The third home run of the season by Shohei Ohtani (Angels), which hit on the 10th (Korean time), became a hot topic as it was a home run against high school senior Yusei Kikuchi (Toronto). The two are alumni of Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture, Japan.

Looking at Kikuchi, Ohtani decided to leave Hanamaki and go on to higher education. In the third year of junior high school, Kikuchi was a senior in high school and a hero of Iwate Prefecture. With ace Kikuchi at the forefront, Hanamaki Higashigo finished runner-up in the spring Koshien (selection high school baseball tournament) and reached the semifinals in the summer Koshien (National High School Baseball Championship). Looking at Kikuchi, Ohtani developed a dream that he would become that kind of person too.안전놀이터

According to Japanese media Nikkan Gendai’s series ‘Secret Story Otani’, middle school student Ohtani did not actively talk about baseball at school. However, he says that whenever Kikuchi is mentioned, his eyes twinkle. He revealed to his friends his goal of becoming more than just an admiration.

Hanamaki Higashigo was the school Ohtani’s father, Toru Otani, also wanted his son to go to. He thought that it would be useful for education other than baseball, and that a team that did not have too many players while aiming for Koshien would be good. The school that satisfied all of these conditions was Hanamaki Higashi High School.

He did not, however, openly encourage his son Ohtani. Mr. Doru said, “I never told you which school to go to. The choice was left to you. Looking back later, there is something you wanted to do, but it is not good to regret that you did not do it. I think it is important not to regret it.”

As expected by his father, Hanamaki Higashi High School had a great influence on Ohtani’s growth. Coach Hiroshi Sasaki believed that physical growth was more important for high school players and did not force Ohtani to the mound.

Coach Sasaki planted dreams in the players based on the theory that ‘prejudice makes the possible impossible’. Ohtani’s dream was to hit a fastball at 160 km/h, and he achieved his goal in his senior year of high school.

The ‘mandarat plan’, which symbolizes Ohtani’s planning, was also one of Sasaki’s teaching methods during high school. All the players made this planner and drew out how to get closer to the goal on their own. Now, as director Sasaki said, he is in the process of creating “a road that no one has taken.”

Meanwhile, Ohtani will start on the 12th against the Washington Nationals and try for his second win of the season.