One Outs 1

One Outs, Volume 1, Chapter 1 (pp. 3~35)


<3>
Chapter 1: Premonition

=Hiromichi Kojima, the "Prodigy of Misfortune" knows—

=There is an essential "something" that he lacks

=And on yet another day, he is continuing his arduous workout
[x3]HUFF

In search of that "something"


<4&5>
Chapter 1: Premonition


<6>
Okinawa. December, 1998—

GRUCK

WHIRR
=Whoa!!
=Amazing...


<7>
=He's really in his game
=Yeah//There've been many great players in the pro leagues
=But none more serious about the game than him

The "Prodigy of Misfortune"//Hiromichi Kojima
His determination is stronger than ever heading into next season

At a time where all the other players are enjoying the off-season//He has left his family behind//And has started up a training camp here in Okinawa
No one blames him
At the age of 43
This may very well be his final season

'78 Rookie of the year
7-time batting champion
5-time league leader in HRs
8-time league leader in RBIs
2-time Triple Crown winner
But even with all these awards and achievements//There is one title he has yet to obtain//—That is...


<8>
A Championship
Not once has he experienced winning a championship since entering the pro ranks

Therein lies the reason for his nickname, "Prodigy of Misfortune"

<9>
PH—EW

=You're looking good, Kojima san—
=Maybe next season you'll finally get to reverse that "Misfortune" part of your nickname

=You...
=Think I haven't won a championship because I've been unlucky?

=Huh?

=Luck, chance...
=It's got nothing to do with that//The reason our team can't win is because...


<10>
=There's just "something" we're missing that's keeping us from winning a championship

=Not that I actually know what that thing is


<11>
=Our mini-training camp in Okinawa was all about finding this "something"

=I am the trainer, Kinosaki
=Then the 20-year old pitcher from the second-string team, Nakane//It's just the three of us here

=However
=I often find myself thinking that picking Nakane was a poor choice

He may be young, but he has absolutely no sense of urgency or expectancy
Above all, he hasn't understood the purpose of this training camp at all

—Let me tell you a story
=Owww


<12>
=What happened
=I jammed my finger playing catch

=How is it?
=Yeah...
=He's injured the ligament
=I see... You won't be pitching for a while

=But what about batting practice...?
=No need to worry about me

=Take care of yourself first
=You've still got a future ahead of you


<13>
=Straight to the hospital
=Okay

=Jammed finger...
=Wasn't from catch, was it
=Huh!?

=Hah-hah... You noticed?
=Of course, I'm a trainer you know—

=You see... I got into a little argument at the bar
=And... Well...

=You had a fight!?
=N-No way
=I just whacked around him a little...

=Come with me!
=...Whoa... Where we going?


<14>
=We're looking for a substitute pitcher
=Huh?//Here!?

=Don't you understand how Kojima-san feels!?
=This might be his last year as a professional//He's going at it with everything he's got

=And you... Getting injured like this...
=Fine//I'll look//I'll look for one

We tried every high school and amateur team we could find

...But
Finding a substitute like this was bound to be difficult


<15>
=...No luck...
=This has gotta be the worst time for this
=It's almost new year's. Who'd be playing baseball this time of year?

=Hey—

=You guys lookin' for a pitcher?

=Yes
=A foreigner...?
=Then there's this place around here where they play baseball//They're gonna start up in about an hour or so

=There's a lotta good players
=Wanna come take a look?


<16>
[x2]*rabble*
[x2]*rabble*
=C'mo—n!

ZWUSH
TUG
=I'll blast ya outta the park


<17>
=Hmph!
BWUSH
THUD

=You a'ight Georgie—?
=Ya missed it by 5 feet

=This is...
=What she meant?
=Probably
=Holler if you see one
=I'll introduce you

=What is this?

=Whaddya mean...
=This look like basketball to you?

[x2]HAH-HAH
=...Fuckers—
=Now now


<18>
=This is a game called One Outs
=The guys from the American base play it all the time

=One Outs?
=Yep... Just like the name. The pitcher has to get one out from the batter

=If the batter strikes out...
=Or bounces it anywhere on the infield, they lose. Anything else and the pitcher loses

KRIIICK
=The batter won that one
=It got past the infield before it bounced
THUD

=Fuck man—I had big money on that one
=Richie
=Nice shot!!

=Th...
=This is...!?


<19>
=Gambling!?

=Kinozaki-san
=Aren't we... Kinda in the wrong place...?
=Yeah...

=Hey, take a look
=Japanese dude's throwin' next


<20>
That moment
I got a weird feeling

Maybe it was a premonition//It was definitely real

The sure-fire scent of trouble


<21>
=Well—Why don't you guys place a bet?
=Pitcher or batter...?

=Well?
=Yeah... It doesn't look like they'll just let us get up and leave//Let's just bet 1000 yen and get outta here

=Right then... 1000 on the batter
=Okay
=1000 on the batter for these two

=Y-You chose the batter?
=Yeah, it's gotta be—
=Good choice

=That guy was the clean-up hitter for a top U.S. high school team
=He hits hard—


<22>
BWHUSH

THUMP

OHHHHHH
=I see
=So it's a "ball" if it doesn't land in that rectangle...


<23>
An ordinary fastball
Speed's only about 70mph and they don't look heavy

—So that's all//This guy

=Hey
=I told you the batter would win
=Yeah...

[x2]ZUSH

ZUSH

WHUP

[x3]ZUSH


<24>
GRUCK

=Ah—


<25>
=Too bad—Not your day today
=Y-Yeah
=All right//Here you go...

=Next one! 1000 on the batter again!!
=Wha...

=What are you talking about...?
=Don't worry, Kinozaki-san

=You saw that guy's pitching
=He's nothing
=I can tell 'cause I'm a pitcher myself

=We'll win if we keep betting against him

However


<26>
=The next batter struck out
THUMP

=Fu—ck
=Double bet! 2000 on the next batter!!
=Okay

However...

OHHHH
WHUP
=Another strikeout


<27>
OHHHHH

=Fuck—Double again on the next—
=Wait

=We're being set up...
=Huh!?

=The pitcher and batter are in cohorts
=We keep betting on the batter
=So they keep striking out on purpose to make easy money


<28>
=...Ah...
=Now that we know, let's get the hell out of here

=Hey
=We had a fun time

=What's this?

=Huh...? It's the 4000 yen we lost...
=Ha-hah
=It's not 4000 yen you guys lost

=It's 4000 dollars


<29>
=What the fuck!?
=Who're you callin' a fuck

=Did I ever say we were talking about yen?
=Besides, you saw all the others placing their bets in dollars

=You guys just made that assumption on your own

=Heh
=Re—ally

=So that's how you play
CLUNK

=...Then I've got an idea of my own


<30>
=Hey//Cheating pitcher
=I'm the next batter up!!

=I'll even out the whole 4000 dollars in one shot

=You...
=My finger's fine
=Besides, I was hitting clean-up a year and a half ago in high school

=Sorry...
=Can't make that deal


<31>
=Heh//Just as I thought
=You're just a cheater

PH—EW

=Idiot

=Cheater, swindler—
=With you sayin' all that shit//I'm sayin' 4000...

=Is too fuckin' cheap

=Oh really—
=Then how much?
=Huh?


<32>
=40,000 dollars

=F-
=Forty-thousand—!?

=That's almost 5 million yen!
=No fucking way!

=Besides, no one's got that kinda...
[x2]SHUFF


<33>
[x3]BLAP

=It's totally all right
=With me

=But... It looks like you're injured
=Guess it wouldn't be fair unless I gave you a handicap...


<34>
=You hit the ball and you win
=How's that?

=Hit...
=...That's all...?

=Yeah...
=Even if you just graze it
=No bunting though

=Wha...
=No way... You're...

My odd premonition... Had definitely come true


<35>
This is—
No ordinary guy—!!