From the "unexplored region" of heavy snowfall to Koshien on March 25, 23:17

Large-scale vision of Koshien Stadium.

At the opening ceremony of Senbatsu High School Baseball, Tadami High School players were marching in front of a snow wall taller than their height, while players from other schools were walking on the grass and soil ground.

A team of 15 members from one of Japan's most heavy snowfall areas, who cannot practice satisfactorily during the winter.

Is it possible to handle the fastball of a pitcher at a strong school?

In the absence of cold games, I think we can make a ridiculous difference.

In the midst of such a reputation, the players who appeared in the "Sacred Place of High School Baseball" after waiting for the rain and turning on the night game showed a dignified battle.

Of the 27 outs, 18 struck out.

Even so, he "sprinted" as declared and scored 1 in the history of the town on the scoreboard.

I followed the big challenge of a small school that was completely burned in "the slowest battle in Senbatsu history".

(NHK Fukushima Senbatsu coverage group)

"Unexplored region in unexplored region"

How many people know where their hometown, Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture is?

Further back in the snowy Aizu region.

A town with a population of about 4,000, located in a particularly deep place in the area called "Okuaizu".

Surrounded by the mountains on the prefectural border with Niigata, one of the most spectacular railroads in Japan runs through a steep valley with a huge hydroelectric dam, and a clear stream that is a sacred place for sweetfish fishing flows.

It is said that the word "unexplored area" should not be used in the area where people live, but I dare to call it that way.

Locals also use this term to say, "There is only nature in this town."

It's a very attractive town with only nature, and it's only harsh but beautiful bare nature.

A small high school in a "special heavy snowfall area"

Tadami High School is the only high school in Tadami Town.

It is a small school with about 80 students, which was independent and promoted from a high school annex in the neighboring town in 1964.

Tadami Town has a lot of snow anyway.

It is designated as a "special heavy snowfall area" with a lot of snow in the "heavy snowfall area" based on the law, and in the midwinter, it snows so much that the first floor of the school building is buried.

When there is a lot of snow, it is over 3 meters.

From the latter half of November every year until the beginning of April, when snow is removed using heavy machinery, you cannot practice on the ground.

It snows so much that "it's no longer baseball."

In a town where there are no young men in Okuaizu, where depopulation and aging are progressing, baseball boys, as one inhabitant living in the area, take on various hard work as well as shoveling snow, and rely on the townspeople. It has been.

Guts pose that remains in the history of the town

They remained in the final nine schools of the "21st Century Frame" in consideration of overcoming difficult situations.

On January 28, a phone call was made to the principal's office while the press, who were nervous about the prevailing Omicron strain, were silently watching.

Takano Ren = A report of the Senbatsu participation decision brought by the selection committee by the Japan High School Baseball Federation.

Principal Katsuhiro Ito, who was once a high school baseball instructor, made a guts pose before the phone call was over.

Then, in front of the players waiting at the gymnasium, he screamed while clenching his fists.

The reason why Tadami High School was recommended

In addition to these points, Tadami High School was highly evaluated for having made its first foray into the Top 8 at the autumn prefectural tournament in more than 40 years.

Behind the last one of the three schools in the 21st century was a man's passion for Senbatsu and his passionate speech.

Tamotsu Kimura, the former coach of the Iwaki High School Baseball Championship, was in charge of pre-match knocks at Koshien in the summer.

Mr. Kimura decided to participate in Senbatsu with the slogan "Play Hard", leading Iwaki High School, but the tournament was canceled due to the corona.

Although he left the team due to a transfer, he joined the pre-match practice of the "exchange match" held in the summer as a special case and conveyed his passion to his students.

It can only be said that it is fate that Mr. Kimura will be in charge of the presentation of Tadami High School at the selection committee as the chairman of the prefectural Takano Ren.

Presentation will be Hard

Time control is 3 and a half minutes each.

Carrying Fukushima and Tohoku on his back, he must appeal that "Tadami High School is such a school."

Mr. Kimura, who lived thinking about Tadami High School almost every day, read the recommendation reason book made by the school and went to Tadami Town, which he had never been to before, and his own. I was particular about talking after seeing it with my eyes and carving it into my heart.

Mr. Kimura

"I can't tell unless I see the state of practice, the state of the school, and the state of the area live. The baseball-loving players, the school, the area, and the public and private sectors are working together. It's not a pop-up effort. "

My passion was so overwhelming that the first manuscript I wrote was about 8 minutes long.

She asks her elementary school daughter to listen to her presentation every weekend, and she has been defeated 12 times.

The sharpened words finally settled in three and a half minutes.

At the selection committee, which was held remotely due to the influence of Corona, Mr. Kimura complained through the computer screen.

Mr. Kimura

"Tadami High School is located in one of Japan's most heavy snowfall areas with a snowfall of 200 cm in the mountains, which can be said to be an unexplored region.

Here in Tadami Town, depopulation, declining birthrate and aging population are the most advanced in the prefecture. In this harsh environment, the baseball club is working hard because of the warm eyes of the area, the strong support of the town, and the presence of the director. In winter, it is impossible to practice on the ground. Still, for the members living in this town, winter

surrounded

by snow is a matter of course, and they all say, "I don't think it's handy."

This Tadami High School, which can be said to be the one and only school that has overcome the crisis and difficulties of closing down many times and has walked together for 70 years, is the most suitable for the idea of ​​the 21st century frame. Would you like to challenge this small school with only 86 people to great potential? "

Even though it is remote, it is "upright and immovable"

Yasuyuki Onozuka, a former NHK announcer who is one of the members of the selection committee, says that this speech was the reason why Tadami High School slipped into the third school.

Mr. Onozuka

"There was no big difference between the nine schools that were nominated, especially the third school was decided by a very small difference. Mr. Kimura was very enthusiastic and hit the feeling of" I want to put it out "straight. He

was the

only one who gave an upright and immovable presentation, and although it was remote, there was a place where he could feel it.

Tadami High School is the farthest school from that, simply considering going to Koshien .

It was an image, but I'm working hard in a very distant and very limited environment,

so I thought it was one of the schools I wanted to call Koshien. It was Mr. Kimura's speech that burned it in. "

Senbatsu from Aizu for the first time in 63 years

At the news of the decision to participate, the players who turned down and held their eyes and quietly chewed their joy, jumped out with the manager and threw their hats to express their joy.

Pitcher Yuki Sakai

"I am full of gratitude for choosing. At Koshien, I want to give back to the people in the town who are always supporting me by playing the game with a single ball."

Captain Yoshizu

"I'm honestly happy. I want to improve my play by practicing as usual without doing anything special, and at Koshien, I want to make a rhythm with defense and play "defensive baseball" that will give me a chance. "

"Usual practice" in heavy snowfall

"Practice as usual" they say.

It's quite different from the baseball practice that ordinary people envision.

Since it is a prefectural high school, there is no indoor practice area like a private strong school, and defensive practice is done by renting a part of the gymnasium when other club activities are not using it.

To practice catching a fly, just catch the ball thrown by hand from the second floor.

It is not possible to measure the sense of distance to the ball on a wide ground or practice dealing with a ball with a good spin.

Blow practice is conducted at the bicycle parking lot on the first floor of the school building, which is not used during the winter.

Instead of the ball, you can hit the badminton shuttle.

You can do tea batting, but you cannot practice batting in earnest.

Stand in the turn at bat, watch the changing ball released from the pitching machine, get used to your eyes, and do image training.

Even if you get a ticket to Koshien, there is no change in what the baseball players can do in the face of the overwhelming heavy snowfall.

Moreover, this year's snow is particularly heavy.

The players ran on the snow to train their legs, and waited for the day when the infection with the new coronavirus had subsided and they could start a practice expedition to participate in Koshien.

Full of graduates throughout the town

It is natural to say that it is natural, but since it is the only high school in the town, most of the adults in this town are graduates of Tadami High School.

The townspeople were excited by the achievements of the "juniors" who have watched over their growth since they were young.

Kunitomo Meguro, who runs the only photo studio in the town, created a colorful banner with the words "Congratulations on participating in Koshien" with 10 graduates to convey their thoughts to the players.

When I put it up at the storefront, I received a series of orders for "Uchimo" and "Uchimo", and about 60 banners with the same design were put up in the town.

Mr. Kunitomo Meguro

"I can't talk to the players directly with the new Corona, so when I raised the banner to support them in a visible way, the number increased steadily. The parents of the baseball club said," I can't thank you enough because of Corona, even though I have a lot of people cheering me on, "so I made a banner near high school saying" Thank you for your support. "

Boost the "Star of Aizu"

With the participation in Senbatsu for the first time in 63 years as a school in the Aizu region, the circle of support for "All Aizu" has expanded.

Hitoshi Ito, the general of a sushi restaurant in Aizuwakamatsu City, who spent his childhood in Tadami Town, invited his classmates from Tadami High School to donate to the store's customers and acquaintances on the day he learned of the decision to participate. , Collected 2.3 million yen in a month.

Hitoshi Ito, general of "Kamei Sushi" (Aizuwakamatsu City)

"From the depths of the snowy mountains of Aizu, Koshien is a dreamlike story. I don't know how much Tadami High School needs, but even 1000 yen is 1 Even with 10,000 yen, I thought that I could do it anyway, and it increased more than the target, but I am very happy. Thanks to everyone. "

"I want to support high school students heading to Koshien from the same Aizu"

The company in Kitakata City, which manufactures and launches fireworks, expressed that feeling in this way.

Its name is "Glitter Baseball Ball Fireworks".

16 special fireworks, in which the spots of light that hit the seams of the balls were placed between the shining round rings, were launched in a neighboring town on the day of the opening of Senbatsu and colored the night sky.

Ms. Misato Sampei, a fireworks master from "Akagi Smoke Shop" (Kitakata City)

"I tried to make fireworks with the image of a baseball ball in order to support the fireworks shop. I think it's good "

Donations that cannot be used up ...

The circle of support has expanded nationwide.

People all over the country who saw the news of the decision to participate were flooded with donations to schools and towns saying, "I want to support the Tadami High School Baseball Club."

For this reason, the town decided to use the hometown tax system to solicit donations.

We started aiming for "5 million yen by the end of March" as an expedition cost to supplement the handicap that can not be practiced on the ground due to heavy snowfall, but it exceeded that in just 10 days, more than double the target by 12 million. The yen has reached too much.

Direct donations to Tadami High School also raised more than 60 million yen, and in less than two months, more than 1% of the town's general account initial budget was raised.

Going to Koshien with unbelievable expectations

Nine of the 13 players, excluding four Yamamura international students, are friends who have worked hard with the same team since elementary school.

Fifteen baseball team members, including two managers, gathered in the parking lot of the public hall to leave for Koshien Stadium early in the morning of the 9th of this month.

Approximately 100 parents and locals gathered at the departure ceremony while there was still more than 2 meters of snow.

"I think there were various difficulties such as the frustration of not being able to practice on the soil and the difficulty of going over a hundred and several tens of kilometers one way for hours in search of the soil ground, but everyone has done their best.

Your baseball Is the starting point, connecting people with each other, and many people feel the goodness of their hometown. I want them to run around the large Koshien stadium, put their soul into each ball, and play baseball at Tadami High School. "

Immediately after Mayor Yuuo Watanabe gave words of encouragement and the bouquet was handed over to the director and captain, a man suddenly shouted, driven by the burst of "Tadami soul."

"Fre, Fure, Tadami!"

The main voice is Takahiro Suzuki, a graduate of Tadami High School and a civil engineer.

"I was thinking of going to Koshien Stadium, but I couldn't go because of circumstances. I was thinking about something I could support, and suddenly I came up with it. I was nervous even on the big stage called Koshien. Instead, I wanted everyone to have fun playing. "

The people who gathered continued, applauding and crying out, "Fure, Fure."

When the bus carrying the players started to move, the excavator car that had stopped behind the snow wall started to move.

Then, a huge 7-meter-long banner with the words "Welcome and have fun" appeared, and the explosion of a flare gun echoed in the residential area in the early morning.

A surprise prepared by Tadami High School baseball club alumni.

The players headed to the battlefield with the unreasonable expectations of the townspeople.

In an unfamiliar city

Every day I enter a dormitory in Osaka and continue to live in an unfamiliar hotel while paying attention to measures against corona.

The players took a walk in front of the station early in the morning, avoiding the crowds, trying to breathe in the outside air.

In addition, we asked them to open the terrace, and while doing swings and stretching, we proceeded with preparations for the upcoming production in a limited environment.

The opponent of the first match is Ogaki Nihon University High School in Gifu.

In an online interview with media outlets a week before the opening, the director and players said:

Director Kiyoyuki Hasegawa

"Because it is not such a dimension as being aware of the opponent, I want to show the color of my team such as sprinting and be aware of playing a game like Tadami High School at Koshien Stadium. Pitching machine 130 km I set it close and get used to it. The opponent's pitcher team is a fast and powerful ball, and I have the impression that there are more changing balls than I expected, so which one to narrow down will be one key. "

Ace Sakai Yurai Pitcher

"I've been indebted to the townspeople since I was little because I'm expected by the townspeople, so I'd like to give back to the people who took care of me by playing in Koshien."

I want to see it at the Alps stand!

The ever-increasing enthusiasm for support.

When the supporters' association and the town gathered together the applicants for the Koshien Alps seats, about 400 people, or 10% of the townspeople, applied.

チケットを申し込んだ人には、公式応援グッズが配られた。

ローマ字で「Tadami」と書かれたナップザックに入っているのは、只見高校の校章のシールを貼ったメガホンや、赤い文字で大きく「只見」とプリントされた帽子、それにジャンパーとマフラータオル。

いずれも、只見の自然をイメージした緑色に統一されている。

引き渡し会場には、家族4人分を受け取りに来た女性や、友人の分も含め10セット以上持ち帰った男性、さらに「東京で暮らす只見高校野球部OBの息子に『代わりに受け取ってほしい』と頼まれて来た」というお年寄りなど、現地観戦への熱意を燃やす人たちが朝から訪れた。

首都圏にいる「ふるさと只見会」の会員からも申し込みが相次ぎ、町の商工会のスタッフが発送作業にあたった。

0泊3日の弾丸ツアーも

インターネットで検索すると、只見町から甲子園球場までは、ノンストップで走り続けても車で9時間あまり。

新幹線を利用しても7時間半あまりかかる。

そこで、アルプス観戦チケットとセットのツアーが企画された。

只見町発は、0泊3日、1泊3日、2泊3日の3パターンのバスツアーと、1泊2日と2泊3日の2パターンの新幹線ツアー。

さらに、会津の他の地域からも参加できるよう、会津若松市と南会津町発のバスツアーも用意された。

中でも、JR系の旅行代理店が企画した2泊3日のツアーは、地元の駅から鉄路で甲子園に応援団を送り出すことにこだわったものだった。

11年前の新潟・福島豪雨で被災し一部区間の不通が続いているJR只見線の只見駅から、わざわざ、この時期融雪に伴うなだれが頻発する山越え区間を通って、団体臨時列車で新潟県の長岡駅へ。

そこから、さらに上越新幹線と東海道新幹線を乗り継いで大阪に入る旅程。

ことし秋に只見線全線開通を控える中、この歴史的一戦に向かう応援団をなんとしても鉄路で送り出したいという鉄道マンの熱意が感じられた。

計算を狂わせた“試練の雨”

開会式が予定されていた今月18日。

低気圧が通過した影響で、関西は雨。

大会初日は順延となった。

これに伴って、大会4日目、21日（春分の日）に行われる予定だった只見高校の試合は、平日開催となった。

この1日は、遠路はるばる甲子園に駆けつけようとしていた只見町の人たちに、さまざまなドラマをもたらした。

バスツアーは、その日のうちに3分の1にあたる15人がキャンセル。

2日前に起きた最大震度6強の地震で東北新幹線が一部区間で不通となったこともあって、新幹線ツアーも1割がキャンセルされた。

さらに、影響は自力で手配していた人にも及んだ。

選手が出発した日にサプライズを演出した只見高校野球部OBの鈴木善介さんは、経営する会社の従業員もほとんどが只見高校の卒業生で、出場する選手の親もいるため、みんなで甲子園球場に行き、仕事と折り合いをつけるため社長の自分だけはその日のうちに戻ってくる予定だった。

ところが…

鈴木善介さん
「1日順延になって平日になっちゃった。私はなかなか2日抜けられないので、残念ながら留守番。みんなには極力行って欲しいと思って、一生懸命取引先の人にお願いして、仕事の日程を変えてもらった。帰ってきたら、その分倍働いてくれ」

鈴木詠大選手の父 僚さん
「すみません。社長が一番行きたいのに。行けない社長の思いがひしひしと伝わってくる。その分甲子園では、張り切って、人一倍応援したい」

試合翌日、地元の小学校は卒業式、中学校は修了式。

貴重な機会を優先し、学校を休んででも甲子園に行くか、諦めるか。

子どもたちも、家族も、選択を迫られた。

“恵みの雨”に救われた友情応援

一方、この順延がプラスに作用したケースもあった。

それは、「高校野球の華」とも言われるブラスバンド応援を頼まれた兵庫県内の2つの高校の吹奏楽部の生徒たちだ。

生徒数が少ない只見高校には、吹奏楽部がないため、友情応援を依頼していた。

選手たちがリクエストしたのは、打席に入った時の曲や得点が入った時の曲など、17曲。

甲子園の定番曲もあったが、多くは両校の生徒が演奏したことがない曲だった。

これから現地に向かう人にとって悩みの種となる雨は、少しでも練習したい吹奏楽部にとっては、恵みの雨となった。

「勝ってくれ」とは言わないが

後攻の只見。

先発は、エースの酒井悠来。

記念すべき甲子園第1球は、外角高めのストレートだった。

ストライクが入るたびに、只見高校側のアルプスが沸く。

立ち上がり、鋭い当たりがセカンドの室井莉空を襲った。

いきなりランナーを背負い、次のバッターの打球はピッチャーを強襲。

グラブではじいたボールは、2塁方向に。

悔しい思いをしたばかりのセカンド室井が塁上で追いつき、ベースを踏んで、軽やかに1塁へ。

ひたむきに野球に取り組んできたことを神様が見ていたかのようなダブルプレーで、ピンチを乗り切った。

3回には、ショートを守るキャプテンの吉津塁が魅せた。

三遊間深くに飛んだ先頭バッターの打球を、逆シングルでキャッチし、1塁に送球。

ショートバウンドになったが、ファースト渡邉琉英斗がうまく捕って、アウト。

大舞台でも臆さず、練習の成果を発揮した。

序盤3回まで、バッター9人で7三振と完璧に抑え込まれていた只見。

4回にフォアボールで初めてのランナーが出ると、送りバントを絡めて、2アウト3塁1塁。

ここで待望の初ヒットが生まれた。

5番・山内友斗の当たりは、詰まりながらもライト前へ。

スコアボードに、只見町の歴史に燦然と輝く、記念すべき1点が刻まれた。

雪をもとかすアルプスの熱気

町民およそ350人が駆けつけたアルプスの興奮は、最高潮に。

徐々に強豪校の圧力に押される中、失点しても落ち込まず、冷静さを失わなかった只見高校の選手たち。

打者32人で2安打18三振と打線は抑え込まれたものの、被安打8、エラーはわずか2つと、見応えのある試合を展開し、13人全員が出場して、強豪校相手に力を出し切った。

パブリック・ビューイング会場で応援した40代女性
「こんなに近い点数で終われると思わなかったから、すごいと思う。帽子が飛ぶくらい喜んだ」

パブリック・ビューイング会場で応援した50代男性
「良い試合だった。私立の学校ばかり、部員が多いのが当たり前の中、田舎のチームで選手は13人だけ。これが最近忘れかけていた高校野球の姿じゃないか」

長谷川清之監督
「甲子園に来るまで１３０キロのボールでの実戦形式の練習ができなかったので、感覚でしか対応できず、厳しかった。少ない人数の中、けがをさせないように全員が甲子園に足を運んで土を踏みしめるという１つの目標は達成した。甲子園決まってからの熱い応援ありがとうございました」

キャプテン 吉津塁選手
「自分たちが予想していたよりもたくさんの応援をもらえて、それが力になった。9イニング通して全力疾走と笑顔でやろうと言っていて、観客や審判が拍手で応えてくれるのがうれしくて、プレーしている時も自然と笑顔が出ていたから良かった。全国レベルのバッターの振りや打球スピードに対応仕切れなかったし、勝負が決まる1球の球際の弱さがあるので、そこを強化していきたい。自分たちはここで終わるわけではないので、しっかり返せるように頑張りたい」

雪が とけたら…

Tadami Town was rumored to have reduced the amount of snow due to the heat of watching the game.

"I want to do my best so that this team can come back to Koshien."

After the match, "Tadami Fifteen," not "Tadami Nine," traveled by bus in two days and returned to his hometown on the evening of the 23rd. ..

At the ground of Tadami High School, a male worker continued to remove snow by operating heavy machinery with a smile on his face.

"I was able to work comfortably with the best evening drink while watching the best match. I will do my best to remove the snow so that the children can practice immediately from spring."

In April, when all this snow disappears, the Tadami High School Baseball Club will add new students to the members who have experienced Koshien and move on to the next challenge.

Fukushima Broadcasting Station Reporter

Sohara Osamu

Joined in 2020

High school is soccer club University is American football club After working in police judiciary,

stayed in Tadami-cho,

Aizuwakamatsu branch for 2 weeks from last fall

Fukushima Broadcasting Station Reporter

Takuto Nakamura

Joined

in 2018

After working in charge of sports for

high school baseball players, he is currently in charge of police judiciary.

Fukushima Broadcasting Station Announcer

Kenta Takeda

Joined in 2019

Former high

school baseball player

After working at Nagasaki Broadcasting Station, worked at Fukushima Station from last winter .