One Outs 12

One Outs, Volume 2, Chapter 12 (pp. 77~99)


<77>
[sign]Owner's Office
=Get me the manager

=Hey Mihara-kun, it's me...
=I heard that guy is our starter today

=Listen

=Don't take him off the mound until he loses 3 runs
Chapter 12: Impatience

=Hello baseball fans//Today's a clear, sunny day of spring, and here at Karuike stadium
=We bring you the pre-season game between the Lycaons and the Fingers
OHHHHHH

=Our guest commentator today is Lycaons slugger Hiromichi Kojima, who has been sidelined due to an injury to his right arm
=Hi there

=The Lycaons have rookie Toua Tokuchi as their starter
=It's a pre-season game, but it's still his first pro start. He must be nervous. Right, Kojima-san?
=We'll see

=...Huh!?


<78&79>
=He's asleep!!
=The game is moments away from starting, but Tokuchi
=Has audaciously fallen asleep in the dugout!!
[x2]SNORE—
Chapter 12: Impatience

<80>
=Tokuchiiii
=You'd better...
Pitching coach from hell, Akio Saejima
Pet phrase "Run! Faster!"
[x6]RAGE

[bubble]Shape up
[x2]GRUCK
WHUP
[bubble]ACK

=Alright
=Let's go
It hurts—//Saejima-san—//Sob sob

=His previous appearance was against a Bloomers lineup filled with younger players. But today, the Fingers have what is likely to resemble their opening-day lineup. Will Toua Tokuchi be able to continue his no-hit streak?
=No way//That was pure luck

=Once he loses those 3 runs

=He's fired


<81>
=Let's start it up
=Hurry up and get to the plate
OHHH

=Huh?
=Hey, what about your practice pitches?
OHHH

=Don't need 'em

=U-Unbelievable!
=Toua Tokuchi has declined to throw practice pitches!!
OHHHH

=What confidence!!
=That little...
OHHH

=What audacity!!
=I'll show him!!

However...


<82>
=Got a piece of it
CRACK

=Katahira grounds out to third
=A 1-2-3 first inning for the Fingers lineup

Phew—
My my

=Fuck!!
GRUCK


<83>
OHHHHHH
Fingers starting pitcher
Junichi Kawanaka

=How's Tokuchi?
=He's got nothing

=Won't last long

=Lycaons are looking good today
=Oh?
=So Tokuchi's throwing well

=No... Tokuchi's always like this
=I'm talking about the Fingers lineup

=They're in for a huge surprise if they keep underestimating Tokuchi


<84>
=The starter for the Fingers is last year's rookie of the year, Kawanaka
=14-7 record, with a 3.01 ERA//Outstanding numbers for a rookie
=As always, his fastball is up in the low 90s and he's got great movement on his forkball


<85>
=Steeerike yer out!!
=Yer out!

=Lookin' good Kawanaka
=Forkball's sinkin' like crazy

=Please...
=Don't worry about me


<86>
=Just hurry up and get some runs

=Huh?

=Hey, don't get impatient
=We'll KO him in no time

How optimistic can they get
Why haven't they realized

How formidable this pitcher is


<87>
=Strike!//Yer out!!

Here, yet another individual has realized Toua's talent

Lycaons catcher//Satoshi Ideguchi—

=It's the end of the 6th inning, and both teams still remain hitless

ZZT
=A rare pitching duel between two pitchers of contrasting styles

OHHHH
=Kawanaka brings the heat
=While Tokuchi continues to pitch elusively

=He's completely shutout the Fingers lineup


<88>
=Hits it//3rd base line
=It's fair!!

=This is gonna be for extra bases

=First-base runner rounds third and is...

=Home
=There goes the tie—!!


<89>
FLASH

BLAP
=Fuck!

=Take it easy
=Still a one-run game

=Okay
=Forget it...

=We won't win this game... Impossible...//I don't care... Win or lose

=At the very least

=Please get a hit before the game ends


<90>
=Whiffs again—//The Fingers lineup
OHH

=Has been completely silent—!!
[x3]OHHHH

=How fast was that last pitch?
=Uh... Exactly 80mph, I think
Interpreter

=80!?
=What

=Nothing...
I couldn't even see that last fastball


<91>
=It felt like it was going 100mph!!

BLAM
=Kadomura also strikes out—!!

The ball, it...
Keeps running away

OHHHH

=It's the 8th
=And the Fingers team has finally realized


<92>
=That there is...
=An extraordinary opponent facing them

=But...
=Their realization has come far too late

=Again

=Again

=And again, they fail to hit him


<93>
=Kojima's prediction and Kawanaka's premonition
=Both, have come true

BWAP

=Strike
=Batter out...


<94&95>
=A perfect game!
=Perfect game!
=Without allowing a single runner, Tokuchi...
=Has retired all 27 batters!!
OHHHHH

=...N-
=No way...

Phew—
Over at last
OHHHHH

Tokuchi...
The real battle starts on opening day

GRUCK
=O...//Owner...

<96>
=Kojima-san

=That guy is unbelievable

=The last game, my legs started shaking catching those pitches
=And today... They still haven't stopped


<97>
=Pitchers with strong arms and good movement
=I've seen tons of them
=But

=I've never seen anything like that
=His pitching is beyond my understanding

He only threw fastballs
Sure, he fiddles with speeds and paints the corners. But sometimes he throws ridiculously lazy pitches straight down the middle

Still
He doesn't get hit

=What exactly does he see that we don't?


<98>
=Yeah he's pretty good, that guy

Lycaons manager
Yuzaburo Mihara

=We'll keep him in the farm team for a couple months, teach him some more pitches
=Maybe promote him around the rainy season...
=Fuck the rainy season

=Promote him to the first team immediately

=Y...
=Yes sir...


<99>
If he plays in those sloppy farm games

=He'll bring his salary up even further!!

Toua Tokuchi appeared in another pre-season game 4 days later
Coming in for relief in the 8th inning, he retired all 6 batters he faced

Toua Tokuchi's pre-season stats
18 innings pitched
14 strikeouts
28 ground outs
10 infield flies
2 outfield flies
0 walks
0 hits
0 earned runs

Under the One Outs contract, Toua Tokuchi's tentative salary before the start of the regular season is

270 million yen