Diamond no Ace 95

Daiya no A Chapter 95

Page 01

Chapter 95: Jade Plant

Page 02

July, 25th.
4th round, Yakushi - Toritsu Chigusa

Page 03

Page 04

Uwaaa. This clean-up hitter can't be stopped.
Is he really a freshman!!
Switching in for number 6, Mino-kun: Sanada-kun.
Pitcher, Sanada-kun.

Page 05

After that, he pitches all through the 7th inning, where the game was called with 12-3.
They still had the momentum of having beat Ichidai. // So Yakushi made their way into the best eight after all.
It was also this right-hander that held down Ichidai 2 innings in the later half.
A strong pitching focused on in-courses
and a shot pressing on a right-hand batter's chest.

Page 06

Number 18, Sanada Shunpei.
There's no doubt that he's the important ace of the team.
That's a rare shot...
Why isn't he pitching from the start?
He got a handicap...?
That I don't know.
But... they have an unorthodox play-style with preserving their ace and suddenly switching out the clean-up hitter...
If this was all calculated...
there's a good possibility they'll have something in store for us too.

Page 07

And what's more, their line-up:
#3 Mishima
#4 Todoroki
#5 Akiba
Their three clean-up hitters had 7 clean hits and scored 8 points...
They might be freshmen, but we can't let our guard down against them...
They stole a base seven times, huh...
Yes... Their aggressive running made up for their no bunting....

Page 08

While we have to pay attention to their aggressive runners, we also have to be careful about their strong batting order.
That they won't bunt will actually put more pressure on the pitchers!!
They might be harder to beat than we think...

Page 09

Tokyo, Suginami
Yakushi High School
Okay, guys. The last touch.

Page 10

Those who can't bunt properly during practice, won't bunt in any games.
Pour in some spirit!!
Th- That's a surprise...
That a team, who hasn't bunted a single time so far, would practice bunts now.
Hey, hey, don't look down on baseball, Miss Pole.
Pole...
We can bunt at any time.
That confidence is what let's us hit the ball.

Page 11

In the end, it all comes down to the players in baseball...
You just have to let them play how they prefer it...
Training is strict, efficient and severe!!
And during a game you fully enjoy baseball.
That's our motto.
(Got it?)
Hah...
What looks like a ridiculous play-style on a first glance
is actually a proper outlook of baseball of their own...
...
Coach Todoroki, you played baseball until your 40s in a company team, right.
Yeah. Well done research.
So why is an incredible player like you.....

Page 12

unemployed ever since you quit the company after you retired from the team!?
D- Don't research that much!
Baseball is all that I can do... // I was teaching kids on the streets.
....
Then I run out of money... My wife left me...
Ah~~ I'm really glad this school picked me up~~
(Such a close call...)
H- He's no good!! He's a good-for-nothing adult, who's only interested in baseball!!
So it was you after all who taught your son Raichi-kun baseball?
...
I just... gave him this bat.

Page 13

Eh... This bat?
Pick it up, Miss Pole.
Jade Plant...
[on the bat is "Jade Plant" written too]
J- Just how heavy is this bat! // Is it a mascot!? No, it's more...
It's the bat I practiced with back in my active days. (Fufufu)
R- Riachi-kun is swinging this bat every day!?

Page 14
I had no money to have him attend any teams. // And his middle school hadn't had a baseball club either...
But he still continued to swing that bat. ('Cause he's an idiot.)
Creativity knows no bounds.
So he gained some incredible imagine training.
A 160km/h
straight.
A Slider or Cut ball that suddenly breaks
in front of the batter.
And a swinging and dropping pitch,
The knuckler.

Page 15

In his mind he created a monstrous pitcher. And against him
he swung his bat day in, day out without rest.
!
His hunger for baseball is different from all these sandlot playing kids...

Page 16

He'll make a fortune.
Unlike me, he'll become a man that makes tons of money with just a single bat---
I heard they're freshmen like us.
That Furuya throws some cruel pitches.

Page 17

There's also the side-thrower and a regular right-hander....
Aside from the fact that they have 4 pitchers, what's annoying is their different types.
You guys are watching the video again...
Ah, Sanada-senpai.
Raichi's dad told us to watch it closely...
Father and son, both don't compromise on anything.
(Geez)
Even with the tape of Manaka-san from Ichidai. He watched it so often that the tape is beat-up...

Page 18

He had an incredible pitch, just like I imagined....
...Fuhn
So? How's Seidou...
Can you imagine it?
Kahaha!
These two are interesting...

Page 19

You mean them?
I can understand Furuya, but that south-paw too!?
I can't imagine it properly with just the video...
He has something that the video doesn't catch...

Page 20

Kahahaha. Seidou High School.
I want... I want to play them right away.
Honestly...
Is there actually anyone who can lust for baseball more than him?
C.- Could it be, you didn't get a job, so that you could raise Raichi's hunger for baseball?
Yep!