The "Katsudon incident" that Mr. Nomu misunderstood... Reporter's column "Nomura's note that does not remain in the legend" (4)

Katsuya Nomura majored in chemistry when he was at Mineyama High School in Kyoto.

"In the industrial department. Only men are allowed. I was doing H2O and Bakegaku."

Is that why? There were many scenes where the catcher was approached with logic, ``What is the basis for the one pitch just now?''

When I was active, the reason I made a leap was reading the book "The Science of Batting" by major leaguer Ted Williams. As a commander, he strengthened the scorer and greatly changed the common sense of the baseball world with ID baseball that emphasized data.

There was a night when Chisho, who values ​​such evidence, made an uncharacteristic blunder.

It is a rare riot "Katsudon Incident" that has not been handed down.

*　*　*　*

August 22, 2009, the final year of coaching, against Orix in Sendai. The Eagles, led by Manager Nomura, who had a default route of "retiring this season regardless of the results," showed a good attack. On the previous night, 20-year-old Masahiro Tanaka scored his 11th win, his first six wins of the season. Defending the 3rd place to the last, in the second half of the season, he started saving money for the first time in the fifth year since the team was founded. For the first time in the team's history, the club was advancing to CS, and Kani no Miyako was in a rage.

It was Hiromichi Fujiwara, the number one draft left-hander, who came up to the mound after being entrusted with seven straight wins. He didn't make it to the opening 1st team due to inflammation in his left shoulder, but he pitched for the first time as a professional in an interleague game. In the match against Orix on August 5, he had just scored his first victory as a professional in a semi-perfect game with 1 hit and no runs in the 9th inning and 27 batters. He was a “filial son” who appeared in Nomura Rakuten, which was suffering from a shortage of starting pitchers.

However, the day was lackluster. In the 4th inning, he gave up 5 runs on 6 hits and 5 walks on 3 consecutive walks. Mr. Nomura, who hates walks, received a “public sermon” for the first time on the bench during the game. The game ended 0-10. When I reported to the desk at the end of the game, I was told, "You've been writing a lot during your 6-game winning streak. Today, 15 lines is fine." While feeling relaxed, I ran to the conference hall.

Mr. Nomura's first words were completely unexpected.

*　*　*　*

"I had a bad feeling before the game today. Even though Fujiwara was the starter, I was eating a lot of katsudon in the cafeteria before the game."

? ? ?

The first pitcher's diet is easy to digest and an energy source, and the basics are carbohydrates and the eighth minute of the stomach. I can't imagine devouring a katsudon.

I listened with pardon. Kantoku, did Fujiwara really eat katsudon? (When I try to write it like this, it's a selfish question. Of course, with a straight face.)

The old general nodded.

"All the blood goes there. I can't control my condition. It's only natural that I get hit."

Mr. Nomura withdrew from the press conference in anger. We ran to the official parking lot with our laptops in hand.

I want a testimony within the team.

*　*　*　*

It's 22:30. Yoshinori Sato, the pitching coach, came out. He said with a wry smile.

"I don't eat katsudon. He looks like Fujiwara."

Are you still mistaken? That's right.

Shortly after that, Fujiwara appeared.

"Actually, I haven't eaten it, but it can't be helped..."

Now, right after the director's conference, it would have spread on Twitter and caused a big fuss. However, at that time, the main battlefield for baseball reporters was the newspaper that was published the next day. There were plenty of other sporting events that day, and the "Katsudon Incident" was barely reported in the corner of the newspaper.

Fujiwara has been in Rote this season and after that. With 5 wins and 4 losses, he advanced to 2nd place on the team and contributed to advancing to the CS.

*　*　*　*

It's easy to laugh at Mr. Nomura that night.

But now, 11 years later, I think.

A total of 1565 wins, 1563 losses and 76 draws as a manager. His winning percentage is .5003. The difference between winning and losing is only "2".

1563 losses is also the most lost coach in the history of professional baseball.

Nankai, Yakult, Hanshin, and Rakuten served as coaches for four teams, but the rankings of the previous year when he took office were all at the bottom except for Yakult's fourth place.

He quoted from "Kendan", a swordsmanship book written by Seizan Matsuura, a master of swordsmanship in the Edo period, and said like a habit.

"There is a mysterious victory in victory. There is no mysterious defeat in defeat."

There is always a reason for defeat. Don't make it "just one loss", always find "something" from there.

Even on that night, when the team ended with six straight wins, he didn't settle for fixed phrases such as "The losing streak will end someday" and "I'll do my best again tomorrow."

The stack is "1563".

Fuck. Following what is. And he achieved a big job of "1565 wins", which is the 5th place in history.

At the time, Nomura was 74 years old. However, he remained a "demon of victory" who continued to show tenacity for the victory in front of him.

*　*　*　*

At that time, when I went to Fukuoka, Mr. Nomura always sang a song while watching batting practice on the bench before the game. The song is the Pacific League federation song "White Ball Fantasy". While following the lyrics on the scoreboard screen of Yahoo Dome, I sang this politely.

"I always want a moment that makes my hands sweat and my heart burns"

The days of competition that kept sweating in my hands and burning my heart. "Inadvertent mistakes" are not something to be praised, but from the "Katsudon incident" you can hear the breath of a man who kept his soul burning for victory.

It is "1/1563" that I cannot forget.

By the way, before the match, Fujiwara ate cream pasta and salad. It seems that Mr. Nomu was eating a sauce cutlet bowl that the staff who mistook for Fujiwara was eating. (Hiroshi Kato)

◆Hiroshi Kato Born on April 7, 1974 in Mito City. He joined Hochi Shimbun in 1997 after attending Mito Ichiko and Keio University's Faculty of Law. In charge of baseball since 2003. Covering amateur baseball, giants, Rakuten, Nippon-Ham, and Seibu. Baseball desk since 2014. Engaged in baseball coverage for a total of 17 years, and has been at the digital editing desk since March of this year.