Chapter 97: Baseball is all about throwing the ball away
The baseball playing field is a fan shape, starting from home base, plus first base, second base, and third base to form a diamond, called the infield. The other inbound areas are called the outfield, and the distance between any bases
They are all ninety feet, and the place in the middle near home plate is the pitcher's mound - a place made of dirt for pitchers to throw, with a white pitcher's plate on it.
The auditorium is surrounded by a circle outside the competition venue. It is blocked by a layer of barbed wire. Try to prevent direct balls from flying in and injuring the audience. However, the barbed wire is not too high and cannot stop high-altitude balls, but high-altitude balls can fall.
It won't hurt anyone if hit.
The regional competition only competes for the qualifying spots. There are strong and weak teams. The strong ones are of course at the level of Koshien. The weak ones may not be as good as the strong junior high school teams. In addition, it is a one-time match and there are not many spectators. Sitting in the stadium
Those who are sparse are probably friends and relatives of today's competition team, or simply spies, people from other schools sent to study the opponent in advance.
Ritsu Shikishima led Hideji Kitahara and the others to find a seat in the front row with a better view and sat down. Hideji Kitahara looked at the scoreboard. The two teams have now competed in the sixth game. The score is 9:1. Among them, Ishina
Industrial took the lead by a huge margin, but Zhengling Affiliated High School, which was lagging behind, did not give up and was engaged in a desperate defense.
Kitahara Shuji looked at it twice and then asked Shikishima Ritsu: "How long until Uchida and the others arrive?"
"This is the end of it, Kitahara-kun."
Then just wait, and Yoko also looked at the stadium facilities curiously. After looking around for a whole circle, he turned his attention to the field. Full of freshness, he pinched the corner of Kitahara Shuji's clothes with a small hand, fearing that he would run away.
But she usually doesn't pay attention to sports and doesn't understand much. But she was too embarrassed to ask, so she just watched there, looking a little embarrassed.
Xueli noticed that she was still very enthusiastic and asked cheerfully: "Yoko-chan, don't you usually play baseball? What about softball? You should have played softball, right?"
Yangzi shook his head: "You don't even want to play, Sister Xueli."
"You should play such a fun game, then I'll teach you! It's very simple, just hit the ball with a stick. If it flies, you win, if it doesn't hit, you lose." Xue Li is also a good teacher.
Yoko was dumbfounded. That's it? Is baseball such a simple game? Kitahara Shuji glanced at Yuki and smiled at Yoko: "Don't listen to your sister Yuki, ask you Shikishima if you don't understand.
Brother!"
Xue Li said slightly dissatisfied: "I often play baseball, and I can play it right this way. Pitching is boring, but batting is interesting. If you hit the ball so hard that it can no longer be seen, you will definitely win! I often play with monkeys and others,
They all call me Hao Bang Dajie Tou and say I have the ability to play professional baseball!"
Is that a home run you're talking about? What nonsense are you bragging about? Even Hideji Kitahara himself doesn't quite understand it, but he doesn't think Yukiri understands either.
Ritsu Shikishima was still very gentle, more like a big brother than Hideji Kitahara. He smiled and pointed to the field and patiently explained to Yoko. Hideji Kitahara also listened with open ears.
Baseball games are usually divided into nine innings. If the score is tied, extra games will be played until the winner is decided. However, the Koshien game will be played again tomorrow if it is not decided after fifteen innings. After all, it is a high school level game, and you cannot put your body to the test.
The immature boy is tired and has problems.
The game is divided into two teams, each team has nine players, and the two teams take turns attacking and defending.
The offensive team swings the bat at home plate to hit the ball thrown by the defensive pitcher in sequence, and then runs the base after effectively hitting the ball. It passes through first base, second base, and third base and finally returns to home base, and one point is counted.
Of course, except for hitting a home run, that is, hitting the ball where the defensive players can't catch it, there is generally no chance to run back to home plate and score, but to advance base by base with a cold drink.
, for example, the first bat goes to first base, and then the second bat starts running, then rushes from first base to second base, and the second bat takes up the position of first base again - the rules do not allow two offensive players to stand on one base bag.
, so after the second bat is played and the ball starts, no matter whether the first bat is high or not, you have to advance to second base. The same goes if there is someone on third base.
A hit that safely reaches base or scores a score is called a hit.
It often happens in games that there are offensive players on all three bases. At this time, the fourth bat comes out to determine the outcome with a clean hit, and then the partner on third base can be sent back.
If you hit a home run, you have three teammates on base and you have bought enough time to run back to home base, scoring four runs in one fell swoop.
If all the players are hitting hard, and the opponent's pitcher is very weak, the type of ball has not changed, and the speed of the ball is very slow, then the offensive hitter can hit every hit accurately and hit one hit after another, which can be achieved in one round.
The score makes the opponent despair.
As for defense, pitchers are the main force, and the best pitcher in a team is called the ace. The highest goal is to prevent the opponent from hitting a single ball, and then the opponent will naturally lose the ability to score.
When a pitcher throws a ball and puts it into the effective strike zone, it is called a strike. If the opponent misses three consecutive strikes or a bad ball is swung, this is called a "strikeout" and the next batter is replaced.
When all three batters are out, that is, "three outs", the offense and defense will be interchanged, which is considered half an inning - both sides have one offense and defense, which is an inning. The game has nine innings, and the one with more runs wins.
In addition to the pitcher, the defensive team also has eight players including the catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, center fielder, left fielder, and right fielder at home plate.
After the ball is hit, these defenders need to start catching the ball.
Catching the ball without waiting for it to hit the ground is called a "catch", and the batter is out. After catching up with the ball, you need to judge who to pass to based on the situation on the field. For example, the opponent is rushing toward second base along the base line.
, it can be passed to the second baseman to block the opponent's path, but the opponent cannot go back. There is a partner who is playing first base. If he goes back to first base and there are two people, it will be a foul. It will not work if he goes to second base. The opponent's second baseman is holding the ball.
As soon as you touch him, he will be out, which is called "suffocation"; or pass it to your own player near the opponent, let him catch up with the ball and touch the opponent player who is about to hit base, and let him out, this is called
"Intercept and kill".
Of course, there are many tactics, these are just the most basic ones, but Ritsu Shikishima talked for a while, let alone Yoko, even Kithara Shuji was a little confused - no wonder this sport is only popular in a few countries in the United States and Japan.
, this is too troublesome.
He summed it up himself and felt that the main purpose of the defense is to throw a good ball without being hit by the opponent, and even if the opponent does hit it, they must ensure that they can catch it, while the purpose of the offense is to try to get hits and home runs.
better.
The rhythm of the baseball game was very slow. Kitahara Shuji watched the pitcher of the lagging team on the field swinging his head around to check the opponent's movements to prevent the opponent from trying to steal a base. He also exchanged secret signals with his catcher partner squatting at home plate. It seemed that the catcher had given him
He felt that the type of ball was unreliable, so he couldn't make up his mind for a while and went to see the supervising teacher on the court, hoping that the supervising teacher would give some instructions. He showed a cautious attitude that if the ball was not thrown well, he would die, and he was getting old.
Dead.
But Kitahara Shuji can also understand that after working hard for a whole year, who doesn’t want to achieve good results, who doesn’t want to be the focus of the entire country and gain both fame and fortune - they went home after losing the first round, August Koshi
The garden will be pulled down immediately, and a year's efforts can be said to be of no value at all.
The fierce competition is evident. Everyone who enters the competition only pursues victory, and only the winner's efforts are valuable.
Kitahara Shuji has a character that attaches great importance to victory and defeat. He interrupted Shikishima Ritsu's science popularization, saved the life of Yoko who had become mosquito-repellent eyes, and asked: "Are Uchida's opponents strong?"
Ritsu Shikishima turned around and said with a soft smile: "I helped Xiongma watch last year's video. It seems that Xiongma is not very strong. If he were strong, Xiongma wouldn't be so worried about gains and losses last night."
Kitahara Shuji thought about it for a while. If the other team was a super strong team, and Yuuma Uchida was so pissed, he probably called last night just to cry and complain about the injustice of God, rather than dragging him to watch the game.
The game scene was dull for a while, so he got up and bought iced juice drinks and some snacks for everyone. Mainly for Yoko, he was very frugal himself, but he couldn't be frugal with Yoko, and always wanted to feed her well.
Feed her.
Yoko gave Kitahara Shuji a sweet smile and started eating together with her sister Yuki.
The two teams lingered for more than 40 minutes before finishing the remaining three games. No wonder Koshien in August and June started holding trials with IH. With this efficiency, these more than a hundred teams can finish the remaining three games in more than a month.
It's pretty good after finishing it.
After the game, a sharp air-raid siren suddenly sounded, which startled Kitahara Shuji. He instinctively looked up at the sky. It took him a moment to realize that this might be some kind of strange tradition, but Zheng Ling Affiliated High School on the field failed to do so.
He successfully reversed the defeat and lost the game with a score of 14:2. At the last moment, he knelt on the ground and cried bitterly, and was finally moved away by his companions who looked gloomy.
No one paid attention to his tears, and the stadium staff quickly repaired the field. Soon the scores of the two teams on the scoreboard were cleared, and Shinai Industrial entered the second round, marking the end of the summer at the Affiliated High School.
In the next game, players from both sides entered the field to start warming up, including Yuma Uchida. He was wearing a baseball cap and a diagonally striped baseball uniform. He looked less mean and more like a sports boy.
He did not concentrate on warming up, but searched the stands with his eyes. He soon found Kitahara Hidetsu and the others, rushed over directly, held up the brim of his baseball cap through the barbed wire fence in salute, and shouted with a smile: "Attention
Be optimistic about the heroic appearance of my majesty!"
Normally if he dared to speak like this, Ritsu Shikishima would definitely roll his eyes at him, but this time he didn't mind but encouraged him, shouting at him: "Come on, Xiongma!"
As this bitch's friend, Kitahara Shuji couldn't throw cold water on him at this time, so he also shouted, "Uchida, fight hard!"
Yangzi also clenched her little fists and shouted: "Senior, please come on!"
Xueli's mouth was stuffed with banana slices, and she shouted vaguely: "￥&#&*#&#!"
Uchida Yuuma had already seen Yuki and Yoko. He winked at Kitahara Shuji, laughed twice, and expressed that he was very satisfied with Kitahara Shuji's attention. He also brought his girlfriend to cheer him up. It was interesting. Then he continued
His head ran away - a senior classmate was calling him.
The players from both sides began to line up. It is estimated that this kind of battle is not taken seriously. It is one after another, and it feels a bit rushed. The players from both sides saluted each other, and then saluted to the four referees, and then the air defense siren sounded again.
——Kitahara Shuji was really speechless, what's wrong with this? Why do you sound the air raid siren when you're playing baseball?
Then he took a closer look at the field and found that Yuma Uchida was not there. He was surprised and asked Ritsu Shikishima, "Where are the Uchida people?" Shouldn't all the people from Daifuku Private School be on the field during defense?
Ritsu Shikishima pointed under the seat: "The stallion has entered the bullpen."
The bullpen is the lounge for players who are not playing. Its etymology comes from an American tobacco company called "Bison". When Major League Baseball started, it seems that this company hung advertisements on the players' preparation room for a long time, and one side of the preparation room was meshed.
, and then it was passed on, and the preparation room was not called the bullpen.
Kitahara Shuji was speechless. If you don't go on the field, why are you asking everyone to come? He asked: "Which position does Uchida play? Isn't it his turn?"
"He is a catcher in the first-year pitching and catching team. He cannot be a starter. I guess the starting pitcher will come on when he is tired!"
Kitahara Shuji was even more speechless. It sounded like he couldn't get on the stage!
He was prepared to beat Yu Uchida to death if he couldn't play and his trip was in vain, but the game in the stadium had already begun. The opponent was Naganogawa High School, wearing pure white baseball uniforms, on the offensive side. They were on the offensive side for the first time.
A hitter was standing in the strike zone with one arm stretched out to indicate that he was not ready, and he was digging his feet into the ground with all his strength. Looking at the stance, he seemed to be trying to dig a shallow hole there to prevent him from losing strength when he started.
And in the waiting area not far from him, the second batter from Naganogawa was kneeling on one knee, leaning on his bat and observing the pitcher from Daifuku Private.
Kitahara Shuji glanced at the scoreboard. It is currently 0:0. I hope to win!