Mangahelpers Translations

[English] [Translation] One Outs 121 by Masa Kaneda

2012-07-15T13:35:11+00:00

reserved for E-A

One Outs 121

title. Secret Plot

p133
1. I will reorganize the staff.
2. I will restructure...
3. ...the team completely.

p134
1. So, this place is your hideout.
2. You...
3. Mitamura, the representative of Tronpos
4. *smirks*
5. It was hard to find you.
6. Well...
7. ....
8. If the company has gotten into such situation, you would arouse....
9 … hostility among the employees and you would be in danger.
10. But look what you've done.
11. Not only your company got taken over, //but you reluctantly gave up your ball team.
12. What did you intend to do about the promise with me?
13. ...
14. ... you....

p135
1. ...got a secret loan from Ron Wood Capital by offering them the corporation's own stock as mortgage, right?
2. How did you know?
3. kukuku
4. I know everything.
5 That was a daring attempt .
6. Were you unable to use your main bank?
7. There were many problems.
8. many
9. problems
10. There was this clause in the contract of the sale of the ball team;
11. "The sale price is 10 times the Lycaons' pretax profit this season."
12. You were doing something dirty, right?

p136
1. something like...
2. … fixing the players annual salaries in order to inflate the pretax profit.
3. Haha... there is no way...
4. … I can do that.
5. I don't think so.
6. For instance, how about this?
7. making player's salary based on his performance
8. In that way, you can make under-performing player's salary literally zero.

p137
1. However, performance-based pay is prohibited by the agreement.
2. Besides, if the player succeeded beyond expectation, you would have lots of loss.
3. Speaking of the Lycaons,
4. If Tokuchi was paid based on his performance, I guess things would have been terrible.
5. Just say it.
6. You know...
7. ...everything, right?

p138
1. Right.
2. I know everything,
3. You made the one outs contract with Tokuchi...
4. At first it was believed that the advantage was on the ball team's side, but Tokuchi's unexpected success made a huge loss.
5. And you asked Tokuchi to accept a revise to the contract.
6. But even with the revised contract, Tokuchi held a dominant position.
7. You went for the final battle with Tokuchi after getting the loan from Ron Wood.
8. But you lost miserably.
9. ...
10. ...Why?
12. Why do you know so much details...?
13. kukuku
14. Of course, I know everything.
15. Because...

p139
1. Toua Tokuchi is an assassin we've sent into.
2. !!?
3. Wh..
4. Whaaat!?
5. Kukuku
6. Judging from your reaction, you haven't noticed it at all.
7. The day I met him was...
8. ... March 4th, one month before the season open.

p140
1. That day, I was in the middle of exchanging information about the purchase of the ball team with my subordinates.
2. What? The Lycaons ball team is attempting to inflate their pretax profit?
3. Yes.
4. The players' salaries were either unchanged or pay-cut on the grounds that they were the lowest in rank in the last season.
5. Besides that, six high-earners were designated for assignment.
6. This makes the total amount of players' salaries reduced by 3 hundreds millions.
7. It's obvious that they are trying to increase the sale price of the ball team.
8. Damn, Saikawa.
9. dirty bastard.
10. Excuse me, sir
11. Tokuchi Toua?

p141
1. ...What can I do for you?
2. kukuku
3. I've heard an interesting story from a source.
4. It's about that the Lycaons will be sold to this company next year.
5. !?
6. Who is this guy?
7. That information is confidential.
8. I'm afraid to tell you this, but...
9. I know nothing about the Lycaons's future.
10. That's just a gossip.
11. Now would you leave us please?
12. The sale price of The Lycaons is 10 times their pretax profit this
season.
13. Because of that, they are now desperate to increase it.

p142
1. I can easily get...
2. … such information.
3. Who the hell is this guy?
4. To tell you the truth, from this spring I'll join the Lycaons for a trial period
5. Tomorrow, a meeting is going to be held to discuss about my salary this season.
6. As you guys know, Saikawa is a cheap bastard.
7. I'm an inexperienced player. So you can easily imagine that he'll
make my salary practically free.
8. Now here's my plan.
9. I'll propose a performance-based pay system to him.
10. !?
11. 5 million yen per out but each time I lose a run I pay him 50
million yen. //Mathematically, even a player with lowest ERA can
be minus. The stingy Saikawa would definitely jump into this
deal.

p143
1. uh-huh
2. interesting.
3. So what do you think?
4. Let's team up.
5. I'll exploit his stinginess and pluck shitload of money out of his0
hands. //That corresponds with your intention of decreasing the
Lycaons' pretax profit, right?

6. You guys back me up with information gathering and financial support.

7. The more support I get from you, the more money I get from Saikawa.

8. Are you interested?
9. …
10. Interesting.
11. That's indeed an interesting plan, however...
12. There is one problem.

p144
1. We don't know you are skilled enough to pluck money out of Saikawa's hands.

2. That's it.
3. Hey
4. You were the first batter in a college ball team, right?
5. You try him.
6. Let's see your performance.
7. Rule is simple
8. You throw 20 strikes and if he gets one hit, you lose.
9. He's a rookie, but only one hit in 20 pitches makes...
10. ...our advantage a little too big.
11. kukuku

p145
1. That's easy.
2. Let's do it.
3. To be honest,
4. that was an excuse to drive this dubious guy away.
5. But the result was...

p146
1. not only he didn't get a hit, but his bat didn't even touch the ball.
2. Then I made up my mind.
3. I'll team up with him.
4. kukuku
5. …
6. kukuku
7. Now you get it.
8. You've been deceived so far....
9. ...by Tokuchi

p147
1. and by me
2. Goddammit!
3. Dammit!
4. Dammit!
5. ...Mitamura
6. Don't think you'd get away with this.

p148
1. I'll sink...
2. ...you and Tokuchi
3. everyone
4. I've received a fax from Saikawa.
5. fax?
6. What kind of excuse he makes now?
7. Just ignore it.
8. But...

p149
1. You'd better see this.
2. This is shocking.
3. What do you mean "shocking"?
4. anyway,
5. I read it.
6. To all the Lycaons players
7. First of all, I, as the owner, deeply apologize for causing a confusion like this.

8. I know whatever I say it makes a poor excuse.
9. But I'm really sorry.
10. However I have to confess one important thing.

p150
1. The poor management of the ball team was...
2. ...due to Tokuchi Toua's excessive salary
3. !?
4. What!?
5. When I made a contract with him...
6. I was set up by him...
7. ...and ended up making...
8. …a performance-based pay contract.
9. !!
10. performance-based pay!?
11. Really?
12. And
13. his annual salary, as of now, is...

p151
1. 33 billions
2. th..
3. 33 billions
4. Smart guys like you would see the point.
5. The ball team running into the red, as you've heard on news,
6. is basically caused by the payment of excessive salary to Tokuchi.
7. oh no
8. can't believe it.
9. However
10. There is one thing you can do.
11. Tonight, a press conference about the sale of the ball team will be held.

p152
1. Right there,
2. you guys reveal this fact in front of the press.
3. I'm sure people would also point a finger of blame at me.
4. However I'm gladly to take responsibility.
5. On the other hand, you guys are innocent.
6. You must be saved.
7. Therefore,
8. I suggest you to tell the truth that without Tokuchi the team will be in healthy management.

9. Having misled by the gossips, lots of corporations are hesitating to acquire the ball team.

10. But as soon as you reveal this fact...

p153
1. ...there will be lots of corporations that will make an action to buy the team...

2. therefore, you all will be saved.
3. We'll be saved.
4. We'll be saved by doing this.
5. Wait a minute...
6. This means we discard Tokuchi-san, right?
7. ....
8. kukukuku
9. Die, Mitamura
10. Die,
11. Tokuchi!!

[English] [Translation] One Outs 120 by Masa Kaneda

2012-06-18T12:42:41+00:00

Reserved for Endless Abyss

One Outs volume 14 chapter 120

p110
1. The Lycaons will in mid-season
2. end their season

p111
1. The Lycaons will be...
2. gone
3. In 2 weeks
4. 2 weeks
5. We won't be able to
6. play baseball...
7. Ahhhh
8. Dammit!
9. We've risen to 2nd place in the standings with great effort. //Now it comes to nothing.

p112
1. What are you mourning about?
2. The Lycaons won't be gone.
3. There are plenty of corporations who wanna be an
owner of a baseball team.
4. There are only 12 teams. You are lucky if you can be an owner.
6. We don't even need 2 weeks.
7. We'll get offers from hundreds of corporations tomorrow.
8. The Lycaons are in their prime now.
9. Strong,
10. and popular.
11. Who would leave such a good corporation alone...?
12 Then
13 Why...
14 ...Ron Wood Capital abandon the Lycaons?

p113
1. umm...
2. well....
3. Chief...
4. You said the team was in a healthy management many times.
5 But
6. In the press conference they said plainly that they didn't need The Lycaons .
7. I feel like our value has been denied.
8. It shocked me.
9. ....
10. Hey
11. Stop thinking negatively

p114
1. At least we can continue to play baseball for 2 weeks.
2. Then, all we have to do is to work harder,
3. and keep winning.
4. If we keep winning,
5. People who said the Lycaons didn't have value...
6. ....could change their mind.

p115
1. They motivated themselves.
2. The next day was 8-1, and the following day was 10-3
3. They won both games.
4. In the end, offers from corporations were...

p116
1. ...none
2. It's strange...
3. What's going on?
4. There's a growing tendency for the protest against anihilation of the
Lycaons among the fans.
5. If you offer to buy the team now, you'll be a hero.
6. Why...
7. ...is no one offering?
8. That's...
9. obvious.

p117
1. Saying "we don't need the Lycaons" is like ....
2. saying "managing the Lycaons is unprofitable."
3. Indeed...
4. ... this corporation is in the red and have debt of tens of billions.
(Chief's handwritten comment) Are you drunk?
5. The debt of tens of billions were simply caused by the one outs
contract with Tokuchi
6. Besides, it hasn't entered the Lycaons' records.
7. Which means, as a corporation, the Lycaons is in a healthy management.
8. *chuckle*
9. So, that debt came from where?
10. I.. don't...
11. know.
12. *chuckle*
13. I tell you.

p118
1. It's Ron Wood Capital...
2. ...that paid the money.
3. Wha..
4. Whaaat!?
5. As you know, it's already decided that Lycaons would be sold to
Tronpos after this season.
6. The sale price is....
7. ...10 times the Lycaons' pretax profit this season
8. The pretax profit was estimated to be 5 billions considering the
profit of last season. So the team was supposed to be sold by
enormous 50 billions.
9. However...

p119
1. because of the one outs contract with Toa Tokuchi, the annual
expenditure gradually increased
2. at one time, the pretax profit became massive deficit...
3. so that the team was likely to be sold by free.
4. The owner considered.
5. If he raised money which they pay Tokuchi from other than the Lycaons ball team,
6. it would not harm the team's records.
7. However all the departments of the Saikawa group are short of money.
8. It's almost impossible to move money within the group.
9. Then he finally used a last resort.

p120
1. Getting 50 billions of loan...
2. ....from Ron Wood Capital by offering them the corporation's own
stock as mortgage,
3. Then with that fund, he went for the big fight against Tokuchi.
4. He had an absolute confidence.
5. But the result was...
6. a complete defeat.

p121
1. I get it!! As soon as Ron Wood Capital realized Saikawa was not
capable of paying off the debt, they held an emergency meeting of
the shareholders.

2. By using plenty of the Saikawa group's shares as a weapon...

3. ....they took over the Saikawa group.

4. Damn, those vultures.

5. From the beginning they loaned us 50 billions with an intention of taking over the group .

6. No, it wasn't.
7. Saikawa group was reaching a dead end.
8. Sooner or later, this would have happened.

p122
1. I feel pity for the employees who'll get fired...
2. ...and the players who won't be able to play baseball within 2
weeks.
3. ...
4. Wait a minute.

5. What kind of situation Tronpos would be in?

4. It's decided that Tronpos will purchase the team.

5. But if the Saikawa group is gone, they'll be in trouble.

6. No, they won't.

7. They've already taken the next step.

8. Take a look at this.

9. These are gossips about the Lycaons written on the magazines in
the last few days.

10. Mostly they are saying that the management of the Lycaons is in a
poor condition.

p123
1. It's Tronpos who is spreading the gossips.

2. Guess why they are doing this.

3. Because such negative campaigning...

4. ...would discourage corporations who's trying to purchase the
Lycaons.

5. Indeed no one has offered to purchase the Lycaons.

6. In the end,

7. they are trying to buy the team by the cheapest price as possible.

8. ....
9. I see.

p124
1. To be honest,
2. I'm relieved.
3. In any way, Tronpos is willing to buy the Lycaons.
4. Great.
5. The Lycaons...
6. ... won't be gone.

p125
1. Hit! It flies straight to the back screen.
2. Home run
3. The game ends
4. The Lycaons wins again.
5. They carried the momentum.
6. Since the day the press conference held, their results are 9 wins and 1 lose.

7. A miracle will happen as they win.
8. They only believed it.
9. And
10. on the day before the deadline,
11. they hear a breaking news.
12. This is news.
13. The first news is about The Lycaons.

p126
1. Today toronpos has announced purchase of the Lycaons.
2. Yeah!

p127
1. Tronpos.
2. Who are they?
3. They are an lease finance company. They are rapidly growing
lately.
4. They won't go into bankruptcy?
5. No worry.
6. Their management is in a very good condition.
7. Anyway, we've been rescued.
8. We can play baseball
9. We can play baseball
10. Later in the day, the press conference was held.
11. They gathered around in front of TV to see the savior.

p128
1. He's the CEO.
2. young
3. Thank you for coming to the press conference today.
4. I am the representative of the Tronpos group;
5. Mitamura Kaname
6. He is..
7. the CEO.

p129
1. As you know, we've offered Ron Wood Capital...
2. ... to take over the management of the Lycaons
3. but please don't misunderstand.
4. Our intention is purchasing the hardware.
5. What?
6. "The hardware" refers to the stadium and accommodation,
training facilities.
7. Theirs are extraordinary good compared to other teams'.
8. On the other hand, "the software" are poor, to say the least.
9. software...
10. pardon?
11. Frankly speaking,

p130
1. the team name will be changed,
2. and all the players, manager, and coaches will be replaced.
3. As you know, the team has gone into bankruptcy.
4. It's been caused by negligence of the executives and the
players who lost motivation.
5. It must be avoided that the ball team's employees getting involved with this and left out in the cold.
6. That's why I took action to save the team.

p131
1. I will reorganize the staff.
2. I will restructure the team completely.

[Español] [Translation] One Outs 10 by januxa

2011-10-06T20:29:37+00:00

Uso exclusivo de Fubuki

Traductor japonés-inglés: meriken

1
Capítulo 10: Brazo derecho
Que mal-
No está concentrado.

2

3
Capítulo 10: Brazo derecho

4

5
Se dice que los mejores bateadores de baseball
saben, desde el momento en que empiezan a mover el bate, si van a darle o no.
Y Kojima
ya se había dado cuenta
que su golpe

6
no tenía ninguna posibilidad… de tocar la bola.
Se acabó…

7
¡Dais pena!
¡¡Jugáis como niñas!!
¿¡Al menos lo estáis intentando, idiotas!?
¡¡Si no podéis ganar
dejad ya de jugar!!

8
Kojima-san
gracias por cuidar de nosotros durante tanto tiempo…
Lo siento.
Nunca pude hacer nada por vosotros.
No es culpa suya, señor
hemos sido nosotros… no éramos buenos…
Aun estamos esperando un campeonato de los Lycaons.
Seguiremos apoyándoles desde lejos.
¿Desde lejos?
Idiota…

9
Aun sigues siendo un miembro de los Lycaons
aunque estés retirado.
Te conseguiremos entradas a primera fila para los partidos del campeonato.
No puedo…

10
¡¡No me puede ganar así!!

11
¡¡¡Ahhhhh!!!

12-13

14

15
¿¡Un
lanzamiento intimidatorio!?
N.T.: Traducción aproximada del coloquialismo del baseball “beanball”, que se refiere a la bola que se tira al oponente para darle a éste directamente y hacerle daño.

16
¡Kojima-san!
¿¡Estás bien!?
Tío… se ha inclinado para que le diera a posta.
Está loco.
¡¡Nakane!! ¡¡Ves a por el botiquín de primeros auxilios!!
V… ¡Vale!
Toua…

17
He ganado…
¿No…?

18
No,
te has puesto en medio a posta.
Ese lanzamiento
iba claramente a la zona de strike
¿no?
Ah…
¡Sí, sí!
¡¡Era un lanzamiento a la esquina inferior!!
¡¡Sí!!

19
Incluso en Japón
Si te da una bola que iba a la zona de strike es strike… ¿no?
Lo que significa… que eso no era un lanzamiento intimidatorio.
Así que Kojima… se puso en medio…
No.

20
Era un lanzamiento intimidatorio
Tíos,
no estáis entendiendo el significado de la zona de strike.

21
Pensadlo
Cuando he jugado por primera vez con Kojima
Ha dicho esto

Todo lo que entre en esta caja es un strike, ¿no?
Sí.
Lo que quiere decir
que aunque haya sido a posta
la bola no ha entrado en la caja.

22
A eso no le puedo llamar strike
He perdido.

23
Venga
Rómpelo
Usa ese bate de ahí

24
¿Quién ha dicho
nada de romper brazos?
El trato era
que me llevaría ese brazo para que no pudieras volver a apostar.

25
Ven con los profesionales

26
Una vez estés jugando con los profesionales, todo el país te verá
Tus días de apuestas callejeras habrán terminado
En cambio
Te enfrentarás a monstruosos oponentes mucho mejores que a los que te has enfrentado antes.
Pero
podrás arreglártelas
Eres más que bueno
Enséñales a todos los japoneses lo bueno que eres
y, por favor…
con tus habilidades…

27
Dirige a los Lycaons al campeonato.

[Bahasa] [Translation] One Outs 1 by TheHangedMan

2010-11-27T14:27:23+00:00

One Outs Chapter 1

Halaman 1
Daftar isi
Chapter satu: Firasat 3
Chapter dua: Kesalahan 36
Chapter tiga: Pujian 69
Chapter empat: Harga diri 93
Chapter lima: Keangkuhan 117
Chapter enam: Langsung 140
Chapter tujuh: Pertandingan ulang 165
Chapter delapan: Takdir 189

Halaman 2
Teks: Hiromichi Kojima, "Sang batter ajaib yang tak beruntung" menyatakan-

Chapter satu: Firasat
Teks: Bahwa pasti ada 'sesuatu' yang ia tidak miliki

Teks: Dan bahkan hari ini, ia masih dalam pelatihannya yang sunyi....
Kojima: Hahh
Kojima: Hahh
Kojima: Hahh

Teks: Demi mencari "sesuatu" itu,

Halaman 4
Chapter satu: Firasat

Halaman 5
Teks: Desember tahun 1998, di Okinawa-

Pemain: Woah!!

Pelatih: .....
Pelatih: Menakjubkan....

Halaman 6
Pemain: Ya ampun, konsentrasinya hebat.
Pelatih: Ya, baseball profesional mungkin memiliki banyak pemain bagus, tapi...
Pelatih: Menurutku tidak banyak yang seberdedikasi pada baseball seperti dia.

Teks: Sang "Batter ajaib yang tak beruntung", Hiromichi Kojima.
Teks: Dedikasi yang ia tunjukkan untuk musim ini lebih besar dibanding tahun lain.

Teks: Walaupun kebanyakan dari rekannya sedang bersenang-senang dan beristirahat pada hari libur mereka, ia dengan rajinnya terus berlatih di Okinawa ini, jauh dari keluarganya.
Teks: Tapi itu dapat dimengerti,
Teks: Ia sudah umur 43 tahun
Teks: Musim berikutnya mungkin yang terakhir baginya.

Teks: Pemula di tahun 1978, juara batting selama 7 kali. Juara Home Run 5 kali. RBI terbanyak: 8 kali. Tripe Crown: 2 kali.
Teks: Terlepas dari semua kehormatan yang dianugrahkan kepadanya, masih ada satu hal yang masih belum dicapai Kojima.
Teks: Dan itu adalah...
T/N: RBI: Runs batted in (Run hasil kinerja batter)
T/N: Triple Crown: Gelar tak resmi dalam kejuaraan baseball yang diberikan pada batter yang memimpin dalam rata-rata hit, RBI, dan home run.

Halaman 7
Teks: Gelar kejuaraan.
Teks: Semenjak ia bergabung dalam Lycaons, ia tidak pernah bisa memenangkan kejuaraan.

Teks: Dan karena inilah ia dijuluki "Batter ajaib yang tak beruntung"

Halaman 8
Pemain: Kojima-san, kau terlihat bagus!
Pemain: Mungkin kau dapat membuat mereka menarik kembali julukan "Si ajaib yang tak beruntung" itu

Kojima: Kau...
Kojima: Apa kau benar-benar berpikir aku tidak pernah menang karena aku kurang beruntung?

Pemain: Hah?

Kojima: Keberuntungan, kesempatan...
Kojima: Bukan karena hal seperti itu
Kojima: Alasan kita tidak belum masuk kejuaraan...

Halaman 9
Kojima: Adalah karena kita kekurangan 'sesuatu' yang menentukan yang kita butuhkan untuk menang.

Kojima: Walau begitu, aku juga tidak tahu apa pastinya 'itu'

Halaman 10
Teks: 'Training-camp mini' di Okinawa ini dikhususkan untuk mencari 'sesuatu' itu.

Teks: Kami telah menjalani pelatihannya,
Teks: Hanya kami bertiga- aku, Kinosaki sebagai pelatih, dan Nakane, anggota tim kedua (masih berusia 20 tahun), sebagai pitcher.

Teks: Tapi,
Teks: Kadang aku bertanya-tanya apakah memilih Nakane sebagai pitcher adalah pilihan yang salah.

Teks: Mungkin karena ia masih muda, tapi ia tidak memiliki rasa terdesak atau keseriusan.
Teks: Dan yang lebih penting, ia tidak mengerti makna sebenarnya dari training camp ini.

Teks: Belakangan ini, hal seperti ini terjadi.
Nakane: Aduh...

Halaman 12
Kojima: Ada apa?
Kinosaki: Menurutku tangannya mungkin terjepit saat kita melakukan pemanasan.

Kojima: Bagaimana?
Kinosaki: Sepertinya...
Kinosaki: Ia melukai sendi jari tengahnya.
Kojima: Begitu... Kalau begitu ia tidak dapat melempar.

Kinosaki: Tapi Kojima-san, latihan memukulmu...
Kojima: Jangan khawatirkan hal itu. Aku selalu dapat mengganti menu latihanku.

Kojima: Kau seharusnya mengkhawatirkan kondisimu dulu.
Kojima: Masa depanmu masih panjang.

Halaman 12
Kojima: Pergilah ke rumah sakit.
Nakane: Baiklah
Kinosaki: ...

Kinosaki: Jarimu terjepit...
Kinosaki: Bukan pada saat pemanasan, bukan?
Nakane: Hah?!

Nakane: Heh... Kau menyadarinya?
Kinosaki: Tentu saja, bagaimanapun juga aku pelatih.

Nakane: Yah... Sebenarnya, aku sedikit terprovokasi oleh orang-orang di bar semalam...
Nakane: Dan... Kau tahu.

Kinosaki: Kau bertengkar?
Nakane: B-bukan seperti itu!
Nakane: Kau tahu, aku hanya... Sedikit menghajar mereka.

Kinosaki: Baiklah, kemari!
Nakane: Ap.... M-mau kemana kita?

Halaman 13
Kinosaki: Kita akan mencari pitcher pengganti!!
Nakane: Hah?!
Nakane: Di Okinawa?!

Kinosaki: Tidakkah kau mengerti perasaan Kojima-san?!
Kinosaki: Ini mungkin musim terakhirnya!
Kinosaki: Ia memberikan semua yang ia miliki demi saat-saat terakhir yang berharga ini!

Kinosaki: Dan kau malah mendapat luka bodoh itu...
Nakane: Baiklah, aku mengerti,
Nakane: Aku akan mencari, aku akan membantumu mencari.

Teks: Dalam keputus-asaan, kami berkeliling melihat semua tim SMA dan Semi-pro.

Teks: ....Tapi.
Teks: Seperti yang diduga, mencari pitcher lain hampir merupakan sesuatu yang mustahilan.

Halaman 15
Kinosaki: Ini sebuah dilema...
Nakane: Hanya waktu yang buruk.
Nakane: Tidak ada yang mau bermain baseball di akhir tahun

Wanita: Hei.

Wanita: Kalian mencari seseorang yang dapat melempar?

Nakane: Ya
Nakane: Siapa orang asing ini...?

Wanita: Yah, ada tempat disekitar sini dimana para pria berkumpul untuk bermain baseball.
Wanita: Sepertinya mereka akan mulai bermain malam ini dalam 1 jam

Wanita: Ada banyak pemain bagus.
Wanita: Mau lihat?

Kinosaki: ......

Halaman 16
Pemain: Ayo!

Pemain: Aku akan memukul yang satu ini keluar taman!

Halaman 16
Pemain: HMPH!

Penonton: Kau baik-baik saja, George?!
Penonton: Bola itu meleset dari pemukul sekitar 150 cm!

Kinosaki: Tunggu, maksudnya baseball...
Kinosaki: Yang ia maksud ini?
Nakane: Mungkin
Wanita: Beritahu aku kalau kau melihat pitcher yang kau sukai
Wanita: Akan kuperkenalkan padamu

Nakane: Sebenarnya ini apa?

Penonton: Hah?
Penonton: Apa ini terlihat seperti basket untukmu?

Nakane: ....Sialan!
Wanita: Oh ayolah

Halaman 17
Wanita: Permainan ini disebut 'One outs'
Wanita: Populer diantara prajurit Amerika yang ditugaskan disini.

Kinosaki: One outs?
Wanita: Singkatnya.... Ini permainan untuk melihat apakah pitcher dapat mendapatkan satu out dari batter

Wanita: Jika batter strike out...
Wanita: Atau, kalaupun ia berhasil memukul, jika bola itu jatuh di infield, ia kalah. Dalam kasus lain, itu adalah kekalahan pitcher.

Wanita: Batter itu barusan menang
Wanita: Karena ia berhasil memukul bola melewati garis infield dalam satu pukulan

Penonton: Sial! Aku mempertaruhkan banyak untuk yang barusan!
Penonton: Richie!
Penonton: Pukulan yang bagus!

Kinosaki: I....
Kinosaki: Ini....?!

Halaman 19
Teks: Judi...!

Nakane: Kinosaki-san
Nakane: Tidakkah... kau berpikir tempat ini mungkin berbahaya...?
Kinosaki: Ya....

Wanita: Hei, lihat
Wanita: Pitcher berikutnya orang Jepang.

Halaman 19
Teks: Pada saat itu,
Teks: Aku merasakan suatu sensasi aneh

Teks: Mungkin bisa dibilang suatu Firasat

Teks: Pria ini memiliki 'bau' yang unik - yang mengatakan padaku ia jauh dari biasa.

Halaman 20
Wanita: Nah, bagaimana kalau kalian mencoba bertaruh juga?
Wanita: Pitcher atau batter....
Kinosaki: !!

Nakane: Apa yang harus kita lakukan?
Kinosaki: Yah... Sepertinya mereka tidak akan membiarkan kita pergi begitu mudahnya.
Kinosaki: Ayo pertaruhkan sekitar 1000 yen dan pergi dari sini.

Nakane: Baiklah.... 1000 untuk batter.
Kinosaki: !?
Wanita: OK
Wanita: Anak-anak ini bertaruh 1000 untuk batter

Kinosaki: Ka-kau bertaruh untuk batter?!
Nakane: Tentu saja aku bertaruh untuk batter!
Wanita: Matamu tajam.

Wanita: Waktu ia SMA, batter itu adalah cleanup hitter untuk tim kejuaraan prefekturnya.
Wanita: Ia pasti dapat memukulnya
T/N: Cleanup hitter adalah hitter yang memukul keempat dalam urutan. Cleanup hitter biasanya pemukul yang terbaik dalam tim dan tugasnya adalah "membersihkan base"

Halaman 21
Nakane: Aku mengerti
Nakane: Jadi, apapun yang keluar dari kotak itu adalah 'ball' ya...

Halaman 22
Teks: Itu hanya staight-ball biasa.
Teks: Kecepatannya sekitar 130 km, dan juga tidak ada banyak tenaga dalam lemparannya.

Teks: ...Sepertinya itulah batas kemampuan pria ini.

Nakane: Lihat?
Nakane: Batter pasti akan menang
Kinosaki: Ya....

Halaman 23
Kinosaki: Hahh?!

Halaman 24
Wanita: Oh, sayang sekali! Semoga beruntung lain kali
Kinosaki: Y-ya.
Kinosaki: Ya sudah...
Kinosaki: Baik, ayo pergi...

Nakane: Sekali lagi! Aku mempertaruhkan 1000 untuk batter lagi!
Kinosaki: A...

Kinosaki: Apa yang kau bicarakan...!?
Nakane: Tidak apa-apa, Kinosaki-san.

Nakane: Kau lihat bagaimana lemparannya, bukan?
Nakane: Ia tidak memiliki apa-apa
Nakane: Aku seorang pitcher, jadi aku tahu

Nakane: Kalau kita terus bertaruh, kita pasti akan memenangkannya.
Kinosaki: .....

Teks: Namun...

Halaman 25
Teks: Batter berikutnya juga strike out.

Nakane: Sialan!
Nakane: Akan kugandakan! 2000 untuk batter berikutnya!

Teks: Tapi...

Teks: Lagi-lagi strike out.

Halaman 26
Teks: !!
Nakane: Sialan, sekali lagi, aku gandakan lagi! 4-
Kinosaki: Tunggu!

Kinosaki: Kita jatuh dalam perangkap mereka...
Nakane: Hah?!

Kinosaki: Selama ini mereka bekerja sama. Pitcher dan batter itu.
Kinosaki: Karena kita bertaruh untuk batter,
Kinosaki: Batter sengaja tidak dapat memukul untuk memeras lebih banyak uang dari kita.

Halaman 27
Nakane: ....Oh....
Kinosaki: Kita harus keluar sekarang selagi bisa.

Kinosaki: Ini
Kinosaki: Terima kasih atas tontonan yang bagus ini

Wanita: ...
Wanita: Apa ini?

Kinosaki: Apa...? Itu 4000 yen, kekalahan kami.
Wanita: Ha!
Wanita: Kalian tidak kalah 4000 yen!

Wanita: Tapi 4000 DOLLAR

Halaman 28
Nakane: Kau bercanda!!
Wanita: Siapa yang bercanda?

Wanita: Apa aku pernah mengatakan kami bertaruh dalam yen?
Wanita: Selain itu, semua orang disini bertaruh dalam dollar.

Wanita: Kalian sendiri yang percaya taruhannya dalam yen
Nakane: ....

Nakane: Heh.
Nakane: Begitu

Nakane: Jadi, ini cara main kalian?

Nakane: ...Kalau begitu aku punya ide kecil sendiri.

Halaman 29
Nakane: Hei! Pitcher gadungan!
Nakane: Aku akan menjadi lawanmu selajutnya!

Nakane: Aku akan mempertaruhkan seluruh 4000 yang kami kalah dalam pertandungan ini.

Kinosaki: Tapi kau...
Kinosaki: Jariku tidak apa-apa
Kinosaki: Lagipula, aku dulunya Cleanup hitter satu setengah tahun yang lalu, di SMA.

Pitcher: Sayang sekali...
Pitcher: Tapi aku tidak akan mengambil taruhan ini

Halaman 30
Nakane: Heh
Nakane: Sudah kuduga kau akan berkata begitu
Nakane: Lihat? Jadi ini MEMANG penipuan

Pitcher: Apa kau bodoh?

Pitcher: Aku sudah mendengarkan dengan sabar, tapi yang kudengar hanya 'gadungan', 'penipuan'....
Pitcher: Kau menuduhku berurusan dengan permainan yang dicurangi
Pitcher: Maksudku, untuk semua tuduhan salah itu...

Pitcher: 4000 dollar terlalu sedikit
Nakane: !!

Nakane: Ba, baik!
Nakane: Kalau begitu, kau mau bermain untuk berapa?
Nakane: Hah?

Halaman 31
Pitcher: 40.000 Dollar

Nakane: E,
Nakane: Empat ribu?!

Nakane: Itu sekitar 4 juta yen!
Nakane: Kau gila!

Nakane: Apa kau bahkan punya uang se-

Halaman 32
Nakane: !!

Pitcher: Bukan masalah
Pitcher: Kalau bagiku

Pitcher: Tapi... Kau cedera.
Pitcher: Kurasa aku akan memberikanmu keringanan, agar adil

Halaman 33
Pitcher: Selama kau memukul lemparanku, kau menang.
Pitcher: Bagaimana kedengarannya?

Nakane: Selama aku....
Nakane: Memukul...

Pitcher: Itu benar.
Pitcher: Bahkan hanya menggores
Pitcher: Tapi, tidak dengan Bunt

Nakane: A...
Nakane: Kau...!

Teks: Firasatku.... tepat.

Halaman 35
Teks: Ada yang...
Teks: Spesial mengenai pria ini.

One Outs Chapter 1 Selesai...

[Bahasa] [Translation] One Outs 1 by TheHangedMan

2010-10-17T13:17:46+00:00

One Outs Chapter 1

Halaman 1
Daftar isi
Chapter satu: Firasat 3
Chapter dua: Kesalahan 36
Chapter tiga: Pujian 69
Chapter empat: Harga diri 93
Chapter lima: Keangkuhan 117
Chapter enam: Langsung 140
Chapter tujuh: Pertandingan ulang 165
Chapter delapan: Takdir 189

Halaman 2
Teks: Hiromichi Kojima, "Sang batter ajaib yang tak beruntung" menyatakan-

Chapter satu: Firasat
Teks: Bahwa pasti ada 'sesuatu' yang tidak ia miliki

Teks: Dan bahkan hari ini, ia masih dalam pelatihannya yang sunyi....
Kojima: Hahh
Kojima: Hahh
Kojima: Hahh

Teks: Demi mencari "sesuatu" itu,

Halaman 4
Chapter satu: Firasat

Halaman 5
Teks: Desember tahun 1998, di Okinawa-

Pemain: Woah!!

Pelatih: .....
Pelatih: Menakjubkan....

Halaman 6
Pemain: Ya ampun, konsentrasinya hebat.
Pelatih: Ya, baseball profesional mungkin memiliki banyak pemain bagus, tapi...
Pelatih: Menurutku tidak banyak yang memiliki dedikasi pada baseball sepertinya.

Teks: Sang "Batter ajaib yang tak beruntung", Hiromichi Kojima.
Teks: Dedikasi yang ia tunjukkan untuk musim ini lebih besar dibanding tahun lain.

Teks: Walaupun kebanyakan dari rekannya sedang bersenang-senang dan beristirahat pada hari libur mereka, ia dengan rajinnya terus berlatih di Okinawa ini, jauh dari keluarganya.
Teks: Tapi itu dapat dimengerti,
Teks: Ia sudah umur 43 tahun
Teks: Musim berikutnya mungkin yang terakhir baginya.

Teks: Pemula di tahun 1978, juara batting selama 7 kali. Juara Home Run 5 kali. RBI terbanyak: 8 kali. Tripe Crown: 2 kali.
Teks: Terlepas dari semua kehormatan yang dianugrahkan kepadanya, masih ada satu hal yang masih belum dicapai Kojima.
Teks: Dan itu adalah...
T/N: RBI: Runs batted in (Run hasil kinerja batter)
T/N: Triple Crown: Gelar tak resmi dalam kejuaraan baseball yang diberikan pada batter yang memimpin dalam rata-rata hit, RBI, dan home run.

Halaman 7
Teks: Gelar kejuaraan.
Teks: Semenjak ia bergabung dalam Lycaons, ia tidak pernah bisa memenangkan kejuaraan.

Teks: Dan karena inilah ia dijuluki "Batter ajaib yang tak beruntung"

Halaman 8
Pemain: Kojima-san, kau terlihat bagus!
Pemain: Mungkin kau dapat membuat mereka menarik kembali julukan "Si ajaib yang tak beruntung" itu

Kojima: Kau...
Kojima: Apa kau benar-benar berpikir aku tidak pernah menang karena aku kurang beruntung?

Pemain: Hah?

Kojima: Keberuntungan, kesempatan...
Kojima: Bukan karena hal seperti itu
Kojima: Alasan kita tidak belum masuk kejuaraan...

Halaman 9
Kojima: Adalah karena kita kekurangan 'sesuatu' yang menentukan yang kita butuhkan untuk menang.

Kojima: Walau begitu, aku juga tidak tahu apa pastinya 'itu'

Halaman 10
Teks: 'Training-camp mini' di Okinawa ini dikhususkan untuk mencari 'sesuatu' itu.

Teks: Kami telah menjalani pelatihannya,
Teks: Hanya kami bertiga- aku, Kinosaki sebagai pelatih, dan Nakane, anggota tim kedua (masih berusia 20 tahun), sebagai pitcher.

Teks: Tapi,
Teks: Kadang aku bertanya-tanya apakah memilih Nakane sebagai pitcher adalah pilihan yang salah.

Teks: Mungkin karena ia masih muda, tapi ia tidak memiliki rasa terdesak atau keseriusan.
Teks: Dan yang lebih penting, ia tidak mengerti makna sebenarnya dari training camp ini.

Teks: Belakangan ini, hal seperti ini terjadi.
Nakane: Aduh...

Halaman 12
Kojima: Ada apa?
Kinosaki: Menurutku tangannya mungkin terjepit saat kita melakukan pemanasan.

Kojima: Bagaimana?
Kinosaki: Sepertinya...
Kinosaki: Ia melukai sendi jari tengahnya.
Kojima: Begitu... Kalau begitu ia tidak dapat melempar.

Kinosaki: Tapi Kojima-san, latihan memukulmu...
Kojima: Jangan khawatirkan hal itu. Aku selalu dapat mengganti menu latihanku.

Kojima: Kau seharusnya mengkhawatirkan kondisimu dulu.
Kojima: Masa depanmu masih panjang.

Halaman 12
Kojima: Pergilah ke rumah sakit.
Nakane: Baiklah
Kinosaki: ...

Kinosaki: Jarimu terjepit...
Kinosaki: Bukan pada saat pemanasan, bukan?
Nakane: Hah?!

Nakane: Heh... Kau menyadarinya?
Kinosaki: Tentu saja, bagaimanapun juga aku pelatih.

Nakane: Yah... Sebenarnya, aku sedikit terprovokasi oleh orang-orang di bar semalam...
Nakane: Dan... Kau tahu.

Kinosaki: Kau bertengkar?
Nakane: B-bukan seperti itu!
Nakane: Kau tahu, aku hanya... Sedikit menghajar mereka.

Kinosaki: Baiklah, kemari!
Nakane: Ap.... M-mau kemana kita?

Halaman 13
Kinosaki: Kita akan mencari pitcher pengganti!!
Nakane: Hah?!
Nakane: Di Okinawa?!

Kinosaki: Tidakkah kau mengerti perasaan Kojima-san?!
Kinosaki: Ini mungkin musim terakhirnya!
Kinosaki: Ia memberikan semua yang ia miliki demi saat-saat terakhir yang berharga ini!

Kinosaki: Dan kau malah mendapat luka bodoh itu...
Nakane: Baiklah, aku mengerti,
Nakane: Aku akan mencari, aku akan membantumu mencari.

Teks: Dalam keputus-asaan, kami berkeliling melihat semua tim SMA dan Semi-pro.

Teks: ....Tapi.
Teks: Seperti yang diduga, mencari pitcher lain hampir merupakan sesuatu yang mustahilan.

Halaman 15
Kinosaki: Ini sebuah dilema...
Nakane: Hanya waktu yang buruk.
Nakane: Tidak ada yang mau bermain baseball di akhir tahun

Wanita: Hei.

Wanita: Kalian mencari seseorang yang dapat melempar?

Nakane: Ya
Nakane: Siapa orang asing ini...?

Wanita: Yah, ada tempat disekitar sini dimana para pria berkumpul untuk bermain baseball.
Wanita: Sepertinya mereka akan mulai bermain malam ini dalam 1 jam

Wanita: Ada banyak pemain bagus.
Wanita: Mau lihat?

Kinosaki: ......

Halaman 16
Pemain: Ayo!

Pemain: Aku akan memukul yang satu ini keluar taman!

Halaman 16
Pemain: HMPH!

Penonton: Kau baik-baik saja, George?!
Penonton: Bola itu meleset dari pemukul sekitar 150 cm!

Kinosaki: Tunggu, maksudnya baseball...
Kinosaki: Yang ia maksud ini?
Nakane: Mungkin
Wanita: Beritahu aku kalau kau melihat pitcher yang kau sukai
Wanita: Akan kuperkenalkan padamu

Nakane: Sebenarnya ini apa?

Penonton: Hah?
Penonton: Apa ini terlihat seperti basket untukmu?

Nakane: ....Sialan!
Wanita: Oh ayolah

Halaman 17
Wanita: Permainan ini disebut 'One outs'
Wanita: Populer diantara prajurit Amerika yang ditugaskan disini.

Kinosaki: One outs?
Wanita: Singkatnya.... Ini permainan untuk melihat apakah pitcher dapat mendapatkan satu out dari batter

Wanita: Jika batter strike out...
Wanita: Atau, kalaupun ia berhasil memukul, jika bola itu jatuh di infield, ia kalah. Dalam kasus lain, itu adalah kekalahan pitcher.

Wanita: Batter itu barusan menang
Wanita: Karena ia berhasil memukul bola melewati garis infield dalam satu pukulan

Penonton: Sial! Aku mempertaruhkan banyak untuk yang barusan!
Penonton: Richie!
Penonton: Pukulan yang bagus!

Kinosaki: I....
Kinosaki: Ini....?!

Halaman 19
Teks: Judi...!

Nakane: Kinosaki-san
Nakane: Tidakkah... kau berpikir tempat ini mungkin berbahaya...?
Kinosaki: Ya....

Wanita: Hei, lihat
Wanita: Pitcher berikutnya orang Jepang.

Halaman 19
Teks: Pada saat itu,
Teks: Aku merasakan suatu sensasi aneh

Teks: Mungkin bisa dibilang suatu firasat

Teks: Pria ini memiliki 'bau' yang unik - yang mengatakan padaku ia jauh dari biasa.

Halaman 20
Wanita: Nah, bagaimana kalau kalian mencoba bertaruh juga?
Wanita: Pitcher atau batter....
Kinosaki: !!

Nakane: Apa yang harus kita lakukan?
Kinosaki: Yah... Sepertinya mereka tidak akan membiarkan kita pergi begitu mudahnya.
Kinosaki: Ayo pertaruhkan sekitar 1000 yen dan pergi dari sini.

Nakane: Baiklah.... 1000 untuk batter.
Kinosaki: !?
Wanita: OK
Wanita: Anak-anak ini bertaruh 1000 untuk batter

Kinosaki: Ka-kau bertaruh untuk batter?!
Nakane: Tentu saja aku bertaruh untuk batter!
Wanita: Matamu tajam.

Wanita: Waktu ia SMA, batter itu adalah cleanup hitter untuk tim kejuaraan prefekturnya.
Wanita: Ia pasti dapat memukulnya
T/N: Cleanup hitter adalah hitter yang memukul keempat dalam urutan. Cleanup hitter biasanya pemukul yang terbaik dalam tim dan tugasnya adalah "membersihkan base"

Halaman 21
Nakane: Aku mengerti
Nakane: Jadi, apapun yang keluar dari kotak itu adalah 'ball' ya...

Halaman 22
Teks: Itu hanya staight-ball biasa.
Teks: Kecepatannya sekitar 130 km, dan juga tidak ada banyak tenaga dalam lemparannya.

Teks: ...Sepertinya itulah batas kemampuan pria ini.

Nakane: Lihat?
Nakane: Batter pasti akan menang
Kinosaki: Ya....

Halaman 23
Kinosaki: Hahh?!

Halaman 24
Wanita: Oh, sayang sekali! Semoga beruntung lain kali
Kinosaki: Y-ya.
Kinosaki: Ya sudah...
Kinosaki: Baik, ayo pergi...

Nakane: Sekali lagi! Aku mempertaruhkan 1000 untuk batter lagi!
Kinosaki: A...

Kinosaki: Apa yang kau bicarakan...!?
Nakane: Tidak apa-apa, Kinosaki-san.

Nakane: Kau lihat bagaimana lemparannya, bukan?
Nakane: Ia tidak memiliki apa-apa
Nakane: Aku seorang pitcher, jadi aku tahu

Nakane: Kalau kita terus bertaruh, kita pasti akan memenangkannya.
Kinosaki: .....

Teks: Namun...

Halaman 25
Teks: Batter berikutnya juga strike out.

Nakane: Sialan!
Nakane: Akan kugandakan! 2000 untuk batter berikutnya!

Teks: Tapi...

Teks: Lagi-lagi strike out.

Halaman 26
Teks: !!
Nakane: Sialan, sekali lagi, aku gandakan lagi! 4-
Kinosaki: Tunggu!

Kinosaki: Kita jatuh dalam perangkap mereka...
Nakane: Hah?!

Kinosaki: Selama ini mereka bekerja sama. Pitcher dan batter itu.
Kinosaki: Karena kita bertaruh untuk batter,
Kinosaki: Batter sengaja tidak dapat memukul untuk memeras lebih banyak uang dari kita.

Halaman 27
Nakane: ....Oh....
Kinosaki: Kita harus keluar sekarang selagi bisa.

Kinosaki: Ini
Kinosaki: Terima kasih atas tontonan yang bagus ini

Wanita: ...
Wanita: Apa ini?

Kinosaki: Apa...? Itu 4000 yen, kekalahan kami.
Wanita: Ha!
Wanita: Kalian tidak kalah 4000 yen!

Wanita: Tapi 4000 DOLLAR

Halaman 28
Nakane: Kau bercanda!!
Wanita: Siapa yang bercanda?

Wanita: Apa aku pernah mengatakan kami bertaruh dalam yen?
Wanita: Selain itu, semua orang disini bertaruh dalam dollar.

Wanita: Kalian sendiri yang percaya taruhannya dalam yen
Nakane: ....

Nakane: Heh.
Nakane: Begitu

Nakane: Jadi, ini cara main kalian?

Nakane: ...Kalau begitu aku punya ide kecil sendiri.

Halaman 29
Nakane: Hei! Pitcher gadungan!
Nakane: Aku akan menjadi lawanmu selajutnya!

Nakane: Aku akan mempertaruhkan seluruh 4000 yang merupakan kekalahan kami dalam pertandungan ini.

Kinosaki: Tapi kau...
Kinosaki: Jariku tidak apa-apa
Kinosaki: Lagipula, aku dulunya Cleanup hitter satu setengah tahun yang lalu, di SMA.

Pitcher: Sayang sekali...
Pitcher: Tapi aku tidak akan mengambil taruhan ini

Halaman 30
Nakane: Heh
Nakane: Sudah kuduga kau akan berkata begitu
Nakane: Lihat? Jadi ini MEMANG penipuan

Pitcher: Apa kau bodoh?

Pitcher: Aku sudah mendengarkan dengan sabar, tapi yang kudengar hanya 'gadungan', 'penipuan'....
Pitcher: Kau menuduhku berurusan dengan permainan yang dicurangi
Pitcher: Maksudku, untuk semua tuduhan salah itu...

Pitcher: 4000 dollar terlalu sedikit
Nakane: !!

Nakane: Ba, baik!
Nakane: Kalau begitu, kau mau bermain untuk berapa?
Nakane: Hah?

Halaman 31
Pitcher: 40.000 Dollar

Nakane: E,
Nakane: Empat ribu?!

Nakane: Itu sekitar 4 juta yen!
Nakane: Kau gila!

Nakane: Apa kau bahkan punya uang se-

Halaman 32
Nakane: !!

Pitcher: Bukan masalah
Pitcher: Kalau bagiku

Pitcher: Tapi... Kau cedera.
Pitcher: Kurasa aku akan memberikanmu keringanan, agar adil

Halaman 33
Pitcher: Selama kau memukul lemparanku, kau menang.
Pitcher: Bagaimana kedengarannya?

Nakane: Selama aku....
Nakane: Memukul...

Pitcher: Itu benar.
Pitcher: Bahkan hanya menggores
Pitcher: Tapi, tidak dengan bunt

Nakane: A...
Nakane: Kau...!

Teks: Firasatku.... benar

Halaman 35
Teks: Ada yang...
Teks: Spesial mengenai pria ini.

One Outs Chapter 1 Selesai...

[English] [Translation] One Outs 25 by PROzess

2010-04-18T19:06:14+00:00

Reserved for Solowing!

One Outs Chapter 25:

Page181:
P3.T1: The rate is
P3.T2: twenty fold.
P3.B1: .....
P4.T1: Twenty fold, then one out is 1 million and one scored point is 10 million.
P4.T2: Even if Tokuchi throws 2 consecutive shot-outs his face color shouldn't change.... That was his object from the beginning.
P5.T1: His aim was to collect his temporary yearly pay at a high rate,
P5.T2: when he was tired after throwing in 3 consecutive games.
P6.T1: Oomiya Stadium Lycaons vs. Mariners Third Round Shortly before-----
P6.T2: Chapter 25: Complot
P7.B1: Lycaons' pitcher....
P8.B1: Takuchi----
P8.T1: Takuchi
P8.B2: Back number 77.
Page182:
P1.T1: Chapter 25: Complot
P2.B1: After all Takuchi Toua is the forerunner!
P2.B2: An amazing 3 consecutive forerunning!!
Page183:
P1.B1: That's crazy!
P1.B2: Do you want to break Takuchi??
P2.B1: Takuchi should definitely rest today!
P2.B2: Even if you are so impulsive....
P2.B3: Beside the owner extensive announced this 3 consecutive forerunning....
P3.B1: And more than anything else, we're sold out because the audience is looking forward it.
P4.B1: Kukukukuku! Take a look! Look at his completely exhausted expression.
P4.B2: Leaving throwing aside, I can't even stand on the mound till the end of the game.
P5.B1: Why...
P6.B1: Why do you...
P6.B2: have such a hate for Takuchi?
Page184:
P1.B1: I understand that he became a bit arrogant after having raised his yearly pay to 7 million,
P1.B2: but all the games clearly showed us his talent, right?
P1.B3: So if
P1.B4: you're on such bad terms with him, we have to rethink our contract with him.
P2.B1: 8 million... No, 10 Million should be ok to give him. // We have turn his contract into a normal one, like the other players, and show of his strength sufficiently.
P2.B2: If we do so, we'll be able to play at the top again. // Then taking the championship in 2 or 3 years, won't be a dream anymore.
P3.B1: Ku
P3.B2: Kuku
P3.B3: Wha- // What is so funny?
P4.B1: Ah, no. It's just you were talking about something in the future,
P4.B2: it's no wonder, because you don't know of that case.
P5.B1: "That" case...
P5.B2: you say?
P6.B1: You know, Lycaons...
Page185:
P1.B1: At the end of the season I will sell.
P1.B2: Meaning,
P2.B1: the end of this season is also the end of the Lycaons.
Page186:
P1.B1: The Mariners changed their batting order.
P1.B2: The hitless Brooklyn moved to fifth, Thomas who got 4 clear hits of Takuchi moved to fourth and Takami, who also got 3 clear hits, moved to third.
P2.B1: Commentator Mori-san, what do you think about this order?
P2.B2: In the first and second game the flow was stopped by Brooklyn, so I think it's a obvious decision.
P3.B1: Including the opening game, Takuchi hasn't allowed any points in 64 innings. // The question is if Lycaons will get their third consecutive win today.
P3.B2: The Lycaons.... // will end?
P4.B1: See? Your agitation shows immediately on your face.
P4.B2: I kept it a secret, because with that face of yours it would be immediately leaked.
P5.B1: ...
P5.B2: Manager...
P5.B3: Do you know of Tronpos Cooperation?
Page187:
P1.T1: A finance firm that recently is on a quick growth.
P1.T2: It was in discussion before, but starting next season Tronpos will buy the Lycaons.
P2.B1: Are you serious?
P3.B1: The recession is lasting and our group still is in the reds. // But if we do a clumsy restore, the public will criticize us.
P3.B2: We're really lucky that there is someone willing to buy our run-down team for a high price, in these times.
P4.B1: High price...?
P5.B1: Tenfold of the profit of our team this year.
P6.B1: Our calculated profit for this year is 50 million, so we would get // 500 million.
P6.B2: Considering the strength of our team, that's an abnormal sum.
P7.B1: But that's only,
P7.B2: if our profit raises like predicted.
P8.B1: To be truth, the was an incident in the off-season that shook up the prediction.
Page188:
P1.B1: The horrible incident where Kojima got injured.
P2.B1: Lycaons is an minor team in the B-class forever now. last season we had 2160000 visitors.
P2.B2: Of the 12 teams, we're third.
P3.T1: These numbers are clearly because of our Hero Kojima Hiromichi.
P3.T2: It's not an exaggeration to say that the audience comes to see him bat, instead of seeing our team winning.
P4.B1: And that's brings us to Takuchi! // At such a crucial time that idiot had to hit him with a ball...
P4.B2: Thanks to that our plans our ruined.
P5.T1: I see... So that's why....
P5.T2: he hates Takuchi, since the first time he met him...
P6.T1: In the end, he only
P6.T2: thinks about money!!
Page189:
P2.B1: Could he be tired from being in 3 consecutive games?
P2.B2: We're now looking forward to his first pitch!
P3.B1: And he threw!
Page190:
P1.B1: Ball!
P4.B1: His first pitch is a straight one slightly out of the strike-zone.
P4.B2: .... Takuchi is...
P5.B1: Isn't he trying his best to compensate that loss?
P6.B1: Well it's true that there was a slight increase in visitors, and also exceeded last seasons numbers.
P6.B2: That is just speaking of numbers.
P7.B1: Also that all was because of my directions.
Page191:
P1.T1: It's our greatest sale since the founding of the team.
P1.T2: The three consecutive game of Takuchi "The wild".
P1.T3: It's all according to my scenario. Especially written for me.
P2.B1: The audience wouldn't be this excited if Takuchi would throw normal.
P3.B1: Ball!!
P4.B1: The count is 0-2!
P4.B2: That is rare---- That he would throw 2 consecutive balls
P5.T1: That's bad...His pitches aren't going where they are supposed to...
P6.T1: Normally he has excellent control....
P7.B1: Besides
P7.B2: the money Takuchi bet, wasn't included in the plan.
Page192:
P1.B1: At the moment it's 7 million.
P2.B1: He hit it---
P2.B2: A great hit---
P3.B1: Awww, but he's unlucky.
P3.B2: Right in front of the Second-Baseman. // With that it's one out!!
P4.B1: Paying him, means lowering our yearly profit.
P4.B2: Our 50 million gets 43.
P5.B1: That's not all.
P5.B2: He taking 7 millions,
P6.B1: means in reality, that he is taking 70 million from us.
Page193:
P1.B1: He hit!!
P2.B1: But again the defense is on watch!
P2.B2: Two outs now!!
P3.B1: !!
P5.T1: Like I thought...
P5.T2: He is different...
P6.T1: He is not his usual self---
Page194:
P1.B1: Look at today's Takuchi.
P1.B2: Normally he' trying so hard to not get hit, but today he let's them hit so easily. // Kukuku
P2.B1: He is confused, in a good way for me. Today is a great day.
P2.B2: With this game I can kick Takuchi out and revive my 500 million sell plan.
P3.B1: Today's game will be very interesting.
P4.B1: ...This doesn't match up.
P5.B1: As a batter I want to face off with a serious Takuchi, // but like this, it's impossible.
P6.T1: I'll kill him.
Page195:
P1.B1: Takami is up!
P1.B2: Today batting third, the genius Takami Itsuki. [didn't read the previous chapters, if he is named differently, change it]
P2.B1: Yesterday he had 3 clear hits---
P3.B1: How will Takuchi face him?
P4.B1: Takami, huh...
P4.B2: The perfect person to crush Takuchi.
P5.T1: I beg you...
P5.T2: Takuchi.
P6.T1: Please win.
Page196:
P1.T1: Takami vs. Takuchi showdowns till now // Up to bat 9 // Strike outs 3 // Infield hits 2 // Outfield fly 1 // Hits 3 // Avarage 0,333
P3.B1: He lifted his feet.
P4.B1: The first pitch---
Page197:
P1.B1: is thrown!!!
Page198:

Page199:

Page200:
P2.B1: And it's out!!
P2.B2: A home~~~~~run!!
P3.B1: Takami Itsuki !! After all he was the only one who could accomplish that!
P3.B2: YEAAAH!!
Page201:
P1.B1: Finally- Finally, Takuchi Toua
P1.B2: gave up a point! The first since he turned pro!!
P2.T1: Today
P2.T2: All hi pitches till now
P2.T3: 3 Batters, one Infield fly, one Outfield fly and one homerun.
P2.T4: Points allowed... 1.
P2.T5: According to the twenty fold one outs contract, yearly pay amounts to....
P3.T1: -65.000.000 Yen
P4.T1: He is now in the red.

[English] [Translation] One Outs 24 by Meriken

2009-07-28T16:20:00+00:00

One Outs, Volume 3, Chapter 24 (pp. 159~180)

<159>
Chapter 24: Bandage

There's something missing from the Lycaons, preventing them from winning a championship.
It's not about ability or luck, or anything like that—It's something decisive...

In other words, it's something that the Mariners already have.
[bubble]SQUEAK..

"Our objective is to crush Tokuchi."

...I won't let you!!

<160>
Chapter 24: Bandage

<161>
=Hiromichi Kojima has finally made an appearance!!
OHHHH
=He's been sidelined ever since he injured his right elbow during the off-season, but...

=It's a do or die situation!!
=And this man is their one and only hope!!

=The Mariners have sent in their 4th-year ace reliever, Tomosaka—!!

=You're a legend, Kojima-san...
=I also grew up watching you and wanting to be like you...

<162>
=...But...
=At 43 years of age, and still recovering from an injury... Right now...//You don't scare me at all!!

I can do this!!
I've got to do this!!

It ends...
Phew—
Right here!! With me!!

=Forget about it!

<163>
=You can't hit.
=Not with that elbow.

=Tokuchi—!!
=Am I wrong? His elbow hasn't healed yet, right?//He doesn't have much left in the tank. What's the point of pushing him this early in the season?

=Or maybe he's planning on retiring after this game.

...Retiring...?

<164>
=Wow!! Tokuchi is denouncing Kojima!!
=Sympathy, gratitude... Is this man incapable of expressing any of these feelings towards his teammates—!?

=What's up with Tokuchi's attitude?
=But hey,
=I guess Kojima's elbow is really in bad shape.

=Tokuchi—!! What the hell—!!//Kojima-san's pushing himself so he can help you out!!

=Don't use pissy words like "help" in the middle of a battle.
=Pig.

=Uck...

<165>
=It still feels a bit odd, but it won't have any effect on my batting.

=You can't hit Tomosaka's pitches going at 80 or 90%.

=Still... Are these bandages really necessary...?
=It's alright. Keep it like that.

=Lemme give you one word of advice.

=The first pitch is gonna be a fastball on the outside corner.

=I'm positive.
=You may as well go for it.

=That first pitch is your only shot if you're not in 100% condition.

<166>
=Whether or not you hit it is all up to you.

=Kojima is making his way back to the batter's box!
=His right arm is...

=Bandaged!?
=So he's still having trouble with his right elbow!?

<167>
=Hey...
=What makes you so sure that the first pitch is gonna be a fastball on the outside corner?

=Because the bandages are white.
=The white shows up really well against the deep green color of the fences.

[bubble]WTF?

=How is Kojima planning to defeat Tomosaka with his injured arm!?

=A closed stance!?

<168>
=Oh my, Kojima's taken a rather extreme closed stance. He's almost standing over the plate. You don't see this very often.
=He must be very worried about Tomosaka throwing a slider to the outside part of the plate.

Closed Stance
Refers to a batting stance where the foot closer to the pitcher is positioned closer to the plate.
There is also the square stance, where the feet are positioned evenly, and the open stance, where the foot closer to the catcher is moved closer to the plate. The closed stance has the disadvantage of making it harder to see the ball, but allows for increased power, and makes it easier to hit pitches that break to the outside.

=Geez, that makes it totally obvious that he's waiting for a pitch on the outside...

=I don't know what you're planning, Tokuchi,//But I do know there's not a single pitcher out there who'd throw exactly where the batter wants them to.

=Just wait and see.

His stance makes it blatantly obvious that he's waiting for a pitch outside...
And Tomosaka's slider is breaking even better than usual today—

He must be aiming for the outside fastball, while also watching out for the slider breaking to the outside.
Then I guess we'll just go with...

<169>
=A fastball high and inside.
=A "brushing ball!!"

The brushing ball
Is a pitch thrown right across the batter's chest, with the intention of turning the batter's upper body outwards.
If used effectively, the batter loses the nerve to step in, and will be unable to reach pitches on the outside part of the plate.

=High and inside!!

ZWUP
OHHHHH
=The pitch is set!!

=Here's the 1st pitch—!

You've only got one chance... On the first pitch.

<170>
=Fastball on the outside corner!!
=I'll take your word for it, Tokuchi!

ZWUP

=High and inside!
GRIT
=Low and outside!

=There's no way it's gonna be low and outside—!!

=High and inside—

=He throws!!

<171>
=Low and outside!?

<173>
[bubble]WHACK

=It's in—!!
=A hooo—me run!!

<174>
=A walk-off homer!!

=Unbelievable!! The Lycaons have won their second consecutive game with a walk-off!!

=The baseball prodigy, Hiromichi Kojima—
=Is alive after all—!!

<175>
=What?
=I don't get it.
=Why'd he throw to the outside corner...?

=There was an experiment,

Where they took an accomplished marksman,
And had him take 50 shots at a target.

He managed to get all 50 shots within a 10cm radius.

Next, they placed a jar 3 feet away from the target.
...However, this jar—

Was a priceless artifact. A national treasure.
...Then they had him take 50 more shots, exactly as he'd done before.

Of course, a jar 3 feet away from the target,
Should cause no problems for a marksman with the ability to shoot with an accuracy of 10cm.

=Or so they thought.
OHHHHH

Turns out, he missed his mark by an average of 7cm, in the direction away from the jar.

<176>
=It's called psychological repression.
=The subconscious awareness of not wanting to break the jar had caused the marksman to unknowingly take a safety-first approach.

=Same goes for that pitcher...
=In his case,

=Kojima's elbow was the priceless artifact.

Tomosaka is a prime reliever, but he's still 20-something years old. He's just a kid.
On the other hand, Kojima is a baseball legend.

The catcher probably asked for a fastball high and inside. And the pitcher tried to throw it there.
But what if his pitch were to hit Kojima's injured elbow...? That would almost ensure Kojima's retirement...

The prospects of ending a legendary player's career must've been quite terrifying.

That subconscious fear represses the action of throwing the pitch high and inside.
His pitch wound up low and outside because—
His mind took a safety-first approach!

<177>
=Nobody wants to break a priceless artifact.

...So,

Calling out Kojima-san, making him wrap the white bandages... He did all that...
Just to increase Tomosaka's psychological repression—?

=Hurry up and quit if you're too scared to throw inside—!
=Go to hell—Tomosaka!
=Don't bother showing up anymore!
=Idiot!
OHHHHHHHH

=A mistake caused by youth, huh...//I feel for him. He won't be able to recover for a while.

=That's what winning is about.
GATHUCK

=You guys have the wrong idea about what it takes to win.
=Winning isn't about exceeding the opponent in strength, let alone waiting around for a streak of good luck.

=Winning is about...

<178>
=Making your opponents lose.
=Making them taste defeat.

=Crushing a fallen opponent.
=Kicking them when they're down.
=Rubbing salt into a gaping wound.

=Winning is about trampling over corpses... It's not something beautiful.
=It's brutal.
=If you still want to make it to the top, then—

=Steel yourselves.

<179>
The Lycaons were missing something they needed to win a championship.
But not anymore.

The man who has everything the Lycaons lack

Is right there.
[bubble]Phew—

Toua Tokuchi's pitching statistics for today:
12 innings
50 at-bats
12 hits
2 walks
...Zero runs
Toua Tokuchi's tentative salary under the One Outs contract is—

735 million

=That was a good game.
=Huh!?

=Get Tokuchi on the phone.
=I want to express my honest appreciation for the work he did today.

=...Yes sir.

=Is this Tokuchi-kun?//That was a stunning performance today.//We couldn't have done it without you.

=I'm the owner. I'm happy when my team comes out on top.

<180>
=Anyways... On to business.
=Do you remember what's stated in the 3rd Amendment of the One Outs contract?

=That's right...
=The one about increasing the rate of the contract depending on the importance of the game.

=So,
=For tomorrow's game...

=Let's make it 20 times the standard rate.

Proofread by quantula

[English] [Translation] One Outs 23 by Meriken

2009-07-27T00:14:57+00:00

One Outs, Volume 3, Chapter 23 (pp. 137~158)

<137>
=Lycaons Stadium—

=2 hours prior to the 2nd game between the Lycaons and the Mariners—
[bubble]CRA—CK
Chapter 23: Irregularity

[bubble]Damn it Tokuchi!! I told you not to smoke on the field!!
CRA—CK

=He's a good pitcher.
=I can see how you were willing to get injured just to have him on the team.

=I was surprised to find out he's able control the rotation on his fastball,
=But what surprised me even more is his toughness.

=I never imagined
=We'd be shut out by a pitcher starting on one-days rest.

=...But,
=3 starts in a row is simply absurd.

=Maybe for a normal pitcher,
=But he can pull it off.

=True, there's a chance we might get swept if we go in without a plan.
=However...

<138>
=Tokuchi has one glaring weakness.

=One fatal weakness that will deprive him of all that stamina.

=The weakness,//Stems from the differences between the gambling game called "One Outs..."
=And the sport of "Baseball."

=...What do you mean!?
=Hah-hah,
=I can't tell you anymore than that.

=You'll find out during todays game.
=...But,//Let me put it this way.
=We're not playing to win today.

=Our objective is to crush Tokuchi.

<139>
Chapter 23: Irregularity

<140>
=I think he's just bluffing.

=Yeah, me too.
=Yeah.
=That guy's stamina is unreal. I can feel it when I'm catching his pitches.
=He was throwing way better yesterday than he was 3 days ago against the Eagles.

=...Takami said this,
="Tokuchi's weakness..."//"Stems from the differences between 'One Outs' and 'Baseball...'"

=There's one thing that's bothering me...
=Check out their starting lineup for today...

=Hey!
=They're all left-handed hitters except for the 3rd and 5th batters...!

=Against Tokuchi the right-hander, huh...
=Yeah, left-handed hitters are said to have a natural advantage against right-handed pitchers.

=But this isn't what Takami meant, is it?

<141>
=And now,
=The game has started—

=...However...
GRONK

GRONK

=All 3 batters grounded out to end the first inning.

=Tokuchi starts off nicely!!
=He's showing no signs of fatigue from his back-to-back starts!!

=Well? How's Tokuchi?
=No worries!! He's doing absolutely fine.

=Kojima-san,
=I was thinking,//Maybe this is the difference between "One Outs" and "Baseball..."

<142>
=How "One Outs"
=Is a game designed to favor ground outs...

=An outfield fly is an out in baseball, but the pitcher would lose if it were One Outs.
=A skilled pitcher in "One Outs" is essentially a pitcher who's good at getting the batter to "ground out."

Tokuchi's pitching style is exactly that... He gets more ground outs than strikeouts.
The advantage of this style of pitching in baseball is...

It allows him to conserve his pitch count!!

=True... You need to throw at least 3 pitches to get a strikeout, but 1 pitch is all you need to get a grounder.
=Which means, their plan is to make Tokuchi throw as many pitches as possible, and force him to use up his energy... That's gotta be it.

Is that it...?
Alright, then...
Be extra conservative with the pitch count today.
Don't tell me.
See...
That guy ignores me. He just throws whatever he feels like throwing.

Is that really all there is to their plan...?

It happened in the top of the 2nd.

<143>
=Now Takami's in the batter's box!!
=This is their 4th match-up!!
=Tokuchi has yet to give up a hit to Takami!!

=What will Takami bring to the plate this time around—!?

=Tokuchi's 1st pitch,
ZWHISH!

=He throws!!
BWHIP!

<144>
=Oh my—!
=Takami's looking to try a bunt—!!

=But...

=Tokuchi throws it outside!
WHAP

=What a unique plan!//What is Takami aiming for—!?

=Time.

[x3]GACHUK
=Tokuchi,

<145>
=Those guys are concentrating depleting your stamina today.//Same goes for that bunt just now.
=They're trying to make you waste pitches outside to increase your pitch count.

=You're falling right into their trap if you keep doing that.
=Let him do whatever he wants with the bunt. Just don't throw any extra pitches.

=Takami attempted two more bunts, fouling on both attempts.
WHAP
=He ended the at-bat with a grounder to first.

=1 hit, zero walks, 1 strikeout, 11 grounders, 31 pitches.
=Ideal pitching up to this point.

=What were we so worried about? He's getting even more grounders than usual!
=This just goes to show how good our battery is.

=The irregularity occurred in the 5th.

<146>
=Takami hits it—!!
CRA—CK
=Deep to right field!!

=Over the head of the right fielder, Kitamura!!
=This one's gonna be extra bases!

=A triple!!
=Takami's finally gotten a hit off Tokuchi—!

=Maybe Tokuchi's tired...!
=N-No way...

=That was just a coincidence! He was dealing with the wrong guy!
=He'll get the next batters out...

<147>
=Though it was unclear how much conviction the manager had when he uttered those words,
=Tokuchi shut down the rest of the lineup to make it through the pinch.

=Is the bullpen standing by?
=Why should we relieve him when he's doing fine?
=Besides...

=He said it himself,
=He wants to stay in the game...

=Tokuchi continued to be hittable, giving up 9 hits by the end of the 7th.
=—Still, he did not give up any runs.

A 0-0 stalemate—
The situation clouded the judgement of the Lycaons dugout.

Tokuchi's stamina—
Was steadily being depleted.

<148>
And during the 8th,
=Uh-oh—There's a chopper to first.

=First baseman Mikami fields it,
WHAP

=Tokuchi goes to cover the base—

ZASH

=Tokuchi falls!!
=What's wrong—!?

<149>
Ah...

=What?
=I got it.
=This is what Takami was talking about.

=The difference between "One Outs" and "Baseball..."
=It's how...

=The pitcher is just another "infielder" in baseball.

=Take a look at Tokuchi's pitching up to this point!
=Of the 23 outs, 21 have been ground outs.

=But aren't those ideal results!?
=No.

=Of the 21 ground outs, 20 of them went to first base!
=Do you understand what this means?

<150>
If the ball flies to the right of the first baseman, or deep along the foul line, the base is left wide open. The pitcher has to cover the bag.
Meaning, each time a grounder rolls to first, the pitcher has to run full speed
To cover a distance of roughly 20 yards.

=And that's not all. Takami and the others have tried 18 drag bunts, including fouled attempts.
=This was also done to make the pitcher run as much as possible...

=Oh!
=Then they lined up all those left-handed hitters so—
=It would be easier to get grounders over to first.

All this,
To crush Tokuchi.

=I got the hint during the Eagles game.
=Tokuchi was looking overly fatigued that day.

=At first, I thought it was because his pitch count was nearing 160.
=But I was wrong.

=That game, Tokuchi was trying to pitch with only 8 players on the field.//He had to run around to cover an enormous amount of ground.//The result, fatigue.

<151>
=His weakness,
=Lies in his "legs."

=That guy's got pretty good stamina when it comes to throwing.
=Probably a result of those harsh battles he went through back in Okinawa.//But all that collapses when he's forced to run more than he's used to.

=The reason is quite simple.
=There's simply no need to run when you play "One Outs."

=After getting two outs in the top of the 8th, Tokuchi has allowed 2 runners to reach base—!
=Runners on second and third—Another tight situation for Tokuchi!!

=Up to bat is Tomas, who's already had 2 hits today...

=Tokuchi's 3rd pitch—
=He throws!

<152>
BWHAP

=A strikeout!!//Tokuchi hangs on to get through yet another tight situation!!

=S-Sorry...
=No worries.

=He's already got nothing left in the tank.
=Let's take this one step at a time.

<153>
=We've got to get a run for Tokuchi!!
=Yeah!!

Despite their enthusiasm,
Perhaps it was the gap between the champions and the gutter team...

For the Lycaons, 1 run from the Mariners—
Loomed far and away...

But Tokuchi held on.

Summoning all his strength,
To keep his opponents at bay.

[x4]HUFF

<154>
WHAP
ZWHUSH

=Yer out!
=Shit!!
GRACK

=He slid into first base!
=What is this, high school baseball?

And then—

<155>
=The game entered extra innings.

But even then,

The stalemate continued.

WHACK

=Oh no—! Right fielder Okazaki chases a foul fly and goes crashing into the fence!!

<156>
=Hey!!
=You okay!?

=Wake up!! Hey!!
=Uhh...//The ball?

=You caught it.
=You caught it man!

=...Good.

=What a spirited effort!
=Tokuchi's been saved by the defense—!!

Do you feel it, Tokuchi...?
This is "Baseball..."

The biggest difference between "Baseball" and "One Outs,"

It's not about getting grounders, or having to play defense.

The one key difference between "Baseball" and "One Outs" is...

<157>
You're not alone.

=...Manager...

=Put me in!!

=Announcing a substitution for the Lycaons.
RABBLE

=Pinch-hitting for the 5th batter, Kondo—

<158>
=Kojima!!
=Number 9!!

Proofread by quantula

[English] [Translation] One Outs 22 by Meriken

2009-07-22T15:26:26+00:00

One Outs, Volume 3, Chapter 22 (pp. 114~135)

<114>
Chapter 22: Double-dealing

<115>
=Bases loaded!! One out, and the bases are loaded!!
=After 8 innings of perfect pitching, the defending champion Mariners have finally caught on to Tokuchi—!!

=Next up is the slugger, Brooklyn!!

=Amazing...//But how?
=He was unhittable before, but now all of a sudden he's...
=Mariners hitting coach//Yukio Awaguchi

<116>
=To put it simply,
=Dealing with Tokuchi is like playing a guessing game.

He has 2 cards, a black one and a white one. He picks one of them,
And we try to guess what color that card is.

=Two cards, black and white...
=That's the normal fastball and the low rotation fastball, huh?

=It's a 1 in 2 chance. We win if we get it right, but he has the ability to know exactly what we're thinking, and he tricks us every single time.
=So how do we win?

=The answer is actually quite simple.

=We make it so that our actions are independent from our thoughts.

<117>
=What does that mean?
=Let's use that card game metaphor from before.

Let's say there's a foreigner here who knows absolutely no English.
We give him...

False information that "Blanche = Black," and "Noire = White."
Then what would happen?

=Oh—!

The foreigner thinks the card is "Blanche,"
[bubble]Black
But he unwittingly declares that the card is "Black."

=That's making actions independent from one's thoughts.

=I see...//...But wait a sec... I get that, but how does it apply to Tokuchi?

<118>
=Do you remember//What I said at the very beginning?

=...Forget about the low rotation fastballs...
=And just try to hit the normal fastballs...?

=Right...//And they must've taken that to heart... However—

=In actuality, all 3 of them hit the low rotation fastball.

=Wh-What does that mean—?
=It's all because their actions were made independent from their thoughts.

All of them were trying to hit the normal fastball, but they really ended up connecting with the low rotation fastball.
How could something like that happen?

<119>
=Here's the reason.
=Brooklyn's bat.

=All 3 of the batters were using Brooklyn's bat instead of their own.

Professional ballplayers solidify their batting form through daily practice, and choose bats that are best suited to their needs.
So naturally, they get thrown off-stride when they suddenly start using an unfamiliar bat.

This bat weight 2.5 pounds. It's 0.5 pounds heavier than a normal bat. When you swing something like this for the first time, the weight causes the swing to cut a lower trajectory than what was intended.
About one ball's width lower, I would imagine.

<120>
=That difference
=Matches the course of Tokuchi's low rotation fastball.

=Ohh—I get it!
=That should fool Tokuchi—!

That's the real reason I told them to only take one swing.
They're professionals after all. Just a couple practice swings would fix the trajectory of the swing that we worked so hard to mess up.

=Amazing! This will work!
=This plan will totally destroy Tokuchi!!
=But...

=Unfortunately, even this plan has a weakness—
=You see...

=It doesn't work on Brooklyn.

=...Oh.

<121>
=Steeerike yer out!!
BWHAP

=Ahh...

=Shit!
CRACK
[bubble]Broke it again

=Oh well,
=This is all part of the plan

=I'll go and finish him off.

<122>
=The Lycaons are still in a tricky situation!! The next batter is...
=Itsuki Takami, the prodigy!!

=2 outs, top of the 9th! Still bases loaded!!
=Will Toua Tokuchi survive this situation—!?

<123>
OHHHHHHH

=Toua Tokuchi's first pitch to Takami...
ZUP

GRIT

=He throws!!

GWUSH

<124>
=Steeerike!!
BLAM

=Wow—! Bold move!!
=A first-pitch fastball smack dab in the middle of the strikezone!

=Phew—His knack for reading batters is beyond human.

[bubble]WHAP

=Tokuchi...

<125>
=Steeerike two—!!

=Now he throws a low fastball just inside the strikezone!!
=Takami's in the hole, 0-2!

=No... It doesn't seem like Takami really thinks he's in the hole.
=Take a look at his expression.

He's... Smiling?

=It's almost like this is all part of his plan.

=Exactly... Takami planned all of this in advance... He'll pretend to wait for the normal fastball, and then...

=Whack the low rotation pitch using Brooklyn's bat!!

<126>
OHHHHHHHHH
=What a breathtaking match-up—!//Will the next pitch bring it all to an end—!?

=...//Huh?

Takami...
Could he be...!?

=The leg goes up!!
ZUP

=Tokuchi's 3rd pitch—!

<127>
BWHUP
=He throws!!

GUSHHH

It's over, Tokuchi! Takami's definitely going to hit—
That sinking pitch of yours!!

<128>
=It's not sinking—!?

=He tricked us again—!!
=It's not the low rotation pitch—!!!

Could it be... That Tokuchi saw Brooklyn striking out, and...
Saw through the trick with the bats—!?

=No... It's going exactly as planned.

<129>
=That bat he's using...
=It's his own bat!

=What!?

That's right... After seeing Brooklyn strike out,
You would be sharp enough to notice the trick with the heavy bat. However...

I took all that into account when I devised this plan!!

I got you, Tokuchi!!

I saw the wheels within the wheels—And I've won this battle!!!

<130>
WHOOSH

<131>
THUD

=S-
=Strike three. He's out.

<132>
=Takami strikes out—!!
=Tokuchi has gotten through another tight situation—!!

=Takami...

=I can't believe it...
=I should've beaten him just now.

=Realizing that Tokuchi wouldn't throw his low rotation fastball...//Should've been enough for me to win...
=But...

<133>
But to think—
The pitch would stretch upwards as it came in...

=I realized he could lower the rotation of his fastball
=But...

=I never imagined he could increase the rotation too.

=A low rotation pitch,
=And a high rotation pitch, huh...

=He completely outsmarted me!
=I was trying to guess between the black card and the white card—

<134>
And he pulls out a gray card without batting an eyelash...

In the end, the Lycaons scored a walk-off run in the bottom half of the inning to win the game.

And defying all prior expectations,
The Lycaons had taken the first game of the series.

BLIT

=...O-
=Owner...!

=No worries.
=It's just another step...

<135>
=Slowly but surely...
=Tokuchi is approaching total and complete defeat.

Tokuchi pitched 9 innings today.
33 at-bats
3 hits
2 walks
Zero runs...
Toua Tokuchi's tentative salary under the One Outs contract is—

555 million yen

Amazing work, Tokuchi... You're an even greater opponent than I ever expected... However...

The real battle starts tomorrow.

Proofread by quantula

[English] [Translation] One Outs 21 by Meriken

2009-07-12T04:15:08+00:00

One Outs, Volume 3, Chapter 21 (pp. 93~113)

<93>
=Another 1-2-3 innings for the Lycaons in the bottom of the 2nd.
=It's now the 3rd inning,
=The Mariners are up to bat.

=Tokuchi,

=That last inning,
=I think they might've caught on to how you change the spin on your fastball.

=Well,

=I guess they won't get easy hits just from noticing that...
Chapter 21: Strategy

<94>
Chapter 21: Strategy

<95>
=Steeerike!!

=Tokuchi's got Yamakawa down 0-2!

Wow—Great location.
He's really got amazing control.

But like Takami and the others said,
It's just a mediocre fastball.

=Tokuchi, slated to start all 3 games in this series,
=Is placing his pitches very confidently and sparingly. He isn't fooling around at all.

=It's not that he won't fool around, he just can't afford to.
=After all, he's gotta pitch tomorrow and the day after that.

He's definitely gonna try and end it with the next pitch.
He'll place a low rotation fastball inside the strikezone!

=3rd pitch to Yamakawa—

<96>
BWHIP
=He throws!

You'll regret trying to conserve your energy—

BWHAP

<97>
=Steerike yer out—!
=A three-pitch strikeout!! What's going on with Yamakawa—!?

=He took a huge cut on a pitch
=That should've been ball one!

Now he throws me a pitch outside...

It's almost like he read my mind...!

=Next up—
=Nozoe, batting 2nd.

According to Takami and Tomas, Tokuchi starts by offering up his lazy fastball, then throws the low rotation pitch to fool the batter into taking a swing.

...So that must mean—

=He's never gonna start off with the low rotation fastball!

<98>
=And now,
=The first pitch to Nozoe—

Beating Tokuchi—?
Piece of cake!

=He throws!!

It's all mine—!!

<99>
GONK

=A low rotation fastball
=On the first pitch!?

=Oh no—! Nozoe swings on the first pitch and hits a routine grounder to second—!

=That's yet another 1-2-3 inning—!

=He read me like a book...!

<100>
=Tokuchi seems to be handling the defending champions with ease—!

OHHHHHHHH

=The Mariners lineup

=Simply had no answer for Tokuchi's wily pitching.

=One after another.

=They continued to pile up the outs.

<101>
=The prized cleanup trio remained hitless,

And incredibly enough,
Tokuchi had pitched a no-hitter through the 7th inning. The only baserunners being the pair of intentional walks in the 1st inning!!

=DAMN IT!
CRACK

=Why can't I hit those crappy pitches—!?
=How many bats is he planning on wasting today?

<102>
=Don't worry,
=Brooklyn brings 30 bats to every game so he doesn't have to worry about running out.

=Whoa, it's heavy!
=I heard it weighs 2.5* pounds.
=2.5 pounds!?
[margin note]*Bats used in the professional leagues usually weigh around 2 pounds.

=What a monster, swinging around a bat like this...
=Yes, but it's even more amazing how he keeps breaking those bats like they're chopsticks.

...A heavy bat...
That's it!

OHHHHHHHHH

=I was worried about Takami, but...
=Looks like you've got it all under control.

=It's not over yet.

<103>
Toua continued his excellent pitching, allowing zero runners despite pitching on only 1-days rest,

Making it a no-hitter going into the top of the 9th inning.

=The Lycaons dugout is feeling ecstatic, completely oblivious of the fact that they haven't scored any runs either...

=You were right, Itsuki.
=What's really amazing about that guy is his ability to cater to the hitter's mindset.

=It took me 3 at-bats but I've realized,
=That guy...//Can tell exactly what we're thinking.

<104>
=Then all we've got to do
=Is not think about anything when we step into the batter's box!

=It's called "Mu no Kyouchi" in Japan, isn't it?
=That would be the best plan,//But there's no easy way to achieve that kind of mental stability.

=Quite honestly,
=I don't think we have a chance trying to outsmart him.

=And it's not just about Tokuchi being the better gambler...//These past few years, we've been the champions, for better or for worse, and it's made us completely reliant on our strength as a team. We haven't had to outsmart our opponents in a while, and it's starting to show.

=Then Tokuchi's just going to keep destroying us like this...?

=No, I've got a plan.

<105>
=First,
=Forget about trying to hit Tokuchi's low rotation fastballs.

=Only go for the normal fastballs he sets up with.

=Second,//Only swing the bat once. Never take any additional swings.

=That means no practice swings in the batter's box. Not even when you're waiting on deck.

=Itsuki... What are you...?

<106>
=Tokuchi watches his opponents very very closely.
=That's where he starts analyzing his opponents' mindsets.

=For example,

=Just now, Tomas stepped out of the batter's box after missing the first pitch, adjusted his grip downwards by an inch, and took a practice swing.

=It was pretty obvious you were going, "My timing is a little bit off," in the back of your head.

=Our subconscious thoughts always show up in our actions.
=We can't reduce our minds to nothingness, so we only have one choice.

=Suppress your actions as much as possible.

=Just one swing—//The moment you hit the ball.
=Whoa, hold up...

<107>
=You said just one swing to hit it, but...//What happens if you foul or whiff on that one shot?

=Don't worry.
=You won't miss!!

=And here's the most important part,

=The strategy for defeating Tokuchi, part 3...

=Huh—!?

=Seriously...!?
=Tokuchi's pitches... With that...!?
=No...

<108>
=...It'll work.
=This is exactly what we need.

=One out, nobody on base in the top of the 9th inning.//The lead-off hitter, Yamakawa, is up to bat.

=Takami seemed pretty confident, but I wonder if this is really gonna work...
Don't go for the low rotation pitches. Only swing the bat once.

=I guess,
=I'll just have to go after the first pitch!

<109>
=Tokuchi's first pitch,
=He throws!!
BWHUP

=Please don't be a low rotation pitch...

GWUSH..

=UCK!!

A low rotation
Fastball—!?

He got me again!!

<110>
CRACK

=WHOAA!!

<111>
=He hits it—!
=A clean hit to center field—!!

=He hit Tokuchi's hanging fastball right on the button—!

=Alright—! We can do this—!
=Get him outta there—!!

<112>
Takami's plan
Worked like a charm.

=Nozoe hits it—!!
CRACK

CRA—CK
=Tomas drops it to left field—!!

<113>
=Bases loaded!!
=Whatever happened to that great pitching he displayed through the past eight innings!? 3 consecutive hits has made it a one-out bases-loaded situation in the top of the 9th—!!

=And now the two monsters are stepping to the plate!!
=How is Tokuchi going to get out of this one—!!?

Proofread by quantula

[English] [Translation] One Outs 20 by Meriken

2009-06-27T17:21:11+00:00

One Outs, Volume 3, Chapter 20 (pp. 69~91)

<69>
=An unexpected pair of intentional walks at the start of the game has made it no outs, runners on first and second!
=This guy's really made a habit out of taking people by surprise—!
OHHHHH
Chapter 20: Fastball

He's quite confident...
Confident about maintaining a perfect ERA with just his fastball...

But no matter how good he is at placing his pitches,
Is it really possible for him to keep getting outs from pro ballplayers with just a fastball?

There's gotta be something else...
Something else up his sleeve...

<70>
Chapter 20: Fastball

<71>
=Ball!
BWHAP

=The third batter, Tomas...
=Has made it a full count after fouling off a number of pitches.

=Heh,//What the hell's he doing getting pressured by a pitcher like that.
=He's not getting pressured.

=He's forced Tokuchi to throw 8 pitches because he wants to see what Tokuchi has to offer.
=And now he's made it a full count...

=Tomas is the one doing the pressuring.

=No matter how good his control is, the next pitch is going to be easier to hit.

<72>
=This man's control really is amazing...
=He scatters them so they seem like loose pitches, but they're all barely grazing the strikezone.//...However...
=He only seems to be able to throw lazy fastballs...

Why hasn't anyone figured him out yet?

=3-2, full-count!
=Here's the 9th pitch of the at-bat...

=He throws!!

<73>
GWUUSH

=There it is!

=Easy pitch—!

=I've got this—!

<74>
BWHAP

=Steeerike yer out—!
=Whoaa!

=A strikeout!
=Tokuchi starts off by striking out the third batter, Tomas!

=Hey hey,
=Swing and miss on a pitch like that?

<75>
OHHHHH
PHEW—
GATHUCK

=Are you sure...?
=He can't throw anything besides a fastball?

=According to the scorers... They checked all of Tokuchi's pitches on tape, but...
=Every single one of them was a fastball.

=Unbelievable.

I was certain I had it...
...But in the end... I didn't even make contact.

=I heard that one of Tokuchi's victims said...

=It's almost like the ball suddenly slipped away...
=From the bat.

=That's exactly how it felt.

<76>
There's no way
That pitch
Was just an ordinary fastball!!

=High fly ball—!
CRA—CK

=Brooklyn takes the bait on the first pitch and hits a big big big pop fly—!
WHACK
=You don't need to say it 3 times—!

What the hell, you only lasted 1 pitch—

=Batting 5th—
=The third baseman... Takami!

=It's Takami!//Takami's up to bat!

<77>
=His .441 batting average leads the league by a mile!
OHHHHH
=On the other hand, Toua Tokuchi is a rookie phenom who hasn't let up a single run since entering the pro ranks—!

<78>
=They're facing off for the very first time!!

=Whoa,
=This is pretty intense...

=Tokuchi gets set for the first pitch...

<79>
Z-ZWUSH

=He throws!!

<80>
BLAM
=Steerike—!

=Tokuchi throws one straight down the middle!!
=That was an easy pitch for the taking—!!

He saw I was planning to let the first pitch go by,
And purposely threw one straight down the middle!

<81>
BWHAP
=Steerike two—!!

=Now Tokuchi's got Takami down 0-2!!

<82>
Great placement. Superb control.
But...

Is this all he's got?

=Tokuchi's 3rd pitch—!

—He's not going to play around.

He'll try to end it with the next pitch!!

=He throws!!

<83>
BWUSH

ZUP
Just as I thought!!

GRUCK

<84>
BWHAP

=S-Steerike yer out—!

=He struck out looking!!
=Takami couldn't pull the trigger!
=And Tokuchi has retired the 3, 4, and 5 hitters just like that!!
OHHHHH

<85>
=But... Uh-oh—Tokuchi looks a little unhappy as he heads back to the dugout.

=On the other hand, the strikeout victim Takami...
=Is smiling!//He even appears somewhat satisfied by the result!!

THUD
=Nice pitching, Tokuchi.

=He held back at the last second.
=...Damn.

=Huh?

=That Takami guy...
=He's way trickier than I expected—

<86>
[bubble]The Lycaons are easily put away in the bottom of the 1st—
=I get it.

=Now I understand why Tokuchi's fastball is so difficult to hit.

=Wait a second...
=...You said Tokuchi's fastball, right?//...So you mean he really can't throw any breaking pitches?
=Well... Sort of.

=One question...
=What is a "fastball" in the first place?

=...A ball that goes fast.
=No kidding.

<87>
=In terms of mechanics...
=It's a pitch that puts a vertical spin on the ball.

The spin keeps the ball lifted up,
And it travels in a straight direction, almost as if it's defying gravity.

=That's right...//A professional fastball is said to make approximately 20 rotations before it reaches the plate.
=The more spin there is, the harder it is to hit.//The lift becomes greater, so it seems like the ball is lifting up. The air friction also decreases making it seem like the ball accelerates in front of the plate.//In contrast, pitches with less spin stay hanging, and are more likely to be hit.

=I get that,//But what does that have to do with Tokuchi's fastball being difficult to hit?
=It doesn't seem like that guy's got such good spin on his fastball.

="Tokuchi can only throw fastballs."//That notion is a mistake in and of itself.

=What're you talking about!!?//You just said he couldn't throw any breaking pitches...!
=No, I mean...

=It's not that he's only throwing fastballs.//He's throwing every possible kind of fastball.

<88>
=You see...
=That guy can control the number of rotations the ball makes.

=No way...!
=I could hardly believe it myself... But it's true.

The first two pitches that he threw... Were simple, ordinary fastballs.
They were about 75mph, and made about 17~18 rotations...
However... That third pitch he threw...

=Made only 3 rotations before it reached the plate.

<89>
=3 rotations...!?
=For real?
=You expect us to believe that!?

=You can count on Takami's vision...

=I wouldn't have noticed if I'd swung at that pitch.//I only noticed because I held back and watched it go by.

He probably throws those low rotation fastballs by stifling the snap of the wrist as much as possible when he releases the ball.
To put it simply,
I guess it's almost like throwing a palmball with a fastball grip...

=He baits the batter with normal fastballs.//Once he's imprinted those into the batter's mindset, he ducks underneath the bat with the low rotation fastball.

=I see...
=So that's the secret behind the pitch that "slips away" from the bat...

=What makes it even worse is that he throws them knowing exactly what the batter is looking for.

<90>
He has the ability...
To read the human psyche.

=Hah!
=Don't worry about it.
=Whatever the heck it's doing, it's still a crap pitch.

=H-He's right.
=A low rotation pitch isn't any different from a hanging fastball.
=There's no point in over-thinking things.

<91>
...Yeah,
You guys just don't get it, do you.

He's gotten this far just by throwing that crap pitch...
Meaning, this guy—

Has the potential to change that crap team into the strongest team ever.

Proofread by quantula

[English] [Translation] One Outs 19 by Meriken

2009-06-11T01:10:27+00:00

One Outs, Volume 3, Chapter 19 (pp. 47~67)

<47>
=This is insane!!//3 starts in a row after 1-days rest!?
=They don't even do that in high school baseball nowadays!
[sign]Owner's Office

=Tokuchi would never agree to such a...
=He's got no choice.

=Ick...

=Amendment 1 of the One Outs Contract.
=He'll be fined 500 million yen unless he follows every single order that comes out of the dugout.
Chapter 19: Intentional Walk

=Yesterday's press conference has already made an impact. The tickets for all 3 games are already sold out.
=Heh-heh-heh.

=This is how you do business.

<48>
Chapter 19: Intentional Walk

<49>
=Lyacons fans packed the stadium.
=However,//None of them came expecting their team to win.

=Well yeah, I want them to—But I doubt it.
=They can't beat this Mariners team.
Yuichi Okazaki (age 22)//Part-timer

=Huh? Kojima's not in the lineup today? Pinch hitting? Ohh—//Will they win? Hah-hah-hah, they can't even win when they have Kojima.
Hideaki Naka (age 31)//Office worker

=I came to see Tokuchi get hit.//Luck won't get him any further.

=And the mood was no different in the Lycaons dugout.

=.470 batting average up and in.
=.433 even on low and outside pitches—?

<50>
=*Sigh—* So basically, you throw it in the strikezone and you'll get hit.
=That's just depressing.
=Hope I won't have to pitch today.

=Where's Tokuchi?
=He's over there.

=He's probably pissed off about having to pitch like this.

=Look!

=It's Takami!

<51>
=He's taking his batting practice.
=How would you like to start?//A fastball, maybe—?

=Nah...
=Just throw whatever you want.
GRIP

OHHHHH

=Really—?
=Guess I'll try my sinker then...

SWIP

GRIP

FWUSH

<52>
CRACK

<53>
=Takami's swinging really well.
=That was 14 pitches over the fence.
=Looks like he might hit another homer today.//It's gonna be real tough for the Lycaons...

BWIP

=Ah...

=That ball...
=You might want to get another one. It could hurt somebody...
SWAP

=Oh!

<54>
He...
Saw the loose seam?

His visual acuity is unbelievable...

=He—y! Itsuki—!
=Looks like you're doing pretty well—!

=But I'm gonna up my average to .430 during this series.//We'll see whose winning in 3 days.
=Hey hey, we're playing against the Lycaons, not each other.

<55>
=The Lycaons!? Hah!!
=You think those guys are any match for us!?

=Hey Kojima—They still aren't letting you play, huh—?

=Guess you just can't beat old age—

=Damn!

=The long layoff's probably made you forget how to hold a bat.

=Lemme teach you a thing or two about hitting homeruns.

<56>
CRAAACK

=That's how.
=Learn something?

They were all
Speechless.

Even after being ridiculed like this,

Deep down, they all knew that the Mariners were far superior to them.

<57>
=Tokuchi...

=Here's the data on their starting lineup. Take a look before the game starts.

=Wow—
=Tomas 47.2% on curveballs high and inside,
=46.4% for fastballs high and inside...
=Hmm...

<58>
[x4]RIP

FWHAP
=Wha...!?
=What the hell do you think you're doing!?

=Listen,
=Who do you guys think we're playing today?

=This % for this pitch, that % for that pitch... I don't know how you got all this data, but...
=Unfortunately, this only shows you how the Mariners have played in the past.

<59>
=But the opponent we're playing today isn't the Mariners from the past.//It's the Mariners of today.

=You guys've just lost your nerve thinking about the past Mariners.
=That's not...!

=Then let me ask you something.

=Did any of you notice how during batting practice, Tomas whiffed on the 3rd pitch, an ordinary outside fastball?

=Or how Brooklyn homered on the 7th pitch, but kept shaking his head like something was wrong?

=What about their starter, Shimabara, adjusting his taping twice during catch?//Or Misaki burping 5 times while he was picking up stray balls in the outfield?//How about the manager getting ticked off when the coach stepped on his foot?

<60>
So he wasn't just lying around...
He was keeping tabs on the other team!

=What's the use of looking towards the past?//If past data dictates reality...
=Then our .331 winning percentage last year means we shouldn't even be playing the Mariners and their .667 winning percentage.

=The only way to find clues for beating the Mariners today
=Is by watching the Mariners of today.

He's exactly right.

All of us...

Are acting like losers when the game hasn't even started yet...!

<61>
=Hey,//Check it out.

=Our enemies are staring at us.

=Heh.
=Those faces are gonna turn pale in no time.

OHHHHH

<62>
=Alright, it's time to play ball!
=The first game of the season between the Lycaons and the Mariners!
OHHHHHH

=The fans have packed the stadium to see an unprecedented pitching move,
=Where Toua Tokuchi is slated to be the starter for three straight games!

=Mr. Sekine, what do you think of this murderous rotation using Tokuchi?
=Yes,

=They've probably giving up on this series,
=And are offering Tokuchi up as a sacrificial lamb to give their other pitchers a chance to rest.

<63>
=The Mariners have a powerful middle-lineup consisting of three players hitting above .400.
=Tokuchi's got to get those first two batters out if he wants to have any chance of keeping that zero intact.

=Let's see how Tokuchi deals with the lead-off hitter, Yamakawa—

[x2]TICK

<64>
=A walk! An intentional walk!!
=Tokuchi is intentionally walking the leadoff hitter!!
OHHHHHH

=No, that's not the end of it!

=He's also given the next batter a free pass to first!
=He's foolishly allowed runners on base before facing the 3, 4, and 5 batters—!

<65>
=Unbelievable!! Unheard of!!
=What in the world is this man thinking—!?

=What could this mean, Mr. Sekine...?
=Well, you see...

="The Mariners lineup is nothing,"
=Is what I think he's trying to say.

=SHIT!!
BWHACK

=His teammates must be furious at him for pulling a stunt like this!

=Hah//Hah-hah

=Hah-hah

=Hah-hah-hah-hah

<66>
=Huh...? They're laughing!
=Tokuchi's insanity hasn't caused them to panic at all...!
=They look pretty happy!
[x4]HAH

And before they knew it, it was all gone.
Everything they'd felt towards the Mariners.

The fear,
The resignation...

And once they remembered how small they had felt before,
They laughed.

<67>
=Stop laughing!!
BWHACK

=Now then...

=Let's get this started.

[English] [Translation] One Outs 18 by Meriken

2009-06-07T23:55:24+00:00

One Outs, Volume 3, Chapter 18 (pp. 25~45)

<25>
Chapter 18: Conditions

[title]Contract

The One Outs Contract
Lycaons owner Tsuneo Saikawa and Toua Tokuchi have agreed to a special contract concerning Tokuchi's yearly salary.
The name comes from the idea that the entire contract is based on individual outs.
Tokuchi receives 5 million yen for every out he makes. However, Tokuchi must pay the team 50 million yen for every run he loses.
To put it simply, it's a rather severe contract where the pitcher falls into debt unless he is able to maintain an ERA below 2.70.
As a note, if this contract were to be applied to all the pitchers in the Central and Pacific Leagues during the 1998 season, over 80% would find themselves in debt. The only pitcher who would benefit from this contract, receiving more money than in his actual salary contract, would be Kazuhiro Sasaki of the Yokohama BayStars.

<26>
=Light!

=Wh-Wh-Wh-
=Why you little—!!
=Now now, just give it to him.

Why me?
SHUFF
=We've called you here today,

=To work out some specific details concerning your contract.
SMILE

<27>
=You see, there are just too many gray areas as it currently stands.
=We don't wish to spoil the good relationship we've enjoyed thus far.

=We have 4 proposals for you.

=Number one,

=Always follow instructions from the dugout.

<28>
=Whether it's starting or relieving, you pitch when the manager tells you to.
=And you keep pitching until he stops you...

=This is all common sense.
HAH-HAH-HAH—
=Not really worth our time, I suppose.

=But if this clause is broken—

=You will pay a fine of 500 million yen—
[x?]SMILE

=This includes situations where the individual is unable to follow instructions due to his own negligence—
=Well, I can't imagine that would ever be an issue—Hah-hah-hah-hah...

He...
Must be referring to that beanball incident...

=Number two,
=Is concerning the definition of a "run."
=We will define a "run" as any run lost during a pitching appearance, not just "earned runs."

<29>
=This may all seem minute,
[x5]SMILE
=But it doesn't hurt to make note of details like this.

Quick Baseball Fact: What's an "Earned Run?"
This term refers to any change in score caused by a single pitcher. For instance, a run scored on a defensive error would not be counted as an "earned run."

=Number three,
=The contract rate can be adjusted depending on the importance of the game.

=What does that mean?

=You've heard the term "crucial series" before, haven't you?
=In the 135-game pennant race, some games will be crucial in determining the standings,//While others, like the games right before the end of the regular season, are not nearly as important.
SMILE

<30>
=It wouldn't be fair to treat them all the same, now would it?
=It makes sense for a crucial game to go by 1.5x, or even twice the original rate.

=A change in rate wouldn't put you at a disadvantage, of course.
=If an out is worth 7 million, a run is worth 70 million... If an out is worth 10 million, a run is worth 100 million... The ratio would remain exactly the same.

=And lastly,//Number four.

=Do not reveal the existence of this contract to anyone.

<31>
=Our terms go against every conventional salary contract in professional baseball.
=If word gets out, it will create a great deal of unwanted commotion.

=Fortunately, we four are the only ones who know the existence of this contract thus far.

=If this clause is broken, you will pay a fine of 500 million yen...
=In addition, your salary up to that point will be invalidated.
SMILE

=He's misleading you!!
=All of this... Is just another layer of deception!!

=That's all I have for today...

=Would you like to voice any objections?

=It's a trap!!
=You've got to notice it!! Notice the trap hidden beneath these proposals!!

<32>
=Alright,
=I accept all 4 proposals.

<33>
=Wait!
=Wait just a second!

[x4]HUFF
=...Are you
=...Sure?

=Accepting every proposal,
=Just like that!?

=Don't you see...? You're being set up.

=All that stuff about sorting out the details is just an excuse.//He's trying to bend the rules in his favor, now that he's down by 400 million...
=Dude...

=Whose side are you on, anyway?

=I know he's planning something.//I'm fully aware of that.

<34>
=You'll see who's really being set up...
=At the end of the season.

=Hah-hah-hah,//That fool accepted every single proposal!
[sign]Owner's Office

=Now that takes care of "Step 1..."
FLAP..

=What's Tokuchi's schedule from here on?
=I believe the manager is planning to rest him for 5 days, then start him in the next game against the Bugaboos.

=5 days...
=Hmm.

=Get the manager over here immediately.
=Yes sir.

<35>
=Also...//Get those sportswriters on the phone.

=The media...?
=Sir?

=Here comes... "Step 2..."

Meanwhile, the Lycaons have gathered for an emergency team meeting.

Observed among them
Is a healthy Hiromichi Kojima.

The reason the team has assembled on an off-day is because—

<36>
[headline]Mariners, 12th straight win
=They have a 3-game series against the Mariners, the defending league champions, starting tomorrow.

Chiba Mariners
4 consecutive league championships from '95~'98.
3 consecutive Japan Series titles from '96~'98.
Making them by far the strongest team in the country.

This year, they've shot to the top of the rankings yet again.
[columns]G//W//L//D//W%//GB
[rows]Mariners//Bloomers//Fingers//Eagles//Bugaboos//Lycaons
This blatant 1-strong, 4-weak, 1-non-contender format is causing a lack of interest in the pennant race.

The Lycaons have assembled to try and find some way to prevent this landslide from continuing.

<37>
=Where's Tokuchi?
=I dunno.

=He probably thinks he's pitching in the next Bugaboos game...
=So he doesn't care about the Mariners.

=Has he even shown up to any of the meetings?
=He's probably out playing pachinko or something.

Correct!
BEEP BOOP

He's the one,
That really needs to get to know the Mariners...

=Uh—As everybody knows, the Mariners are an offensive team.//In the 12 games so far, their team batting average has been .334, scoring an average of 6.17 runs per game... These are ridiculous stats.

=So we gotta score 7 runs or more, huh...

=The number 3, 4, and 5 batters are the ones propelling their offense.
=All three are currently hitting above .400, and they're dominating the top individual stats in the league.

<38>
=Let's take a look at each one of them.

=Batting 3rd, Tomas.
=He's a flexible hitter who comes out strong in clutch situations. He leads the league with a .517 on-base-percentage.
[stat box]This Season//.406 BA (2nd in league)//5 HRs (5th in league)//11 RBIs (3rd in league)

=He's also pretty quick on the basepaths and recorded 25 steals last season, making him even harder to deal with.

=Next... Batting 4th, Brooklyn.

[stat box]This Season//.403 BA (3rd in league)//10 HRs (1st in league)//16 RBIs (2nd in league)
=No surprises here, he's just your typical power-hitter.

<39>
CRACK

=That was off Hatayama in the game against the Fingers.
=Estimated distance, 160m.
OHHHHHH

<40>
=160m...!? That pitch was outta the strikezone!
=If he finds himself a good pitch, he'll carry it with his power even if it's not in the strikezone.
=Power...!? That's still ridiculous...!
[x4]RABBLE

Those two are nothing.
The real one to watch out for is...

This man.

=Lastly... Batting 5th, Itsuki Takami.//3rd year pro.//He made it big last season after spending time as a highly-touted prospect.
=He leads the league in two categories.
[stat box]This Season//.441 BA (1st in league)//8 HRs (2nd in league)//18 RBIs (1st in league)

=This is an at-bat from yesterday's Fingers game. The pitcher is Kawanaka.

=High fastball—

SHWUCK

=It dropped!

<41>
CRACK

=This ended up being the game-winning homerun.
WHIZZ—
OHHH

<42>
=That was a forkball, right...?
=And it was Kawanaka's forkball.
=We can't even make contact with that thing.
[x3]RABBLE

=The frightening part
=Is that Takami wasn't waiting for a forkball at all.

=Ordinary players

=Would be unable to keep their eyes on the ball because of the huge break,

=And would miss,
=Meaning they'd have to wait for a forkball in order to have any chance of making contact.

=But in Takami's case,

=He was waiting for a fastball... He's even dropping his knee as the ball sinks.
=But his eyes never leave the ball.

=And he gets the bat on it perfectly,
=For a homerun.

<43>
=The man's a genius.

=That frighteningly good hand-eye coordination isn't something you can develop or fool around with.

=...Amazing...
=SIGH—

=I don't know if we'll ever be able to beat them...

What's wrong with these guys!?

They're still in despair-mode even after playing such a good game yesterday...?
What do they think the whole point of this meeting is!?
Is this loser attitude going to be that difficult to overcome!?

<44>
=Tokuchi!?
BAM
=Where's Tokuchi!?
[jacket]THE MAN!//SAEJIMA

=Tokuchi doesn't participate in meetings.
=What!!?
=So he's out playing pachinko again!!?

Correct!
BEEP BOOP

=What's the matter, Mr. Saejima?
=The owner just told the media some crazy stuff!
=Get the TV on, quick!!

=Look! They're showing it right now.
=...So you're confident about ending their win streak?
=Of course I am—

=Because starting tomorrow,
=In our 3-game series against the Mariners—

<45>
=Tokuchi will be the starter for every single game.

TADAH TADAAH—!
[x4]JUGA
[bubble]Not bad, bro.

Proofread by quantula

[English] [Translation] One Outs 17 by Meriken

2009-06-03T19:32:50+00:00

One Outs, Volume 3, Chapter 17 (pp. 3~23)

<3>
Chapter 17: Farewell

<4>
=This is outrageous!
=You can't get an ejection by hitting the batter on purpose!!

=You think you've ended the game with zero runs!?
=If Yoshida lets any of those runners home, you're the one that's going to be charged with the runs!!

=Besides,
=You basically gave up on a game we could've won!!
[bubble]You were the one that ordered those errors—

=It's all your fault!! Take responsibility!!
=Responsibility—?//What do you want me to do?

=You're going to have to pay a penalty.

=Alright... 50 million per run, per the One Outs contract.
=That wouldn't be much of a penalty, now would it!!

<5>
=Quadruple the contract.
=200 million per run.

FWOO—SH

=Well...
=Guess it's only fair.

=Alright.
=I'll cover for Yoshida's pitching with quadruple the One Outs contract.

=Hmm...
=What's with the sudden honesty?

=Don't forget what you've just said.//Take some time to mull over your foolish actions while you sit in front of the TV.
GACHUK

=Heh-heh...
=Just as planned.

<6>
=Under this penalty, Tokuchi will owe 400 million after only 2 runs.
=He'll plunge straight into debt.

=Tokuchi and this game are both going to end the same way—
=A walk-off loss in the bottom of the 9th!

OHHHHH

=There's no use in worrying too much about this. Just do your best, and don't be scared of getting hit.
=Nobody's going to blame you, even if we lose.

=Just don't give up a walk.
=The fans aren't gonna stand for a walk-off like that after everything that's happened so far.

<7>
=Play ball!!//Yoshida's on the mound for the first time in 6 years—
=Let's see if he can pitch his way out of this situation!
=Not a chance.

=After all...
=His nickname was "Heart of a Chicken" back in his pitching days.

=C'mon Yoshida...

=Yoshida-san...

But...
Contrary to the hopes of the players and the fans,
The game went on—

Just as Saikawa had hoped.

<8>
BWAP
=Ball! 3-0!

=3-0!! It's a 3-0 count!
=He can't find the strikezone!!//Looks like this is just too much for Yoshida to handle—!!
OHHHHHH

=Heh-heh-heh,//Just as I thought.
=Yes, a walk-off loss appears inevitable.

=Hey, I've just thought of a great outcome!!

=He walks this batter to tie the game.//Then Yoshida loses his nerve and throws an easy one into the strikezone,

=Which gets hit into the stands for a walk-off grand slam!

<9>
=I see, that would be 5 runs... Raising Tokuchi's debt to over 600 million.
=Hah-hah-hah!
=Now that's nasty...

=Just one thing sir...//I doubt Tokuchi has the money to pay off that kind of debt...

=What in the world are you talking about?
=I know he won't even be able to pay 20 million.

=That's not the point.

Toua Tokuchi... The man was born a gambler.
Sensing his knack for baseball, Kojima challenged him to a match that put both their careers on the line.
But Tokuchi's response was,

"I'll just keep on gambling, even if I lose."

=Kojima ultimately emerged victorious, putting an end to Tokuchi's gambling career...
=Or so we thought.

=But he's still gambling now.//...He thinks he's found himself a good money tree, and he's shaking it for amounts he'd never dreamed of back in Okinawa.

<10>
=That's what this One Outs contract is all about!!

=And now that we're down by 380 million, he's laughing at us thinking we're easy pickings!!

=I won't let him humiliate me like this...
=This isn't going to end here.

=That's why...
=Defeating him is just a start. The real question is...

=How to completely smash that bastard into bits!!

<11>
CRACK

=He's got it—!!

=That wasn't a good pitch!

=It's going—!

<12>
=Foul!! It's a foul ball!!
=So close—!//10 cm over and it would've been a homerun!

=The stadium is still stirring at that huge foul ball!
OHHHH

If I try to pitch outside, I'll give up the game-winning walk...

But if I go into the strikezone, I'll get hit...

...Fear...

I can't throw it anywhere—

=Hey hey—What's going on—?//Is that really how an ace handles himself—?

<13>
=...To-
=Tokuchi...

=Yoshida—
=You're not still worrying about petty stuff like winning or losing, are you—?

=None of that stuff matters.
=The only thing you need to be thinking about right now is...

=Whether you're truly a pitcher or not.

<14>
=Forget about the team, the batter, the crowd... All of it.
=Just pitch for yourself.

Just... For myself...

!! Yoshida's changed!!

Just for myself...

<15>
BWUSH

=I've got this!!

GRUCK

<17>
THUD

=Wow—!! Yoshida's pitch—
=Has split the bat into pieces—!!

=Catcher's got it!!
=A force-out at home plate!

=The throw to first...

=He's out!!
SWAP

<18>
=It's over—!!//After 5 grueling hours, the game is finally over—!!
=The Lycaons have stopped their losing streak at 11, and have gotten their first win of the season at last—!!
OHHHHH

<19>
=What's this about, Yoshida...?

=I didn't carry out my orders,//So I can't accept this...

=You're rebelling?
CLACK..
=Do you really think I'm going to let this go by unnoticed?

=No sir...
=I'm prepared for the consequences.

<20>
=I'm retiring,
=After today...

=What!?
=Wha... Wha...
=To be precise...

=I'm going to the U.S.
=And I'll be starting my career over from the minor leagues.

=As a pitcher.

=But I don't intend to leave Japan forever.
=I'm going to grow stronger... And I'm hoping to come back and play here again someday.

=Heh...
=Heh-heh...

<21>
=Are you insane?
=You shouldn't be having unrealistic dreams like that at your age.

=An unrealistic dream... That may be true,
=But here's what a certain individual told me—

=The thing about a low probability is...
=It's not zero.

=Goodbye...
GATHUCK

<22>
=Hah-hah-hah—Not going as planned, eh Saikawa?
*chuckles*
=To-Tokuchi!?

=How... When did you...?
=I was here the who—le time.
=I've got something for you.

=Here, the bill for yesterday's game.
PWIP

=One hundred...
=Fifty million!?

=What the hell!? This isn't right!! You made 22 outs in yesterday's game! It should be 110 million!
=There's an extra 40 million here!!
=Oh—That's from Yoshida.

=From...
=...Yoshida?

=I said I would take responsibility with quadruple the One Outs contract.
=Yoshida got 2 outs, so you obviously owe me another 40 million.

<23>
=Hey—What's this 2 million doing here?//Cool, I'll take this for now.

=Shit!

=...Tokuchi

=Thank you—

We're still in April,
And the Lycaons have just gotten through their 12th regular season game.
—However,
Under the One Outs contract, Toua Tokuchi's tentative salary has reached—

420 million.

Proofread by quantula

[English] [Translation] One Outs 16 by Meriken

2009-06-01T02:54:59+00:00

One Outs, Volume 2, Chapter 16 (pp. 167~187)

<167>
=With their ace reliever Mizuhashi no longer in the game.
=The Eagles had no chance of protecting their lead.
OHHHHHHH

=He's got it—
=A hit to left field!!

=Runner scores easily!!
=The game is tied!!!

=...Oh, the runner on second, Yoshida!!
=Has taken advantage of the weak throw and is heading home!

=No way!
=The throw is—

ZWUSH
Chapter 16: Sentence

<168>
=Safe!
=Not in time!!
=The Lycaons have taken the lead!!
Chapter 16: Sentence

<169>
=After falling behind by 11 runs,
=The Lycaons have finally taken the lead in the top of the 9th—!!
OHHHH

=Yoshida—!

No smoking in the dugout—!

TICK

Something's going on with Toua...

=It's not like you.

=That play from before,
=And that baserunning just now.

<170>
=You sure the owner's gonna let this slide?

=Hah...
=So you did figure me out.

=That's right...//The owner handed me some cash and told me to make it so you'd lose some runs.
=But...

=I didn't do it for the money.
=You see...

=I was jealous of you.

A tryout with zero credentials winning games left and right without giving up a run,
And only around 20 years old but lecturing about what it means to win...
And doing just that.

=I couldn't stand it.
=I felt awkward and envious.

<171>
=Because I used to be a pitcher too.

=I may not look it, but I actually made a pretty big name for myself in the collegiate leagues,
=As a power pitcher.

The Lycaons picked me in the first round of the draft.
And handed me a signing bonus worth 100 million. Unheard of at the time.

I was a huge star. Tons of people showed up each day just to seem me practice, and I felt like I had no privacy.

But... That was it for my days of glory.

Being in the pros turned out to be much tougher than I ever expected. I pitched in 14 games that year, but didn't get a single win.
I got demoted to the farm league midway through the season.

<172>
The next year, I only pitched in 2 games... And the year after that, I spent the entire season on the farm team. And even there, I couldn't rack up any wins.
=Yoshida—

=You keep this up, and you're gonna end up being released next year, let alone staying in the farm for another year.

=Man up in your next start if you don't wanna go out like this.

Released—
Having been a star player just 3 years ago, I equated those words with a death sentence.

=Yo,//If it isn't Yoshida.

The guy who spoke to me at the bar was Tokito, the clean-up hitter on the Busters farm team.
=Man—
=What's a first round draft pick doing drinking all miserably—?

=So it's true about you being fired at the end of the season!?
=Please, leave me alone.

=Hey,//You're pitching against our team in 3 days, right?

=I'll swing out every at-bat for 5 million.

<173>
=No problem for a guy who got a 100 million signing bonus, right?

=The standings are all set, and going 0 for 4 in the next game won't have a huge impact on my stats.
=I'll tell you what. I'll get Shima and Kominezawa, the 3rd and 5th batters, to get in on the deal too.
=...But isn't that...//Cheating...?

GRUCK

=I may be on the farm team, but I'm a clean-up hitter. You think I'll have any trouble taking care of a pitcher like you?
=Make me go all out, and the chances of you standing on a pitching mound next year are gonna be re—al slim.

=Why don't you take some time//And think about your situation a little more carefully.

=Send the money to that account after the game.

<174>
[x2]=Steerike yer out—!

Just as he promised,
Tokito, Shima, and Kominezawa swung out in every at-bat.

And...
Although it was a farm league game, I got my first ever shut-out win as a pro.

=Yoshida!! That was some great pitching today!! Keep this up, and you'll be promoted in no time!!
=Th-Thank you.

=By the way, the owner wanted to have a word with you.
=!? The owner?

=Let me be frank.

=You're not going to be pitching next year.
=Huh!?

<175>
=Why!?//I pitched well in my last start... And next season I'll—
=So you want to keep pitching that badly?

=Even if you have to cheat?

=Tokito, Shima, and Kominezawa.
=Today's emergency owners' meeting revealed that these three have made 300 million over the last 2 years offering to throw games on 20 different occasions.
=The three of them will receive lifelong bans, effective immediately.

=But...//I am the only one that knows about your involvement.

=Fortunately, you haven't deposited the payment or given a clear answer agreeing to the fix.
=However... That doesn't change the fact that you acted inappropriately. The team can't have you continue playing as a pitcher.

=...Which means... I'm being fired.
=I never said that.

=I only said you're not going to be pitching.

<176>
=There are two conditions if you still wish to continue your career.

=One is to convert to an infield position.//And the other is...

=To obey any orders I give you from now on.

=...So,
=The owner just wanted an obedient dog that would follow orders.

=This is something I learned much later,//But Tokito had an informant who told him that my career was banking on that Busters game.

=It was the owner.

FWOO—SH
=A setup, huh...?

=So that's why you double-crossed him?
=No...//I've had plenty of chances if that were the only reason.

<177>
="The only important thing about a low probability is,"
="It's not zero."

=Those words, they really hit the spot.

=I wish I'd gotten to know you earlier.
=That way...

I would've been able to refuse Tokito's proposition.

=There's the third out to end the inning,
=But not before the Lycaons score 2 more runs to take the lead.

=Tokuchi...

<178>
=Let's win this game no matter what.
OHHHH

OHHHHHH

=Sure,
=I wanna win this too, but...

=I'm feeling really fucked up.

<179>
=154 pitches.
=That's Tokuchi's pitch count for this game.

=The 8-man defense has clearly gotten to him.
=He's never had to throw this many pitches.//After all, he only needed 101 pitches to pull off a perfect game.

=So he's getting tired?
=There's no question about it.

=The high pitch count in the 7th and 8th innings show that he's starting to slip.//He's clearly reached his limits.

=In the bottom of the 9th...

=Tokuchi will definitely be giving up his first run.

<180>
BWAP
=Ball!
=Ball four!

=There's another walk!!
=Something's gone wrong with Tokuchi this inning! His control is all over the place!!
OHHH

=That makes it one out, with runners on first and second.//And now the Eagles have a chance for a walk-off win.
=Good!!

=Oh, he's taken a timeout.
=Tokuchi's called time and is headed back over to the bench.

=Perhaps he may have injured himself.

<181>
=Call a pitching change.
=I'm tired.

=You fool—!!
=You're the only pitcher we have left—!!
RAA—GH

=Maybe you wouldn't be so tired if you hadn't kicked out Yoshida—!
GRRR—
M-Manager
=I know it's hard, but hold out just a little longer.
=Don't be such a wuss—!

=Fine, but I'm not taking responsibility for this.

=Tokuchi's returning to the mound.//Looks like it wasn't an injury after all.

<182>
=Now, let's see if Tokuchi can ride out this situation.
=Nakauchi is in the right-handed batters box...
=1st pitch.
OHHHHHH

=He throws!!

<183>
GRACK

<184>
=Beanball!!
=And... Right to the head!

=He...
=Did that on purpose.

=Bastard—!!
[bubble]WHOA

=It's a brawl!
=Both benches have cleared for an all-out brawl on the field—!!

<185>
=Hah-hah-hah. Yeah, fight it out.
=How'd you get back to the bench!?

=We've ruled it as a dangerous pitch.
=Toua Tokuchi is ejected from the field!!

=Whaat!?

=Right... Off I go.
SQUEAK..
=Tokuchi!! You little—!

=Don't worry! I made sure he wouldn't get hurt.
=That's not it! If you leave, then we don't have anymore...
=Ohh

=You've still got a pitcher left.
=One real talented one.

=...Huh...

=Substitution for the Lycaons.
=Pitching for the ejected Tokuchi will be—

<186>
=Number 6
=Yoshida—
OHHHHH

=Now this is a surprise!!
=Having used up all of their pitchers, the Lycaons are now sending their shortstop, Yoshida, over to the mound—!!

=He does have pitching experience,
=But let's see if Yoshida can pitch his way out of this one out, bases-loaded situation—!!

<187>
And so,
Toua Tokuchi closed out his pennant race debut with an ejection—
OHHHH

His statistics for today:
7.1 innings pitched
4 strikeouts
10 hits
2 walks
1 hit batsman
Zero runs

His tentative salary under the One Outs contract is:

380 million yen

=No fucking way—!//He can't just walk away like that—!!
BAM

=Contact Tokuchi immediately!!
EEK..

=Tell him
=He's paying for Yoshida's runs!!

Proofread by quantula

[English] [Translation] One Outs 15 by Meriken

2009-05-27T16:29:13+00:00

One Outs, Volume 2, Chapter 15 (pp. 145~166)

<145>
="Flow" exists in any kind of sport...
=And baseball is no exception.
OHHH

=And now, no matter how anyone looks at it...

=The Lycaons are in full flow.

=He hits it—
CRACK
Chapter 15: Chance

=Runner rounds 3rd,
OHHHH

=He's heading home!!

<146>
=4th run!!
=The Lycaons have made this a 7-run game!!
OHHH

Chapter 15: Chance

<147>
=Looks like this pitcher's gonna be switched out too.
=We might really turn this whole thing around.

=I don't know about that...

=Mizuhashi is pitching next.

=No way... It's a 7-run lead and it's still the 7th.
=They wouldn't play their trump card in a situation like...
=They're using him because it's this situation.

=He may be young, but he takes the game as seriously as anyone.
=He's extremely sensitive about his team getting into a bad "flow".

=He actually had 4 appearances last year where he pitched even though he wasn't getting a save

=The Eagles are making a pitching change.

<148>
=Substituting for Izuta is
=Mizuhashi//No. 43

=For real?
=He's really coming out.
OHHH

=You sure about this?

=Yes.
=I'm not a cheap closer who only pitches in save situations.

DOOO—M

<149>
=Yo.
=Is this Mizuhashi really that badass?

="Badass"?//He's the league's top reliever!
=6 wins, 34 saves, 1.02 ERA.

=We're done for now that this guy's pitching.

=Steeerike yer out!!

<150>
=Phew...
[bubble]SWAP
OHHHH

=So his best pitch is a slider.
=Is it really that hard to hit?

=What's amazing about him...
=Is that his slider and fastball come in from the exact same angle.

Normally, the position of the wrist and elbow shifts ever so slightly when a pitcher throws a breaking pitch.
But not with Mizuhashi.
His form never changes whether he throws the fastball or the slider... Guy's a freakin' machine...

=Huh—

=Steerike yer out—
BWAP

<151>
=That's his 2nd strikeout in a row!!
=Mizuhashi has completely shut down the Lycaons offense—!!
OHH

=He's totally staunched our flow.
OHHHHH

=Just goes to show how a really good pitcher can turn any situation around.

=Do you get how ridiculous that 1.02 ERA is? He threw 49 innings last year, and only lost 5 runs.
=Getting 7 runs in only 2 innings from a pitcher who only loses 5 runs per year... Understand? Even a monkey could estimate our chances of winning.

=Hah! I was never into the whole studying thing.
=A monkey might really know more about that stuff than I do.

=Instead, I've gambled through countless situations,
=And here's the answer I've come up with.

=The only important thing about a low probability is...

<152>
=It's not zero.

=Bottom of the 7th, the Lycaons defense—
=Has kept the Eagles at bay yet again—!!
OHHH

Top of the 8th//Lycaons at bat.

=Steerike yer out—!!

<153>
=There's another strikeout!
=This Lycaons lineup is looking hopeless against Mizuhashi!
OHHHH

=Huh—//He pretty much only throws sliders and fastballs...
=There's no habit or anything to pick out the slider?
=I wouldn't be standing here if there were.

=Hah-hah-hah
=You make it sound like all you gotta do is tell the sliders apart from the fastballs.
IRK
=Wha...!
=It would make a pretty big difference!
HAH-HAH-HAH—

~change~
If we can avoid swinging for the slider that dips outside of the zone, it'll make it a lot harder for him...
But we can't tell the pitches apart because his form is identical and he lacks any habits.

=No habits, huh...?
=We could use that.

=Huh?

<154>
=Lack of habits. That'll be his downfall.

BAAP
=Steerike!!

=T-Timeout.

=Okay, that's all.

=Timeout.
=Huh?

<155>
[x3]ZUSH
=What is it?

=During that timeout just now//I heard what Tokuchi was saying.

=He said... You have a habit where you keep the glove open whenever you throw the slider.
=Huh!?

=Didn't realize that.//I'll be careful.
=Right.
=Just 5 more outs, let's do this.

Tokuchi...
I'm impressed you found out Mizuhashi's habit, but it's useless now that I've overheard you—

=There was an awkward pause there, but the game's started back up!!
ZWUSH

BWIP

<156>
CRAAACK
=He hits it—!!

=To center field—
=He caught the slider right on the button!
OHHH

=No worries
=He just got lucky.

=Just watch your glove.

<157>
=He's got it—
CRACK

=That's the 5th hit in a row. The Lycaons are unstoppable—!!

=Runner rounds 3rd and scores!!

=7th run!!
=The gap has now closed to 4 runs—!!

=I don't think we've ever seen Mizuhashi being bombarded like this!

<158>
=Wow!//Tokuchi was totally right.
=We can hit Mizuhashi's slider.

=But man, I'm surprised you managed to find that habit Mizuhashi has with his glove.

=Actually,
=There is no habit.

=...Huh?

=But we've still managed to get at Mizuhashi, haven't we?
=To be precise,

=I created a habit for him.

When I went over to talk to the batter just now, I purposely spoke loud enough for the catcher to hear me.
I said, "When Mizuhashi throws the slider, he opens his glove".

=But... Didn't you correct yourself right afterwards and say "His gloves closes"?
=I heard that too.
=Same.
=True... I did correct myself.

<159>
=But that time, I said it so the catcher couldn't hear me.

And that catcher took the timeout just like I wanted.
He told Mizuhashi
"Your glove opens when you throw your slider".

=Actually, Mizuhashi had his glove open all the time, whether or not it was a slider. But now that the catcher's warned him, he's started to intentionally close his glove when he throws the slider. This means,

=He's gotten himself a habit now.

...Unbelievable
To think he planned that far ahead...

...How cunning can this guy get...?

<160>
The Lycaons lineup is now unstoppable.

Getting 4 more hits from Mizuhashi,

They've managed to force the ace reliever to hit the showers,

And score 6 runs in this inning...

Making it a 1-run game.
OHHH

=I don't like this!!
GATHUCK

=Call the dugout!
=Yes Sir...
*panic panic*

=The only important thing about a low probability is...
=It's not zero

<161>
=Yoshida...
=Call from the owner.

=Hello
=Yes...
=Yes.

=Get back on defense if there's a chance next inning!!
=Beg Tokuchi if you have to!!

=They're getting used to the 8-man formation... So get back in there and screw them up. Understand?

=Yes sir.

=After that spurt of offense last inning, the Lycaons are now in a huge pinch!!

=One out, runners on the corners.
=Will Tokuchi finally be giving up a run!?

=Tokuchi

<162>
=Could you...
=Put me back on defense?

=Please...

=Ohh—Looks like Yoshida's returned to his position!

=So Yoshida admitted he was at fault?
=No... He's just setting his feelings aside for the sake of this game.
=...Admirable decision on his part.

<163>
Heh-heh-heh
You fell for it Tokuchi.

=You didn't think it was a trap, did you?

=Now up is Eagles power-hitter Mitchell.

=First pitch from Tokuchi

=He throws it!

<164>
=He hits it!!

=Blazing line drive to the shortstop's right!!

=Yess!!
=It's right next to Yoshida!

=Hup...

<165>
=Yoshida's got it—!!
SWAAP

=Whaat!?
=Yoshida makes a fine play!!

=The throw for the 6-4-3...

<166>
=Double play!!
OHHHHH

=Yoshida gets back on defense...

=And saves the Lycaons with some nice glove work—!!

Proofread by quantula

[English] [Translation] One Outs 14 by Meriken

2009-05-21T22:11:34+00:00

One Outs, Volume 2, Chapter 14 (pp. 123~143)

<123>
=The stadium is in a chorus of boos!
=Seething at Yoshida's error, Tokuchi has thrown him off the field!!
OHHHHH

Chapter 14: Provocation

=As a rookie... No, as a professional
=This is highly unbecoming of any ballplayer!!

<124>
=More runs are gonna score today
=Tokuchi will owe us money by the end of the day if he keeps this up

=Yoshida really did his job today
=What do you mean...?

=He took advantage of the lost game to purposely make an error
=To spite Tokuchi

=Lost game...?
=It's still not...
=It's already over

=Take this statistic
=Last season, there were 31 games where the Lycaons fell behind by 6 runs or more... And the number of those games they ended up winning were...

=Zero

=That's the reality//Zero ability to make a comeback

=What Tokuchi said on TV was exactly right
=They've got no sense of urgency. Spending so much time in the gutter's made them accustomed to losing

<125>
=But today is truly a great day
=Take a look

=Eagles fans and Lycaons fans...
=All rooting against Tokuchi

=Heh-heh
=But... The manager won't allow this to continue

=Tokuchi will be substituted//And Yoshida will return to the field
=No//Tokuchi won't be subbed out

=Or rather...

=He can't sub Tokuchi out

=Yoshida remains standing in foul territory
=Now what are the Lycaons going to do
=Yoshida isn't at fault, so the best course of action would be to take Tokuchi out and have Yoshida return to his position

<126>
=No//The manager isn't making a move!!
=Does he plan on continuing the game a player short?

=I-Is this really...?
=Can't help it! It's not Yoshida's fault so we can't take him out!

=We just have to wait for Tokuchi to calm himself down!!

=This just in
=Let's see... Lycaons reliever Sugawara broke a nail in the bullpen and cannot throw...
SWUP

=Which means?
=Oh—I see

=They used up too many pitchers in the first inning
=So Tokuchi is the only pitcher available for the remainder of the game

<127>
=Incredible!! The Lycaons bench
=Cannot remove this outrageous rookie from the mound!!
OHHHHH

=That guy knew it...
=He got rid of Yoshida knowing that he was the only pitcher left

=I feel sorry for Yoshida
=Can he return?
=Very unlikely

=I don't know what happened between those two
=But Tokuchi seems intent on removing Yoshida from the playing field

=His teammates have gathered at the mound to talk
=Calm down Tokuchi
=Yeah! It's your fault
=Go apologize to Yoshida-san

=All this, coming from the pathetic losers that got themselves down by 11 runs
=Urgh...

=Unless

<128>
=This really is the best you can do
=Whaaat!?

=Oh?
=Am I wrong?
=Damn right you're wrong—!!

=Hmm—So this score is a fluke
=Meaning... You guys can do much better than this?
=I sure as hell think so

=You?
=I-I think so... Too...

=That's right
=I completely agree

=We don't need 9 players to whup these fuckin' Eagles
=That's why I got rid of Yoshida

<129>
=Try sayin' that again!
=Oh, you heard us?

=Then I'll repeat myself
="We only need 8 players to beat you guys"//That's how everyone on our team feels
H-Hey...//You're startin' to exaggerate quite a bit—

=Pissed? Then try scorin' another run from here on out

<130>
=N-N-N-N-N-Now Tokuchi has provoked the Eagles dugout—!!
=He's really going to continue with just 8 players—!!
OHHH

=The game continues with an 8-man formation
=The first and second baseman have shifted over to the right

GRIP

BWIP

<131>
=He hits it—
=Towards the third base line!!
GRUCK

=He's got it—
DASH
WHAP

=Runner holds!!

=But...

=The throw is late, the first baseman wasn't covering the bag—!
=Shit!!
BWUSH

<132>
=Safe—
OHHHHH

=Not in time! That'll be scored as an infield hit—!!
=They're really feeling the effects of being a man down—!!
OHHHHHHH

And

The next batter...

ZWUSH

=Safe—

<133>
=Bases loaded!!
=The bases are loaded, still with no-outs!!
=The situation is getting even worse for the Lycaons!!
OHHHHHH

=Heh-heh-heh

Imagine if they get a homer here
Tokuchi will owe us 200 million!!

<134>
=Look at yourselves!!
=Forget about the score, this inning's gonna keep goin' forever!!
DAH-HAH-HAH-HAH

=You losers are all talk!

=Yeah
=All talk
[arrow]Doesn't care

[x6]HUFF
[x2]OHHHH

Damn it
Don't wanna give up any more runs...
Gotta find a way...

Gotta find a way to get through this...

Hey—So third baseman's still in the same place, huh

Are they scared of an extra base hit down the line or just hoping to snag some foul flies
Either way...

=There's still a huge gap between third and short!!

<135>
=Tokuchi's got his back to the wall...
OHHHH

=He throws!!

Hanging pitch!!

CRACK
=Hits it—!

=Straight through the gap betwee...
=Yeah—!

<136>
=...No! He's got it!!
BWAAP

=Runner!!

<137>
=Runner caught going—
BWAP

=Third baseman touches the bag and goes after the runner—!!
D-DASH

SLAP

=O...
=Out...

<138>
=Triple play!!
=By a single player!
OHHH

=The third baseman, Imai
=Has gotten three outs all by himself—

=No way...//How did he catch up to that ball?
=He was in the same position as always

So... It was a feint
He shifted positions right when the pitcher started his windup—

<139>
OHHHH

GATHUCK

Oh well... There's still a long way to go
He'll get hit soon enough

True
Tokuchi continued to struggle with only 8 players on the field

Runners reached base

Every single inning

However

The defense held tight

And the team that lost 11 runs in the first inning

<140>
Has now racked up 5 scoreless innings—

OHHHH

PHEW—
Finally the 6th

[x4]HUFF—

=HUFF HUFF
=We're...
=Doin' pretty well
Was fielding always this tiring?
[x3]HUFF

=But man, your triple play was awesome
=Yeah...

=It just came to me
=Tricking the batter and all

=It just went way better than I expected...
[x2]HUFF

<141>
=Those formation drills we do in practice don't do shit here, so we gotta use our heads
=Your diving catch was awesome, too

=I just tried as hard as I could
=And it's worked out so far

=You know...
=I've never felt this way about fielding before

=Yeah
=Me too
=We can't let up any more runs after what Toua said

=That's how it should always feel

=If there's no sense of urgency
=There's no hope for victory

<142>
So...
All of that...

The 8-man defense

Provoking the other team

You did all that just to heighten our sense of urgency...?

=Look
OHHHH

=All that booing...
=It's turned into cheering

=11 runs, huh

<143>
=Let's turn this thing around

=Right!

[English] [Translation] One Outs 13 by Meriken

2009-05-21T22:11:03+00:00

One Outs, Volume 2, Chapter 13 (pp. 101~121)

<101>
=For our final update before the start of the regular season—
=We're having a chat with Toua Tokuchi, the rookie who pitched a perfect game in his pre-season start...

=Uh...//Mr. Tokuchi...
[x2]TA-TANA—
=No practice today?
[x6]JUGA
Chapter 13: Right

=He—y it's Tokuchi!
=Thought I hadn't seen him out the workouts, so that's what he was doing—!
=Mr. Tokuchi, what do you believe is the reason for the Lycaons demise these past several years?

=They've got no sense of urgency

<102>
=The idiots are busting their asses off practicing right now
=They think working their hardest each day lets them get away with losing
Who's he think he is?
Man he ticks me off

=A professional ballplayer's job isn't to play baseball

=It's their job to win

Toua Tokuchi
The man who threw 18 innings during the pre-season without allowing a single runner
Did the league's non-contenders, the Lycaons, get off to a good start with their new acquisition?

The answer is a resounding "NO"

<103>
11 straight losses from opening day
Hardcore fans snap
Chapter 13: Right

<104>
SIGH—

=Hey... How are the attendance numbers from the first 10 games
=Sir... They're up 11% from the previous year

=Oh//They're up, huh...

=As long as they keep turning a profit... Guess losing ain't so bad after all
BWUSH

=Huh?

=...And they start winning after Kojima returns to the lineup... How's that?
=The ideal scenario, sir
=U-Unbelievable...

=The team is completely in shambles
=But he's still only thinking about the money...!

<105>
=Sir...
=What?

=Shouldn't we rethink this whole plan about not using Tokuchi...?
=I mean, after all he did during the pre-season, not using him at all since the start of the season seems...

=Fine then... Go ahead and use him//But

=You're gonna be the one paying his salary
=Uck

=You don't understand the situation we've been placed in at all, do you?
=It's 270 million//270 million!!

=Just from the pre-season games
=I don't want to give that thug a single penny

=The owner is buying time
=For the other teams to figure out Tokuchi's pitching

Ever since Tokuchi's first appearance during the pre-season, the staffs of all the opposing teams have been trying to figure him out
We're now 2 weeks into the season. The other teams must have found ways to deal with him by now

<106>
=Yeah, guess it's about time we used him
=Call the manager
=Sir

This is insane
To think an owner is trying to get his team to lose...

=This is insane

The Lycaons
Are, for better or worse, a one-man team led by their owner, Saikai

And... Every single person working for Saikai
Is his bitch

His secretary, team executives, team staff, scouts
Even

The manager
The one supposed to be calling the shots on the field

<107>
And amazingly, he has even found himself a "bitch"
Among the team's players

=Excuse me
CREEAK

=We're giving Tokuchi some playing time in the near future//...Not in
=A critical situation of course...

=When that happens, knock his cocky little head back where it belongs
[x2]BWUSH

=Yes sir

<108>
=Tokuchi's opportunity came earlier than expected

=The next game vs. the Eagles
=The Lycaons started off the game with a record-breaking deficit

=The Eagles lineup has exploded—
=An 11-run lead in the 1st!!

=The Lycaons have already used up 6 of their pitchers
[bubbles]Give us back our money—!//What the fuck you doing—!!//Bimbos—Fuckers—!!
[x2]OHHH

=Alright screw today's game—
OHHHH

=Call the manager

=A pitching change for the Lycaons
=Stepping in for Mizuguchi is

=No. 77
=Tokuchi—

<109>
=It's Tokuchi
=Toua Tokuchi has finally made an appearance!!
=They've finally brought him out under these desperate circumstances!!
OHHHH
[bubbles]What'd you do this whole time—//Awesome—//Go get 'em—//Toua—//Yeehaw—//Go go—//Do some work—

<110>
=Tokuchi has not allowed
=A single baserunner since turning pro
OHHHH

=Who will be the first to get a hit off Tokuchi!?
=Or will he replicate the shutouts from his previous appearances!?

=First up is the fastest player on the Eagles, Michio Okabe
=What strategy will he bring to the plate against Tokuchi?

=Oh, Tokuchi is gesturing for him to get up to the plate
=As usual, he isn't taking his practice pitches

=Motherfucker...

<111>
=Tokuchi's winds up for the first pitch, and...

Don't think you can pitch like you did during the pre-season, Tokuchi...
OHHHHHH

Listen, Tokuchi almost always aims to get ahead on the first pitch with an easy fastball in the zone. That's when you gotta go for him

=Throws!!
BWUP

<112>
=He hits it
=...But...
GRUCK

=That pitch was low enough to be ball one
=What happened to that easy fastball in the strikezone!?

=A routine grounder to the shortstop

=Wait...

<113>
=It's through—
OHHHH

=Must've made an odd bounce
=The center fielder's got it
=A hit!! It's a hit
=Tokuchi's finally given up a hit—
[player]=Really!?
[owner]=Good!!

<114>
OHHHHH

=Sorry 'bout that
=Keep it up Tokuchi

Weird
For a second there

I thought I saw Yoshida start in the opposite direction from the ball and then switch directions to try and catch up
Almost like he wasn't trying

Maybe I'm thinking too much...

<115>
=Tokuchi has allowed a runner for the very first time
=Let's see how well he throws with a runner on base
OHHH

Dude
He's not even trying to hold me to the bag

ZWUSH

<116>
ZWUSH
=Runner goes!!
DASH

=He fell for it!!

=Waste pitch!!
SLAP
=Looks like they saw this one coming—!
ZWUSH

<117>
They got me!!

=Throw to second base!!
SWIIISH

=AAAH

=It gets away from the shortstop, Yoshida—!!
=An error!!

=Shit
=Runner stops at third!!

<118>
=No outs, runner on third—!!
=The previously untouchable Toua Tokuchi//Is now in a real pinch—!!
OHHH

=Good going, Yoshida!!
=Nice error!!

=Sorry Tokuchi—

=Promise it won't happen again

<119>
Well...? What now Tokuchi
An outfield fly scores the runner

Think you can get out of this fix?

=Ah—Tokuchi has gotten off the mound and is walking over to Yoshida—!
OHHHHHH
Z-ZWUSH

ZWUSH

=Get out

<120>
=You've got no right to play defense

=Wow!!//Tokuchi has ordered the shortstop, Yoshida
=To exit the playing field—!!
OHHH

=Ah—Yoshida has started walking off to the third base side
=What is going...
OHHHHHH

<121>
=Ah—Yoshida—
=Is standing in foul territory—
=He's given up his position!!//This is unheard of
OHHHH

=Are the Lycaons going to continue playing with only 8 players on the field—!?
=Hah-hah!! You've dug your own grave Tokuchi!

Die, and burn in hell!!

[English] [Translation] One Outs 12 by Meriken

2009-05-21T03:49:58+00:00

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

[English] [Translation] One Outs 11 by Meriken

2009-05-21T03:48:54+00:00

One Outs, Volume 2, Chapter 11 (pp. 53~75)

<53>
GWUUSH
Chapter 11: Contract

=He's gone, huh
=Toua

=You didn't wanna see him off?

GLANCE

=—March 7th//'99//...On this day

Toua Wakuchi becomes a professional ballplayer

<54>
Chapter 11: Contract

<55>
Saikyo Saitama Lycaons
Home field: Ohmiya Stadium in Ohmiya City
Owner: Saitama-Family Construction Company
The team has never made it to the playoffs since winning the Japan Series in '76. They ended the season 5th in the league in '95. They were in last place from '96~'98.
Despite being in the league cellar for 3 consecutive years, they ranked 3rd among all 12 professional teams in home attendance numbers last season.
—Due to several reasons...
The 60,000+ capacity stadium built by the owner's construction company.
Strong local support stemming from the fact that the franchise was invited to the city at the request of its citizens.
And most of all, the presence of national hero, Hiromichi Kojima.

<56>
Kagoshima//Lycaons spring training camp—
=So, he's arriving today

=Did you take a look at his history?
=Yes sir...

=Couldn't turn down a request from our star player Kojima-kun
=But honestly, the Lycaons...

=Don't need a piece of garbage on the roster
Chairman, Saitama Family Inc.
&
Owner, Saikyo Saitama Lycaons
Tsuneo Saikai

<57>
=Karuike Stadium

=These things
=Are lame
=...Let's not go there

=Starting today, you're a member of the Lycaons
=Kojima-san made a special deal with the owner so you could join us immediately//In principle, you're a spring training tryout

<58>
=Hey...//Cut it out
=Don't stir up any trouble

<59>
=You already stand out for joining the team like this
=And the other players don't think well of you after your incident with Kojima-san

=You didn't injure him directly
=But everyone here thinks it's your fault that Kojima-san got an injury that might keep him benched for the season opener

=Don't forget that Kojima-san is the leader of this team

=Who is that guy...?
=Dunno

=I watched him throw for a bit, but

<60>
=His pitches are
=Worse than a high schooler's

Lycaons starting catcher
Satoshi Ideguchi

=I'm gonna go see the owner now... Right?

=You're probably going to discuss your contract, but...
=Don't get your hopes up

=You see...

<61>
=The owner only cares about making money

=This is just my personal take
=But it's the owner's fault that the Lycaons are like this right now

=Especially these past 4, 5 years where the parent company hasn't been doing too well
=This team would be a lot stronger if it put more effort into scouting and developing players

He only thinks of the Lycaons
As a means of balancing out the losses incurred by his own company

<62>
=...Ha
=So now you're blaming everything on him

=I'm warning you
=Don't do anything stupid in front of the owner!

=Make a bad impression
=And you'll be treated very poorly

<63>
[x2]PANICK

<64>
=H-Hey...
=This is the owner//How about you show a little more respect?
=Huh?

=You said to make yourself at home
=That was just...
=Alright

=Every team needs its rambunctious personality
=But

=You are a tryout
=Meaning

=You aren't a player we sought out ourselves
=Don't allow yourself to forget about that

<65>
=Therefore//There won't be any signing bonus//...Understood?
=This year's salary...

=This sort of thing is determined by achievements...
=But in your case... I don't know what to say

=Hah-hah//These aren't achievements
=Forget about it
[paper]Resume//Little league: None//Junior-high: None//High school: None//College/Amateur: None//Other: Baseball gambling in Okinawa//Record: 999 wins 1 loss (loss against Hiromichi Kojima)

=I don't need bonuses or salaries or any of that crap
=Just gimme however much I earn

<66>
=5 million yen per out

=You pay me 5 million for every out I get

=Wha... Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you saying!!
=But...

<67>
=If I lose any runs
=I'll pay you 50 million per run

=Hm

=A contract incentive per outs made...

=A "One Outs" contract... If you will

<68>
=I'm in
=Get the contract ready
=Whaat!?

SWUSH
=Deal starts today

=Right, see ya

Ha... Thought he'd be a bit smarter than this

What a fool

<69>
=Owner... Are you sure about this? That contract is ridiculous...
=Oh dear, so there's another fool right here...

=Hey
=Who had the lowest ERA in the league last year?
=Uhh...

Yoshida of the Eagles...
I believe his ERA was 2.73...
[note]The lowest ERA in the Pacific League during the 1998 season was Satoru Kanemura's 2.73

=Which means...
=A pitcher who only gives up 2.7 runs per game is one of the best players in the league

=Now let's say we have a pitcher with a 2.70 ERA
=And we signed him with this "ridiculous" One Outs contract...

=How much will the team pay?
=Huh

=5 million times 27...//Minus 50 million times 2.7 is...

<70>
=Zero!?

[bubble]GRIN

=Money easily deludes the poor
=This contract is the perfect deal for us

=I thought we were getting a load of toxic waste on our hands because of Kojima-kun, but...
=We'll be rid of him in no time//He'll lose 2 or 3 runs and come crying to us in debt
ZZ...

=Let's go...
=Uh... Where to?
What about today's pre-season game

<71>
=To work

GAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH

=Our team hopes to have your continued support this season
=Yes yes, I know

=Just make sure my company's ads are everywhere, hah-hah-hah

=Sir

<72>
=The results for today's pre-season game

=Right//Against the Bloomers
=And?
=A 3-0 loss

=Hmm alright
=...And

=There's more?
=That Toua Tokuchi... They tried him out in the 3rd inning

=Let me guess, he didn't do any good
=Well sir...

=He turned out okay
=So they decided to just keep him in...
=Oh... And...? How many innings did he last?

=Till... The 9th

<73>
=He shutout all 21 batters he faced

=Wha...

=And...//From Tokuchi, sir...

<74>
Bill
For the game on 3/8

=Heh...
=Heh-heh-heh...
=That little urchin...

<75>
Interesting
Ve—ry interesting...
GRUSH

=Toua and his "One Outs" contract...
=People had yet to realize
=That this addition to the league's perennial non-contenders, the Lycaons

Marked the beginnings to a miracle

[English] [Translation] One Outs 10 by Meriken

2009-05-18T16:58:13+00:00

One Outs, Volume 2, Chapter 10 (pp. 25~51)

<25>
ZWUSH

Chapter 10: Right Arm

=It's no good—
=His timing is completely off

<26&27>
Chapter 10: Right Arm

<28>
BWUSH

<29>
GWUUSH

=The best hitters in baseball
=Are said to know from the moment they start their swing whether they are getting a hit, or an out

=And Kojima had also realized
=That his swing

<30>
=Had no chance... Of even making contact

=It's over...

[x2]OHHHH

<31>
=You guys suck!
=You play like bimbos!!
[x3]OHHHH

=You assholes even trying!?

=If you can't win—
=Then quit playin' already!!
BWUSH

GRUCK
=Uck!

<32>
=Kojima-san
=Thanks for looking after us for such a long time...

=I'm sorry
=I was never able to do anything for you guys

=It's not your fault, sir
=It was us... We just weren't any good...

=We're still expecting a Lycaons championship
=We'll keep rooting from afar

=From afar?
=...Idiot...

<33>
=You're still a member of the Lycaons
=Even when you're retired

=I'll get you front-row tickets to the championship game

...I can't...

<34>
=I can't go out like this!!

ZWUSH

<35>
=AHHHH!!!

<36&37>
THUUD

<39>
OHHHHH
=Be-
=Beanball!?

<40>
=Kojima-san!
=Are you all right!?

=Dude... He leaned in and got hit on purpose
=He's crazy

=Nakane!! Get the first-aid kit!!
=R...Right!

=Toua...

<41>
=I won...
=Didn't I...?

<42>
=No you didn't

=You stepped in intentionally
=That pitch//Was clearly in the strikezone

=Right?
=...Ah

=Yeah yeah!
=That was totally a strike on the inside corner!!
=Yeah!!

<43>
=Even in Japan
=You get hit by a ball in the strikezone and it's a strike... Right?

=Meaning... That wasn't a beanball
=It was a strike

=So Kojima... Struck out

=No

<44>
=That was definitely a beanball

=You guys
=Aren't getting the meaning of this strikezone

<45>
=Think about it
=When I first played Kojima
=He said this

=Anything in this box is a strike, right?

=Yeah

=Meaning

=Even if it was intentional
=The ball didn't land in that box

<46>
=It can't be called a strike
=I lost

SST...

<47>
=Go on
=Break it

=Use that bat over there

GRIP..

<48>
=Who said
=Anything about breaking arms?

=The deal was
=I would take this arm so you would never be able to gamble again

<49>
=Come to the pros

<50>
=Once you're in the pros, the entire nation will be watching you//Your gambling days will be over

=Instead
=You'll be up against monstrous opponents far better than the ones you've ever had to face

=But//You can handle it
=You're more than good enough

=Show everybody in Japan how good you are

=...And please...
=With your abilities...

<51>
=Lead the Lycaons to a championship

[English] [Translation] One Outs 9 by Meriken

2009-05-18T16:48:58+00:00

One Outs, Volume 2, Chapter 9 (pp. 3~23)

<3>
So today...//Is the day of the match wagering Toua's right arm against Kojima-san's retirement

Unfortunately...//Rain clouds have gathered overhead
Chapter 9: Despair

<4>
Chapter 9: Despair

<5>
=The rain's died down a bit
=Let's get it on
OHHHH

=Kinosaki...//Wipe the bat off for me
=Okay

=Hey
=I'm gonna go throw a couple practice pitches
OHHHH

=Sure
=Fine by me
OHHHH

<6>
=Is it okay?
=Kojima-san's right hand

=...No
=We tried some painkillers, but...

=He can't turn his wrist//He won't be able to withstand the impact either

=Wha... Then why didn't you stop him!?//Couldn't we have asked him to postpone the match!?
=This isn't a casual little game like that, okay!!

<7>
SPLASH

=My bad

=Toss it over here

CLONK

SWUP

<8>
=Anyways
=If he can't turn his right wrist, it means he's screwed if he gets a pitch inside

He can't wait for the ball to come to him
And they'll go foul if he swings early to try and keep his wrist extended

=Even if he can't handle the inside part of the plate...
=He's still got a chance with a pitch outside

=With an outside pitch
=He can still sweep the ball to the outfield... With minimal pressure on his wrist

=That's true, but

=It's still a huge disadvantage
=Even for Kojima-san

<9>
=No
=I don't think so

=At the very least//He still fully intends to win

=You're in no condition to swing a bat...

=Kinosaki...
=You're just assuming that this injury will hamper my chances of winning

=True, this injury is a big handicap//But I don't think it puts me at a disadvantage

<10>
=In fact, I actually think my chances have improved

=For two reasons—

=One
=I was able to understand just how weak I really am...

A single butterfly was all it took to disrupt my concentration
I caught a glimpse of my weaknesses there

=But I was fortunate to realize this
=You see

=Even with my injury
=I'm far stronger than when I wasn't conscious of all this

<11>
=And the second reason
=Is...

=It gets rid of my hesitation

=Humans hesitate because they have half-assed options to choose from
=My only option is to look for an outside pitch//There's no possible reason for me to hesitate any longer

=...Man...
=Kojima-san... He's really strong

=I will
=Put my faith in Kojima-san

<12>
OHHHHH

=...Nothingness...
GRIP

<13>
1st pitch

OHHHH

=He has to throw at least 3 pitches!
=He will definitely
=Throw one of them on the outside
=He's got to
ZWUSH

<14>
THUD

<15>
[x3]OHHHHH

=First pitch was...
=On the inside...

=Shouldn't he have made like he was gonna hit it?
=He needs to lure a pitch outside...
=No

<16>
=That was all right
=Petty feints like that won't work

Not on this guy

2nd pitch

<17>
GWUUSH

<18>
THUNK

=0-2!!
=He's in the hole—!
OHHHH

<19>
=Kinozaki-san...
=Don't worry!!
OHHH

=Kojima-san isn't the least bit fazed
=He hasn't given Toua any indication that he's waiting for an outside pitch!!

=There's no way he'll throw 3 straight pitches to the same part of the plate!!
=Nothing's gone wrong!! Nothing!!
SLAP

OHHHH

<20>
=So it's pretty bad, huh?
=That wrist of yours

=Remember before we started
=You tossed the ball over to me

<21>
=Why'd you bother to put the bat down on the muddy ground?

=You had your trainer wipe off the grip before
=It would've been more natural to shift the bat over to your right hand

=He...
=He knew!!

=Heh-heh//Nice try

=The game starts even before the first pitch is thrown

<22>
=Fastball up and in
=I'm throwing it again

=You should be able to hit that, right?

<23>
=You bet your retirement on this, after all
ZWUSH

=It's all over!!

[English] [Translation] One Outs 7 by Meriken

2009-05-17T21:07:31+00:00

One Outs, Volume 1, Chapter 7 (pp. 165~187)

<165>
Chapter 7: Rematch

A week has passed since Kojima-san's disappearance

=I got it Kinozaki-san!
=I know where Kojima-san went!!
=Huh!?

=I contacted a local newspaper that said they'd seen Kojima-san
=And...

=Where is he?

<166>
Chapter 7: Rematch

<167>
=...Kojima-san

=You were in these mountains...
=For a week?
ZWUUSH

<168>
=While you were gone
=I tried to find out more about Toua

=The more I know...//The less I understand

=His fastball never goes beyond 70mph.
=In fact
=That's the only pitch he can throw

<169>
=But still
=He never loses

=Entirely...
=Due to his abilities developed through lengthy experience as a gambler

=A godly ability
=To read the human psyche

<170>
CLUNK

=I've realized
=That already...

<171>
=Only those who've faced him would understand
=That feeling

=Of being gradually cornered
=That stifling pressure

=Feeling like he's probing into your mind
=Fear

=The same thing that woman was saying!!

=If I want to defeat him
=There's only one way to do it...

<172>
=Nothingness!!
CLUNK

<173>
=By reducing your mind to nothing

=Eliminating all idle thoughts, and concentrating purely on the ball

So that's why...//Kojima-san
Has secluded himself up in these mountains...

And has absorbed himself in breaking firewood...//All this

<174>
To surpass Toua in spirit...

=...I want to win
=I want to play him...//Again...

<175>
=This is the first time... I've ever felt this way...
=In my 21-year career, I've never wanted to win this much

=AAAAH!

<176>
GLUCK

<177>
In the end
I wasn't able to bring Kojima-san back

He remained up in those mountains

And he only contacted us
After another week had passed

<178>
=Yeaah—!
=Toua won again—!
OHHHHHH

=Dang!! How did he see through my exquisite bluff//With just a pair of threes!?
=Pea-brain

=You're no match for him
CLACK

=He can see everything you're thinking
=Huh...?

<179>
=...It's Kojima
=Hiromichi Kojima...
ZWUSH

<180>
=What

=Did you come to beg for a rematch?
OHH—
HAHAHA

=That's right

STOPS...

=I was a pathetic loser that day
=That match... I lost, without doubt
=I'm not here to bitch about that

<181>
=With all that in mind
=I'm asking you to play me again

[x?]RABBLE

=I know you won't accept just any old rematch
=And I know it's disrespectful to you as a gambler to ask for such a thing

=So
=This won't be any ordinary bet

<182>
=In the next match I'm betting my professional career

=If I lose, I retire immediately
=I'll never swing a bat again

<183>
ZWUSH

=Retirement...?
=For real?
RABBLE

=...And
=If I lose?

=I'm betting my retirement
=So if you lose

<184>
=You'll never gamble on baseball again

=Baseball is a sacred sport
=I won't stand to have you smear it like this any longer

<185>
=I get where you're coming from

=But I can say I'll never play the game again
=And there's no guarantee that I'll keep my word

=In the end I'll probably just keep playing One Outs when you aren't watching

=No, I won't let you

<186>
=I'll take this right arm
=To make sure you'll never play the game again
GRIP

=...Th-This guy...
=He's planning on breaking Toua's arm if he wins!

=That's some grudge!!

=Hmm...
=My right arm... Huh

<187>
=It's on
=In 10 days
=The usual place

[English] [Translation] One Outs 6 by Meriken

2009-05-17T21:07:09+00:00

One Outs, Volume 1, Chapter 6 (pp. 146~163)

<146>
Chapter 6: Instant

<147>
After losing to Toua
Kojima-san
Not only skipped out on his workouts, but hasn't returned to the camp at all

He was more demoralized than I had ever imagined

=Damn it!!
GRUCK

=This thing has ruined our whole training camp!!
=Damn it!!

<148>
=That damned Toua...
=My

=You seem to be awfully interested...
=In Toua

=Hey
=Has that Toua guy really never lost that game before?

=Yep
=Even when he's never reached 80mph on his fastball, and he hasn't learned any breaking pitches. Strange, isn't it?

<149>
=I can't believe it
=That level of pitching, and no-one's figured him out yet

=Want me to tell you
=About when I first met him?

=It's been 2 years already

=The American soldiers on this island are bored to death
=So I was running this bar and handling some gambling, just like I am now

<150>
All the guys started gathering at the usual place
But there was one new kid there
That was Toua—

At first I hardly even noticed him

=Emerson, ya gotta win once in a while
=I bet 20 dollars on you just to be nice
OHHHHHH
=Shut up assholes
ZWUSH

<151>
=Curveball low and outside

BWUP

THUCK
=Whoa!

<152>
=Hey hey what're you lookin' at
=Hah-hah-hah!
OHHHHH

=Damn it!
=Same pitch next

BWUSH
THUMP

<153>
What the hell!?

=Hey... Forget about the last two
=Fastball's comin' in at your chest

What is he talking about...
Idiotic...

ZWUP

<154>
=He's right!!

GR

TIII—NG

=Whoa!! Man, he really hit it—!!

=Nice shot!!
=Stupid, he just got lucky

<155>
=You hit it like that even after I told you exactly what was coming?
=Man you suck

=Try sayin' that again, you little...
=Now now

=You
=Know baseball?

=...Then why don't you give it a shot

=With this sucker
=He—y that sounds good!
=Go for it Emerson!

=Y-Yeah
=I'll show you what happens when I get real

<156>
=I'm playing this guy

=And
=It'll be a one-pitch game

=I was surprised

<157>
=...Hah
=He sounds like he can read minds or something

=It's possible
=I've seen Toua play many many times after that

And sometimes I'm really frightened
That maybe he's able to read other people's minds

=At the very least
=He can see stuff that normal people can't fathom

<158>
Tension, agitation, anxiety...

He can see those subtle changes that occur in the human mind

=And that's not all
=The most frightening part is

=He takes those emotions... And makes the disturbance even greater
=Meaning

He can control
Human mentality

<159>
=...Impossible
=You still don't get it?
=Why don't I demonstrate with a little game

=Listen and count the seconds until you reach a minute
=Think you can do it?

=?//That's all?
=Yep, that's all
=Easy little game

That's nothing
=Alright
=Ready//Go!

<160>
THUD
=JOLT

=...Oh...

=There... You lost count...

<161>
=I disrupted your concentration
=Just by making a little noise

=Counting 60 seconds by ear
=Hitting a 60mph fastball
=Neither of those are difficult things

=But... Humans are ruled on emotion
=Once the mind loses focus, even the simplest tasks become impossible to accomplish

=Throwing fast pitches
=Having a variety of pitches
=Those are certainly great skills

=But... Those things don't make or break a pitcher
=What's needed most is...

<162>
=A tough spirit

=Toua developed his amazing intuition through gambling...
=He's not just any old pitcher

=He's the ultimate gambler

<163>
=The ultimate
=Gambler...!?

[English] [Translation] One Outs 8 by Meriken

2009-05-16T15:29:59+00:00

One Outs, Volume 1, Chapter 8, (pp. 189~210)

<189>
Chapter 8: Destiny

CLU—NK...

=Betting your retirement!? That's insane!!

=Please think this over Kojima-san!!
=You still have things you need to take care of!!

=Were you lying when you said
=You wanted to lead your team to a championship this year!?

<190>
=So
=You think I'm going to lose?
=Uh...

=Beating that guy must be far simpler than winning the pennant, right?
=In other words...

=There's no way I could possibly win a championship if I can't even win against him

=When Kojima-san lowered his hatchet, he looked like a monk who had just reached nirvana

<191>
Chapter 8: Destiny

<192>
=What the fuck do you mean—!?

=I'm a customer!
=When I want my drink, you fuckin' hand it to me!!
=Terry's at it again
=He's ticked off 'cause he lost big money gambling and his wife ran away
BAM

=But Terry
=That was your second bottle//You need to sto...

<193>
CRACK

=Ack...
=Uck...
=Piece of shit!!
[bubble]PHWUCK

[x2]HUSH

<194>
=He—y
=Toua

=You're havin' a rematch tomorrow with Kojima, huh?//Heard he's gonna break your arm if you lose. Heh-heh-heh
=Now he's on Toua
=Yeah, Toua's screwed him over a bunch of times...

=But yo' man. How'd you do it?
=How do ya keep chuckin' it exactly where you want it to go?

=There's like a trick or something, right?//Tell me 'bout it

=It's not a matter of skill

<195>
=The reason you can't get it where you're aiming
=Is because you lack mental strength

=...Mental strength?
=Guess you wouldn't know

=You're just a violent drunk who gave up after he had a little stretch of bad luck

HUSH

=...Ha
=All right—

=Then let's have you show us that amazing mental strength

<196>
=All three darts
=Throw 'em straight in the middle

=No problem for you, right? With your mental strength

=You screw up...

=And I'll be taking this arm before Kojima does

<197>
GTHUCK

=It's harder than it looks
=I couldn't do it at first, either

=Trees contain flowing lines of fiber
=When the flow of the hatchet and the flow of the fiber match perfectly, the wood splits apart in one shot

=Like this

CLUNK

<198>
WHOA—

=I gave...
=A mission to myself to break a thousand pieces of firewood at this mountain

=And this... Is the 952nd piece...
=I'll get to a thousand by the end of the night
=A thousand...

=When I break the thousandth piece
=I will have regained my faded confidence...

=And reach a level of mental strength even beyond his

<199>
=Have faith
=I will definitely win

OHHH

OHHHHHH

No way can he do it

SWISH

<200>
THACK

OHHHHHH

Hah-hah... Just a fluke...

CLUNK

<201>
HA—

=987th piece...
PHEW—

THACK

<202>
OHHHHH
=Whoa—
=He made the second one—

=Fuck...!!
OHHHH

=What's up, Terry
=One more and its over for your arm
OHHHH

<203>
CLUNK

=999th piece...

=Just one more...

OHHHH
=One more!
=One more!

OHHH
=No way...

=He can't get lucky 3 times...

<204>
What's with that expression?
How can he look so confident!?

<205>
DASH
This'll screw him up!!

=Idiot!! Watch out!!
=Get away from the board!!

=Huh?

<206>
THACK

F...For real? That was about to hit Terry

=Unbelievable concentration...

=M...
=...M-
=My... Arm...
ZZZT

<207>
=Don't want it
=Cheap-ass arm like that

Just one more...

And I can surpass him
I can surpass that guy...
PHEW—

SST...

<208>
GTHUCK

<209>
=GAAAACK!!

Shit...
I see...

<210>
So this is how weak I really am...!

2 days prior to his rematch with Toua Tokuchi

Hiromichi Kojima
Injures his right wrist—

Volume 1: Ball and Chain (END)

[English] [Translation] One Outs 5 by Meriken

2009-05-16T15:27:46+00:00

One Outs, Volume 1, Chapter 5, (pp. 123~145)

<123>
Chapter 5: Conceit
Toua's—//Ultimate pitch?

=What do you think it's gonna be?
OHHHH

=The next
=Payoff pitch

=The one that's going to get Kojima

<124>
Chapter 5: Conceit

<125>
[x2]OHHHHH

=In both matches
=All Toua's thrown so far are fastballs

=But all of them have been in the mid-70s
=He'll never beat Kojima-san with stuff like that
=That's obvious when even the pitches where he missed the strikezone were fouled off easily

=Which means it has to be
=A breaking pitch

<126>
=But a breaking pitch in a game where you can't hide your grip is difficult to pull off
=A bluff like last time won't work anymore... Which means//It must be a pitch with an indistinct grip like the slider...
=Hah—

=You've got no imagination

=You hear ultimate pitch//And you can't think of anything other than a slider or a fastball?

=There's no other possibility besides that!
=A fastball that's quick and heavy//A breaking pitch with a huge break
=Yes there is

<127>
=There's an even greater pitch

<128>
[x?]RRR

<129>
[x?]RRR

Toua's next pitch
What could it be...?

Better than a hard fastball

Better than a sharp breaking pitch

<130>
An even greater pitch...

6th pitch

<131>
Come on!!
[x?]RRR

What's next

Fastball?//Breaking pitch?

It doesn't matter
No matter what it is

<132>
I'll whack it in your face!

<133>
[x?]RRR

Z-ZWUSH

<136>
THUP

=A blooper!?

<137>
OHHHH
=He won—!
=Toua won—!

=A slow blooper smack in the middle...
=But why did Kojima-san...//Let it go by...?

=I mean
=His hands just...
=Why...?

<138>
=Arrogance

=That's the biggest reason why he lost

="There is no way I could lose to an amateur"
="Anyone facing a great player like me would put their best foot forward"

<139>
=His conceit!
=His pride!!//His arrogance!!!

=Toua saw right through those thoughts
=And use them to his advantage

=Used?

<140>
=Just so you guys know
=Toua had perfect control of all of those pitches

=...Perfect
=Control?

=...N...No way!!
=Barely any of them were strikes

=The first one was a total wild pitch//No speed at all. Looked like it slipped right out of his hand

<141>
=Even the next two
=Both wild pitches
=Yeah, but they weren't as bad as the first one

=They were getting faster
=So he was getting warmed up
=That's what he wasted 3 pitches for...

=Wait...
=Was all of that...

<142>
Faking!?

=Yep...
=All Toua's acting

=A trap

Kojima took the bait after seeing the first wild pitch. He assumed Toua was feeling nervous
Better control and increasing velocity with each pitch
He convinced himself that the 6th pitch would really be the one to watch for

Toua's best effort
That was the only thing the oh-so-great Kojima could see coming at that point

<143>
=There's no way for somebody to handle the truly unexpected

=Even if...
=It's just a slow blooper that a snot-faced kid could've hit

=The payoff pitch doesn't always have to be a fastball or a breaking pitch

=That was all Toua needed
=To defeat an arrogant opponent like Kojima

<144>
=This...
=This is crazy!!

=What was that just now!
=A blooper!?

=Fucking bullshit!
=That doesn't count!!

=Mister...
=You told me I was fucking with baseball, right?

=But ya know...
=You're the one

<145>
=Fucking with a gamble

[English] [Translation] One Outs 4 by Meriken

2009-05-16T15:27:23+00:00

One Outs, Volume 1, Chapter 4, (pp. 93~121)

<93>
=Huh!?
=You told Kojima-san about that gambling ring!?

Chapter 4: Pride

=...Yes
=...Was that bad?
=You moron
=Why do you always have to worry Kojima-san like this

=Where are you going...?
=Out looking!
=For Kojima-san!!

<94>
Chapter 4: Pride

<95>
=I knew it

=Hey!

=This again!?
=It's not another huge bet, is it!?

=400,000 bucks

=This is ridiculous...!
DASH!
=Where do you think you're going!?

=The man wanted a match. Straight up...

=Don't do anything stupid

<96>
—First pitch

ZWUSH

TUG

<97>
BWHOOSH

<98>
KA-RAA—CK

[x3]*rabble*

<99>
[x5]*rabble*
=What the...?
=...It got away from him?

=Hey...
=Just to make sure
CLANK...

=Anything in this box is a strike...
=Right...?

=Yeah...

=Huh
SMIRK
=For a second there I thought maybe this game had a different strike zone or something

=Not nearly as good as last time!!

=Even a guy like him
=Is losing his nerve facing a hitter as good as Kojima-san

2nd pitch

<100>
THUD

=Hey
=Maybe you wanna throw some practice pitches

<101>
=There's nothing on them
=And they're not even remotely close to being strikes

=This is going nowhere

=Don't need it
=Waste of time

3rd pitch

WWHIR

<102>
THWUCK

<103>
OHHHHHH
=3-0...

This is going nowhere
This is the pitching of the man who's never lost?

His velocity has increased slightly
But he still hasn't gotten close to the strikezone

=Phew—
=Finally gettin' in my groove

=Here's the real take
=Mister

=Ha! What "real take"
=Now he's just acting up!!

<104>
=Whaddya think?
=Huh...?

=He's all over the place
=I understand how he could be nervous facing such a great hitter

=But if he can't even throw strikes
=The outcome seems pretty obvious

="Obvious"
=...Right

4th pitch

BWUSH

<105>
=Strong high and inside
=So any old pitcher would aim low and outside if it's down to the last pitch

=But... He plays differently

=Because it's the last pitch, the batter is only thinking about how to handle the pitches he has trouble with
=That moment

He grows unaware of the possibility of getting a pitch he can handle with ease

=He uses that consciousness...//Carelessness...
=To his full advantage

<106>
I could tell what had happened at first

An instant feeling of emptiness...

He...
Dared to throw me a pitch up and inside.

What kind of pitch was it...?

A fastball
Nothing special, maybe around 60mph

<107>
BWUSH
THUP

<108>
ZWUSH

BWHIRR

<109>
=Never up high
=Especially not on the inside part of the plate

=Keep everything low
=Got it!?

=Hey!

=I heard you like stuff up and inside!

=I'll be careful

=That idiot

<110>
=I mean, the man Toua chose was a clean-up hitter in college
=There were even some major league scouts after this guy
=No doubt the toughest opponent he could've picked

Toua... Was able to judge all that in an instant

OHHH

OHHHHHHH

=Just so you know
=If the batter hits anything that bounces on the infield, they lose//Meaning... Getting ground outs is the key to winning this game

<111>
ZWUP

=Too high!!
=Definitely a ball!!

=He's walked him
=It's over!!

<112>
GRUCK

GA-CHUU—CK

<113>
=Fo...
=Foul—!?
OHHH

[x2]OHHH

=Why did he...?
=Purposely foul a pitch that was out of the strikezone?
OHHHHHH

<114>
='Cause everyone in the crowd bet on Toua to win

=Huh?
=E...Everyone!?
=Yep...
=A big humiliation for Kojima...

=That's why he wants to flaunt his own ability
=He doesn't want to win by drawing a walk
=He wants to whack Toua's pitches

=He wants to show
=How much more skilled he is

<115>
=I see...

=Well...
=If you wanna know what I think

=He's full o' shit

=What!?
=You don't understand! This is about Kojima-san's confidence and pride as a professional...
=Why can't he realize...
=That pride or what not is what's dragging him into even deeper shit

=This is all a trap

=A trap?

<116>
5th pitch

GRIIICK

<117>
OHHHHH
=YEEEAH
=Now it's 3-2!!

=The entire crowd betting on Toua
=That whole thing
OHHHHH

=Was a setup

=Huh!?

<118>
=All the guys promised they'd bet their money on Toua
=In exchange for getting their hands on some of that 400,000

=That way, Kojima would act stubborn
=And run the count down on his own

<119>
This guy...

=Knew he was going to get a full count from the very beginning!!

=Well? That wake you up a little?

=Hah-hah...
=True, getting to 3-2 may have been Toua's plan, just like you said
=But that doesn't mean he's going to win

<120>
=In the end, Kojima-san is just way too good for him
=It's obvious from how those 5 pitches turned out

=The crowd knows it, and they're secretly starting to panic
=They've realized Toua's got no chance

=Really?
=Doesn't look like that to me
OHHHH

[x?]TOU—A

OHHH

=Hey
=Looks like your arm's all warmed up now

<121>
=C'mon
=Don't run

=Toss one in the strikezone

=Hah
=That's some confidence there, really

=It's coming... Next... Toua's ultimate pitch...

[English] [Translation] One Outs 3 by Meriken

2009-05-15T16:16:17+00:00

One Outs, Volume 1, Chapter 3 (pp. 69~91)

<69>
[x2]*rabble rabble*
Chapter 3: Praise

OHHHHH

=Hey Ja—ck
=Better watch your ass today

=Hey
=Can you switch with me
=Ah?
=Save it for later—Bitch

<70>
=Switch
Chapter 3: Praise

<71>
=Heh
=Heh-heh
=Sure thing
=Go right ahead

[x3]*rabble*

=And?
=What do I do?

=Yo-yo
=You don't know baseball?

<72>
=It's ve—ry simple
=All you gotta do is hit this ball with that stick
HAHAHAHA

=20 on Jack
=15 on Jack!!
=30 on Jack

=Well, I'll put 5 on the Jap who's never heard of baseball
=Hah-hah-hah

BIP

=How rude

<73>
GRUCK

<74>
WHIIIIR—
=HUH

GRACK

<75>
=Did I
=Win that time?

=Yo
=I got the next one

OHHHH
=200 straight up

OHHH
=Hey yo it's Pedroza!!
=Pedroza's throwin'!!

<76>
=50 on Pedroza!!
=20 on the Jap!!
=30 on the Jap!!
=50 on Pedroza!!
=50 on the Jap!!

=Hey!
=He's not gonna go easy like that last dude

=He was in the majors for a year before he joined the army
=He still packs a 93mph fastball

<77>
=There's not a fella here who can actually hit that guy
=So

=Try lookin' at a pitch or two before you swing

ZWUSH

BWWW
WUSH

GRIP..

<78>
CRII—NK

=...Whoa
=Crap pitch?
=Nah... Didn't look like it
=It was way over 90mph

<79>
=Who the hell is this guy
[x4]*rabble*

=Hey!!//I've seen him on TV before

=It's Kojima!
=The clean-up hitter for the Lycaons//Hiromi Kojima

=I see
=No wonder

=I lost
=Fair'n square

<80>
WHAP

=Don't fuck with baseball
=Shithead

<81>
*rabble*

[x2]*rabble*

=Hey hey—
=You lookin' pretty hot over there

=Toua!!

<82>
=Huh
=So you're Toua, huh?
CHUK...

=You
=Wanted me right?

=Two Japanese guys came here the other day, right?
=Those were my pals

=Just so you know
=I didn't threaten or swindle them

=Those two were the ones that came up with that bet
=That's fine with me
=Then

<83>
=Play a game with me

=I'll forget about the money you took from them//But the rest...

=Wipe it clean if I win

=That sounds pretty fucked up

=You guys are the ones fucking people

=Wouldn't be worth it with any old bet
=If I win

<84>
=10 times the amount
=How about 400,000 dollars?

=Not that big a deal
=For a guy like you, right?

=Fine

<85>
=No matter how you want to think about it//The chances of me losing to you
=Are zero to none

=I'm a professional
=Baseball is my life

=I've stretched my body to its limits
=I've driven myself insane...//And if that's still not enough

=The world denounces you

<86>
=That's being a professional
=We bet a hell of a lot more than any of you playing in this shithole

=Baseball
=Is something sacred to me//So

<87>
=It pisses me off seeing you bastards fuck with baseball!!

=Even in a place like this//One guy throws a little better than all the others
=And they talk about him like he's hot shit

=Seeing an ass like you

=Makes me wanna puke!!

<88>
=Praise isn't meant to be given to someone like you

=I'll prove it to you in this next game

<89>
[x3]*rabble*

=All right peanut gallery
=Bet to your heart's content
=I know you think this is just another show

=Or are you all so certain of the outcome that you don't even feel like betting

<90>
=Okay, 40 on Toua
OHHHHH
=100 on Toua!
=Me too
=30 on Toua//50 on Toua
=150 on Toua!!

=Toua
=Wha...
=Toua

=What?
OHHH
TO—A!
=What's going on

=Th...They're all betting on this guy!?

=Hey mister... You talk all cool and shit, but...
PHE—W

<91>
=You've got zero conviction

[English] [Translation] One Outs 2 by Meriken

2009-05-15T16:15:38+00:00

One Outs, Volume 1, Chapter 2 (pp. 36~67)

<36>
Chapter 2: Error

<38>
=Well?
=Gonna do it?
=Or not

=Don't
=It's a trap!! He's planning something

=Trap? What're you talking about
=I don't need to pull a stunt like that

=He's not even gonna be able to graze my pitches

<39>
=All right let's do this!
=I make my living off baseball//I can't pull out after he's talked this much shit!

=Cool

Scattered wads of cash
They're in Nakane's sights even when he looks away
And they all become his should he win

But Nakane's mind was elsewhere

His mind had taken quite the opposite direction...

<40>
Fear of the possibility of losing that much money!!
[x8]THUMP

=...What's with him
=His total confidence...

<41>
=Is 5 million not a large sum of money to him...? Or it is

=That he's absolutely certain he's going to win?

=Nakane!
=You're thinking too much!!

=Take it easy!
=There's no way you could lose this!

=Damn it//Nakane—He's...

<42>
=Completely lost it!!
[x?]THUP

He maybe a pro, but he's still young and on the lower echelons
5 million in one at-bat is

=Much too pressure...

ZWUSH

[x?]THUP

<43>
BWUSH

WUSH

[x?]THUP

GRIP

<44>
THUNK

...He let it go...

=Huh

=Had me worried but...
=It's just an ordinary fastball

<45>
=First strike...
OHHHHH

PH—EW

=That's it Nakane!!
=Stay calm!!

=It's over
=He's going to regret taking the pitch

=You're overreacting...
=It's one strategy to take a pitch...

=Hah
=Strategy, huh

<46>
=That was no strategy//It was a clear "runaround"
=Typical Jap behavior

=When faced with an important decision
=Japs always...

=Wait

=Prolong

A kid who procrastinates and piles up homework
Youths who go to college just for the sake of going
Lawmakers who do nothing even at times of economic distress

=All fools who avert their eyes from the problem at hand and leave it for later

<47>
=Meaning they have
=An emotional dependence on the passing of time...

=A "runaround"
=That's all it was

=Much less
=Part of some master strategy

=Maybe he made you accept these rules on purpose
=That guy

=On purpose?
=Hah-hah...
=No way
=Rules which completely favor the batter? You're kidding

=Still stupid?
=You guys haven't understood the nature of these rules. That's why you wasted a strike

=You guys have completely fallen into his trap

=Right
=Damn it!!

<48>
In baseball, it's common practice to wait for a good pitch instead of just hitting into an out...
But under rules where just making contact count as a win
Letting a strike go by is utterly meaningless

Merely a waste of a precious opportunity
A clear judgmental error!!

ZWUSH

=Nakane!
=Swing!! Just take a swing!!

Huh

<49>
BWUSH

=Swing!
=Swing your ass off—!!

=Swing!!

=Ah...

<50>
DWHACK

<51>
OHHHHHH
=So he finally realized his mistake
=At the worst possible timing

[x3]OHHHHH
=Disrupted his concentration
=And the count is 0-2.

=Last chance...

=How do you whiff
=Two easy fastballs in a row!!

=If only
=He were calm...

<52>
=0-2...
=Only... One pitch left...

What is he planning...
On throwing next?

A fastball?
A breaking ball?

Or... Will he plant one on the outside...

<53>
I don't have a clue...
GWOOOOO—SH

<54>
=T-
=Timeout!!

OHHHH

=Calm down Nakane
=Take a deep breath

=Right...
PHEW—

=Listen carefully
=Don't take big cuts. Just think about making contact

=His fastball is nothing
=And breaking pitches... Even that won't be an issue

<55>
=You can read his next pitch

=Huh!?
=Take a good look at the pitcher

=They don't need gloves in this game
=Meaning

=You can see his "grip" before each pitch

=That was all?
=Yeah

Yeah...
Why didn't I notice something so simple
...But now

<56>
=I've got this!!

=His hands...
=His "grip" is...

<57>
Fo-...
Forkball!?

=I see!!
=So his other pitch is the forkball!!

That makes sense
The forkball is the easiest breaking pitch to get a batter to swing and miss

That's why he had so much confidence, even under these unfair rules
So...
ZWUSH

<58>
=His intention
=Is to make me swing and miss with his first forkball!

=HUFF
BIP

<59>
SHWUUSH

=Low and outside
=It's gotta be a forkball!

=A pitch like this
=It'll sink and bounce in the dirt before it even reaches the plate

=Think you've tricked me!?
G-GRIP

<60>
THUUUNK

<61>
...Fastball...

=What about that forkball grip!?

=A bluff!?

=The batter's lost!
=Three-pitch strikeout!!
OHHHHHHH

=This...
=Is impossible
OHHHHH

<62>
=He ran
=Not once, but twice

=Didn't I tell you before?
=Japs always prolong the most important things

=That guy proves it
=He's in the hole with two strikes

<63>
And he waited
The pitcher's forkball grip//That gave him enough hope to return to waiting

=And he determined the next pitch to be a forkball
=No, he assumed
=And by assuming, he averted his eyes from reality

=A runaround mentality
=That's what sealed his fate

=I guess...
=That guy Nakane wasn't cut out for a game worth 5 million

<64>
=You guys lost
=Well, just leave all your cash and credit here for now

=Don't try and blame us
=You guys were the ones who wanted to play that way

=Oh
=One more thing

=Yeah, I was trying to set you up when I called you
=I'll admit that... But

=You've got one big misunderstanding

<65>
=We're not in cohorts with that pitcher

=Having the batters purposely lose so we could make money...
=Wasn't what happened

=Those guys went at it for real
=And they ended up losing for real...

=Take a look

<66>
=That game just now
=All three pitches in the same spot. Low and outside corner

=But he still couldn't even graze it

=That's the kind of pitcher he is

=He's on a different level
=Normal people can try as hard as they want but they won't hit them. Toua's pitches

=Toua?
=...Yeah

<67>
Toua Tokuchi
That's the guy's name

[English] [Translation] One Outs 1 by Meriken

2009-05-15T13:10:40+00:00

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—!!