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(1955 Yokkaichi 4-1 Sakaide quotient)

"Ups and downs high school baseball". It was written in the Asahi Shimbun morning edition (Tokyo headquarters) on August 18, 1955. The 37th tournament final which was the previous day. It was a battle betraying most predictions before the convention. It was a meeting of Yokkaichi, the second Sakaide quotient (Kagawa) who participated and Yokkaichi who won the first championship while championing the previous year's Chukyo (Aichi, present Chukyo Chukyo Chukyo) in the semifinals.

"It seems that we just came out from" Umekaido "rather if it says". Yokkaichi's Ace Takahashi Masakatsu says while playing. To the story of more than half a century ago, "I have already forgotten the details." In contradiction to the words, I remembered the squirms of the game and smiled.

Yokkaichi's Ace Takahashi Masakatsu = 37th National Championship Competition tournament = August 1955

At 2:03 pm, the game began. Yokkaichi will preempt one point with a timely batting in front of the 5th Naruse Katsumi from 2nd and 1st, 2nd base once. Immediately after that defense. Deputy captain Ito Noritsugu attached to the fixed position of the strike, noticed the ace of Ace. "The left arm has not gone up to the usual height." Takahashi was also aware. "He told me that the elbow is going down, of course, I got tired and my body weight was considerably reduced"

Masakatsu Takahashi looking back at that time with a smile

I have thrown three games from the first round of the second round to the semi-finals by one person. Of course, it is common time to throw the tournament alone, not to mention complete start. There was something that Takahashi's mind and body had been scraped off rather than the entry for three consecutive days. Three Kikai-kai before reaching Koshien. In the bat, the wooden bat broke from the root, and with that shard the deeply cut the ring finger and little finger of the dominant hand on the dominant hand. Even after I came to Koshien, the affected area tended and the discomfort remained until the final.

The 37th National Championship Final Final Yokkaichi - Sakaide Quota Yokkaichi players who warm up up = August 1955

Nevertheless, the Ace left arm arranges '0' once, twice. Originally "It is not a weapon is a celestial battle" was precinct. Curves that I rely on while a fastball did not run. "Falling down or turning sideways, my way of bending was different by one ball and one ball, I guess it was good," says Takahashi.

one more. The difference in greed divided the light and dark. Three times greeted by 1-0, the lead by Teruya Teruo's middle-aged timetable increased by 1 point. Takahashi 's feelings will be easier here. "Only the feeling that I did not win points did not change from qualifying." Because I did not express my eyes, I will not move even if I lose one point from the second and third death six times. I made it with the smallest goal.

Sakaide was different. The third batter, Kuroda Heart, later talks about the feelings when the final partner was decided. "Yokkaichi, who is the first player to compete from the power and Nakagyo qualities, is easier to fight and has made a selfish judgment that he can win." As a result, he had forgotten the taste such as "stickiness" and "desire". Is it from impatience? Eight times, Sakaide was a pinch-off play after removing the squeeze and lost the fourth point by a bad throw.

Takahashi kept flattering and threw nine times. I remembered clearly the moment when I killed the last batter to Nagoro. "It was a truly unbelievable feeling as a matter of fact." Takayo Kondo, who was a manager, left the impression on the scorebook. "Every game at the Koshien felt like a dream during this game, with tears ranging as a stutter as the players were stunned, you won the game at the Koshien, you cry, I cry"

Mikoshi who was pushed by the Kiku Gifu crowd and played nationwide in the summer was this the third time. Yokkaichi 's first battle, White Star, was the first victory in the summer. And I finally accomplished a nationwide championship which is not to be mentioned either.

The 37th National Championship Competition The players in Yokkaichi who are the pleasure of winning the crimson big championship flag = August 1955

The next day, the crimson biggest winner went to Iseji. Team arriving at Kintetsu Seminarichi station parade the city. It took me 3 hours and 20 minutes to go to school. In the previous year, a large-scale fire occurred in the city's Okoku Oil, and the sign of "Yokkaichi Asters", which later became one of the four major pollution diseases, had been creeping up. Such a city only caught at this time.

Ito Masaru who still lives in Yokkaichi says. "Even in the city where things like darkness continued, that summer's story was exciting and I think that the city became the only light or a bright topic" (Yuki Omata)

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Masakatsu Takahashi (Takahashi · Masakazu) Originally from Mie Prefecture. In the summer of 1955, he won the nation as a Yokkaichi ace. I joined the professional baseball giant. After retirement became the "first scorer", and supported the V9 era as a back side.