Keyword to Tokyo “Stuck to the Results” Baseball Tetsuto Yamada January 22 17:48
Yakult's Tetsuto Yamada has achieved three "triple threes" three times in professional baseball history, with only one player, batting average of 30%, 30 home runs and 30 steals. He usually rarely shows his emotions on the ground, and he plays quietly, but he says that the Tokyo Olympics, who are eager to participate, have a strong desire to beat anybody.
"The voice of the heart was expressed in the body"
This guts pose that Yamada showed.
Preliminary round of the Tokyo Olympics, last November's "Premier 12" final.
In the scene of chasing two points, Yamada hit the final three-run home run.
It was a hit of value gold that led Japan to the first victory in the tournament.
"That (guts pose), the voice of my heart was naturally expressed in my body. I was so frustrated that I felt a strong desire to give results here." (Yamada)
Fighting the pressure of the Hinomaru
The frustration that Yamada said was that he was unable to produce results until the end of the tournament due to poor batting.
Before the final of the game against Korea, the record was 17: 63.6 with three hits and 17 hits.
He says there was pressure to carry the Hinomaru.
"I think it's a repetition that there are some bad days and some good days in the season, but if you lose in this tournament, you're done.
(What is the sense of tension expressed in words?)
it's difficult. I think this is only known to those who do it. ''
"Responsiveness" to moving balls
In addition, I struggled to handle balls different from Japanese pitchers.
A ball that changes little by the batter who is good at overseas pitchers.
He says he hit the two pitch seams of the right pitcher, sinking while cutting into the right batter.
The scene where the bat's core was removed and it became an infield goro was noticeable.
During the tournament, Yamada sought a batting style in an attempt to overcome the difficulties.
"I think it's better to decide the direction to hit (strike). If you go pulling it, you will get a third goro and a short goro. It's a premise that you don't go forcibly, so go to the center of the center."
Yamada's appeal is long hitting power, but he is strongly conscious of hitting the center with a compact swing. Under such circumstances, the hit before the center in the final league match against Taiwan was able to rebound in the direction aimed at the two-seam ball of the right pitcher.
"The bat naturally comes out from the inside even on the in-course because I go to the center.
“Intuition” believed in the game
On the other hand, the home run who struck in the final was sticking out of the eighth ball straight. It was perfectly captured by Yamada's original full swing.
"As I was sticky and counting, I suddenly came to my mind that I was straightforward with intuition. I believed in my intuition and ventured."
If you hit the base with a hit, you can attack with your feet and have a long hitting power.
Japan's national team manager Atsushi Inaba, who puts speed and power as an ideal, said, "I was always making good preparations. I felt dynamism and felt growth." You.
"Results" for the Tokyo Olympics
Go to the Tokyo Olympics with the long-awaited desire to say, "You can make a copy. I want to play any role." Yamada raised the keyword "result".
"I think the results are everything, I'm stuck with the results, and I want to be the best in the world at the Olympics. If I'm not selected (becoming a representative member), I'll have to start. This interview will be wasted (laughs) I want to do my best so that it doesn't become it. ''
At the end, he expressed his determination for the Tokyo Olympics in a style that was unique to Yamada.
I want to see the guts pose even in the “production” six months later.
I want to continue my coverage while expanding my expectations.
(Sports News Department reporter Yoshihiro Takeda)