy of it. After spending the winter struggling every day to erase those fears, we are now ready for the spring league game. Walking to the plate was probably the best part of my college career. However, I lost confidence again because I didn’t get any results here.
The spring league match has ended, and after the Engaru training camp, the fall league match has ended. In last year’s final match, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated. All of my seniors are really amazing, but things didn’t go well for various reasons, and I wasn’t able to play an active role that led to victory, and I couldn’t repay Mr. Okuda (R5 graduate), who had been taking care of me since high school, so this year I’m seriously trying to do my best. I thought I would be able to get out of the bottom of the rankings, but I wasn’t able to, and at the post-match party, I drank the worst drink I’ve ever had in my life. Thank you, Mr. Ono (R5 graduate), for consulting with me even though I wanted to retire and have fun.
The 4th graders retired and became captain after the grade meeting. At this time, I decided on several abstract themes.
・Aim to be a “team that should win” rather than a “team that can win”
・Leave a culture that grows stronger over generations
We decided on this theme with reference to the Meiji and Keio eras, and to eliminate the disadvantages that inevitably arise due to the management structure of the University of Tokyo baseball club (such as the highest year deciding team policy every year).
The year I spent as captain with these themes in mind went by in the blink of an eye. In the winter, I didn’t know what was required of a leader, so I consulted Mr. Kuribayashi and read books on corporate management and team building. At the Kagoshima training camp, I was enthusiastic at my first training camp but felt a little lonely. I couldn’t lead the team. In the spring, he couldn’t bring himself to flow and cried in frustration at his lack of strength as a captain; in the Engaru training camp, he was acutely aware of how reliable his fourth-year peers were; and in the autumn, he seriously aims to escape from last place.
One year has gone by in the blink of an eye, and I now know a little bit about what the University of Tokyo baseball team needs. I would like to write down a few things so that I can retire and leave something behind for my juniors.
・Clarify targets and match them with initiatives
・Building a team that believes that victory is right in front of them and is hungry for victory
I recently noticed the former. While aiming to escape from last place, we tried to develop a flawless team as if we were aiming for the championship, and tried to win against the five universities. A year ago, I didn’t know what this contradiction meant. In order to escape from the bottom, you need to go higher than one of the five universities. However, we had not decided which one. It wasn’t easy to move toward the vague goal of a team that would escape from the bottom, and I think that ambiguity led us to be complacent in practice at times. I think that by setting a target, you will have a standard that you cannot fall below, and it will create more rigor in your practice. I think it would be better for all of our juniors to set a target that they must overcome in order to achieve their goal, whether they aim to win the championship or be in Class A.
The latter is as mentioned at the beginning. Therefore, I think this is something that is required of the captain rather than the team as a whole. If you really want to win, you will practice more and the quality of your practice will improve. The severity of the competition will also increase. I think in order to be hungry for victory, we need to believe that victory is right around the corner and that we can win. I believe it is the captain’s role to lead the team members in this way. You can pull them with words, you can pull them with your play and make them think that this guy is here, I think any method is fine. I think this quality is especially needed for the captain of the University of Tokyo baseball club, where victory tends to seem far away at the moment.
I wrote this in an arrogant way, but since I only served for one year, there are many things I don’t understand, and just because I understand it doesn’t mean I was able to do it. However, I hope that the lessons I have learned through my baseball career will help my juniors grow.
On a different note, at the end of my baseball career, I wasn’t sure if I was happy with my baseball career. I’ve been blessed with friends from a long time ago, and I’ve had many experiences that others wouldn’t have, and there’s no doubt that those experiences are wonderful. However, I kept losing every time I tried, and I always felt frustrated. Even when I look back on it now, the only things I remember most strongly from my baseball career are negative memories, such as games I lost due to my own errors and games I couldn’t win because I couldn’t hit the ball.
However, on October 8th, when I stood on the field as a defender in a game we won, those negative thoughts disappeared. It was the loud cheers from the cheering squad that washed away all the negativity. Even though it was a tense scene where he had to be very defensive, he was so moved that he almost burst into tears thinking that there are people who support him so much. I now feel that I am extremely fortunate to have people who expect more from me and support me than I do, and to have been able to walk through a baseball career where they support me.
Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to those who have helped me.
First of all, I would like to thank my fellow 4th graders more than anyone else.
Thank you for the past four years. Of course, I am grateful to everyone who helped lead the team through their plays, but I am most grateful to the fourth-year students who didn’t get to play much. When I became captain, I didn’t say it out loud, but I wanted to become a team where the fourth-year students who aren’t playing in the games are most respected and appreciated. This is because we believe that such a team is the “team that should win.” We were able to become a team that everyone respected the most because of the way we worked hard, the way we truly loved baseball, the way we went out of our way to provide support and analysis for the team, and the way we strongly cheered them on. Thanks to everyone, all members were able to move towards victory. thanks so much.
Also, Manet and everyone at Gakuko. Ishii (4th year/Manager/Nada) wrote something like “A manager’s job is not visible to the players” in his book, and that is certainly true. I don’t know much about most of the manager’s work either. I think that’s how much we players are being pampered by our managers. When I hear about other club activities at the University of Tokyo, I realize how blessed we are. Thank you for the smooth operation that led to victory. It really caused trouble for the academic team. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to repay you for your expectations and concern for me. The knocks that everyone made while crushing blood blisters and the analysis that everyone spared no time in sleeping for always led to the team’s victory. Thank you for leading the team.
Also, Matsuoka (4th year/Pitcher/Toho Komaba) and Ryo Hase (4th year/Outfielder/Nada) who supported me as vice captain. Matsuoka played an important role both as vice captain and as a pitcher, and I really relied on him. thank you. Thank you to Ryo Hase for always thinking about supporting the team as vice captain. Having Ryo Hase in Team B has made it easier to understand his opinions, and his positive influence on this team is quite large. Thank you so much for persevering despite the hardships. I ask for your best support.
To my juniors
Thank you for the past year. I learned from everyone how to approach baseball and how to deal with it. I will never forget the sight of my juniors in frustration with tears in their eyes after the game against Tokyo University of Agriculture, where they suffered a crushing defeat just before the spring league match. I was shocked, wondering if I could have been so disappointed in the opening match. This match is one of the most memorable matches of the past year. Even in practice, we were able to practice with a sense of tension due to everyone’s strictness. If you are like that, I think you can aim even higher. In the end, we decided to escape from the bottom and pass it on to everyone. Please lend me a little more strength.
To seniors
I’m really sorry that I couldn’t contribute to everyone’s victory. However, thanks to our seniors, the University of Tokyo baseball team is what it is today. I would also like to thank my seniors who took me out to dinner many times and listened to my stories at Nezuba. Even though I used to be unconsciously nervous in front of the club members, talking with my seniors made me feel more at home as just a junior.
The support team and everyone who supported us
Thank you for fighting with us for the past four years. This season, I sometimes look at the cheering seats from the bench. What you can see from the bench are fellow leaders Asaka and Suzuki, who believe in victory and glare at the opponent’s stands, and the cheerleaders who are dancing powerfully and encouraging the cheering seats.Although you can’t see them from the bench, they are cheering us on with their powerful cheer. This is the brass band that raises the voltage. Seeing everyone’s faces really gives me courage. I regret not realizing until the fall of my senior year that there was such an easy way to raise my spirits during a game. Finally, let’s sing one song loudly and leave the shrine.
We received a lot of expectations from our fans. Only recently have I realized how happy I am to have so many people’s expectations and support for me, and how much strength I receive from them. Your expectations and support keep us going. thank you very much.
Director Ide, Assistant Director Okubo
Thank you for your help for 4 years. As the culmination of Ide baseball, I would like to repay Coach Ide by helping us escape from last place, and retire together.
I would also like to thank Assistant Director Okubo for his guidance this year, even though it was difficult for us to have only one instructor. Thank you for your expectations and for your concern. Thank you very much for the last card.
Mr. Toyota, Mr. Takagi
The menus that Mr. Toyoda came up with during the league games were all things that energized the club members and gave them the energy to move on to the next game. thank you for helping me. Mr. Takagi asked for support from this year, and I am sorry that we were not able to cooperate well with Mr. Takagi at first. The “Soi Corps” that Mr. Takagi is aiming for is essential for the University of Tokyo to become stronger. We look forward to your continued support.
Rivals of the six Tokyo universities
Thank you for fighting with us so far. It was a really great experience to be able to interact with high-level athletes from other universities and be inspired by them. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!
I was also constantly inspired by the successes of people at national and public universities such as Kyoto University, Yokohama National University, and Kanoya University of Physical Education. thank you.
Mr. Kuribayashi, Mr. Oishi, Mr. Naoi, Mr. Nakamura, Mr. Tajiri, and everyone from the 135th generation of Shizuka High School Baseball Club.
The reason why I am now in the important position of captain on the glamorous stage of Tokyo Six University Baseball is definitely due to the three years I spent at Shizuka High School. Thank you to all the teachers who encouraged me and expanded my dreams.
And everyone from the 135th class. I was happy to be surrounded by really unique classmates. In particular, Muramatsu (Meiji University/R5 graduate), Kinoshita (Law University/R5 graduate), and Kuroiwa (Rate University/R5 graduate) continued to give me courage even during my Ronin period and throughout my four years at this university. Thank you very much for bringing me to Roku University. I know there are many difficult times, but I will always support you. keep it up!
Yamato (Keio University, 3rd year), Raion (Keio University, 4th year), Usui (infielder/Shizuoka), and although they are not the same, Takasu-kun (Meiji University, 2nd year), Ikeda-kun (Hosei University/ 2nd year), Shibuya-kun (Waseda University/2nd year), Miyamoto-kun (Ritsugu University/2nd year)
Thank you for running with me for 4 years. I’m going to watch the Keiwa game, so do your best at the end!
To my remaining juniors at Six Universities (and Yamato), thank you for coming to Six Universities. Let’s make Shizuka’s name known once again on this wonderful stage of Six University Baseball!
to family
When I was writing thank you to everyone, I ended up behind the scenes like this. sorry.
Thank you for raising me in a warm home. My baseball life has been enriched by the fact that I have been able to meet so many fascinating people, but it was always my father and mother who gave me the opportunity to meet them. It was a truly happy baseball life. thank you!
On the final card, I will do my best while savoring the happiness of being able to encounter baseball. Please watch a lot!
I have come this far with many different thoughts along the way. We have had many people’s expectations, and we have caused many people to worry at times. There are only a few days left in baseball at Jingu Stadium, where the joy of hitting and winning is endless, and the frustration of not hitting and losing is endless.
I am convinced that the University of Tokyo baseball team has ample potential to win the Six Universities Championship. In order to connect with our juniors who will win the championship someday, we will take the lead in order to show through results that we are the “team that should win,” which we have been striving for all year.
Thank you for your continued support until the end.
Last but not least, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the members of our alumni association, our fans, those who warmly welcomed us at our training camp, and the members of the Tokyo Six Universities Federation, all of whom have generously supported the activities of the University of Tokyo Baseball Club. On behalf of the department, I would like to thank you all. We look forward to your continued support of the University of Tokyo Baseball Club.
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Special feature on 4th graders who will retire after the fall league game《My baseball life》This was the final episode. Thank you very much for reading.
In the match against the rival school starting tomorrow, the team will come together as one and fight with all their heart and soul.
We will definitely make it out of last place, so please give us your warm support until the end.
2023-10-20 12:29:14
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