150th Anniversary Project
"Aogaku Mind Opening Up the Future"
"My current self"
Believe and take to the mound
| Alumni and Graduates |
Tokyo Yakult Swallows
Masanori Ishikawa
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Aoyama Gakuin University Baseball Team
Hayato Tsunehiro/Kaito Shimomura
Aoyama celebrated its 150th anniversary this year. Many of the school's graduates have made their dreams come true through tireless effort and the creativity and thinking skills they have cultivated themselves, and continue to play an active role as top runners in various fields. One of them is Ishikawa Masanori, the oldest active pitcher in Japanese baseball, who turned 44 this year. Following in the footsteps of their great predecessors, Tsunehiro Hayato and Shimomura Kaito of Aoyama Gakuin University baseball team will both be drafted first this year and enter the professional league. They asked Ishikawa about the mindset of a professional baseball player and the secret to his success.
Profile
Tokyo Yakult Swallows
Masanori Ishikawa
College of Literature Department of History
From Akita Municipal Akita Commercial High School, he went on to Aoyama Gakuin University, where he won the university championship in 1999. He also played as a member of the Japan-US University Baseball Team and the Japanese team at the Sydney Olympics. He has a total of 23 wins in college. In 2002, he joined the Yakult Swallows (then) as a free agent. He won 12 games in his first year and was named Rookie of the Year, and in 2008 he won the Best ERA and Golden Glove Award. With a small 167cm frame, he is a "little big pitcher" who accumulates wins by using a variety of curveballs and pitching techniques that confuse batters. In 2023, he will achieve 22 consecutive wins since his first year with the team. He has a total of 185 wins (at the end of the 2023 season). He is a left-handed pitcher and batter.
Dialogue
Aoyama Gakuin University, 4th year Faculty of Law, baseball club member
Hayato Tsunehiro
He went on to Aoyama Gakuin University University from Oita Prefectural Oita Maizuru High School. He led the team as one of the two star players along with Kaito Shimomura. In his fourth year, he pitched a shutout victory in the final against Meiji University in the All Japan University Championship, leading the team to their fifth victory in 18 years and their first victory in 18 years, and was awarded the MVP and Best Pitcher Awards. In the summer of his fourth year, he contributed to the Japan-US University Baseball Championship victory as a member of the Samurai Japan University team. He was selected first overall by the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in the 2023 professional baseball draft. He is a right-handed batter and thrower.
Aoyama Gakuin University College of Community Studies 4th year, baseball club member
Kaito Shimomura
He went on to Aoyama Gakuin University University from Kyushu International University High School. He started pitching in the Toho University League in the fall of his first year. In his fourth year, together with Tsunehiro, he led the team to their first victory in the Toho University League in 33 seasons, as well as their victory in the All Japan University Championship. In the summer of his fourth year, he played for Samurai Japan University in the Japan-US Collegiate Baseball Tournament, where he was named MVP. He was selected first overall by the Hanshin Tigers in the 2023 professional baseball draft. He is a right-handed batter and thrower.
TALK THEME
1st TALK
Professional baseball player
Standing at the starting line
"First of all, let's keep things as they are and don't change anything.
If you do it with confidence, you'll be fine."
It's amazing that two first-round draft picks came from the same university. I'm really happy because it's been hard to find pitchers coming from Aogaku recently. How do you feel now? It's exciting, isn't it?
Ishikawa
Tsunehiro
As the "first draft pick," it feels like he's being hyped up a bit strangely.
Shimomura
I'm often asked, "Are you confident that you can perform well?" but to be honest, you don't really know until you try pitching.
You know, you won't know until you try. Aren't you thinking, "I'm the first pick, so I have to show my good side and do my best"? You don't have to push yourself at first. You don't have to change anything, just stay the way you are. You may be anxious, but if you look at your pitching in college, you'll definitely be fine. You should be confident and try with what you have now. When you enter the bullpen at camp, you might feel anxious because the people around you are throwing great pitches, and think, "I have to pitch better," but don't be fooled. Whether you're a professional or an amateur, it's still baseball. However, when you become a professional, the strike zone will be narrower (laughs).
Ishikawa
Shimomura
Is it completely different?
That's what surprised me the most. I think that when I was a student, there were many times when the ball was a ball even though it was in the zone that would have been a strike. I think it's better to get into the strike zone early. But don't you think that professionals will be able to hit anything they throw? They think that they have to be right on the course, right?
Ishikawa
I think so.
Tsunehiro
Shimomura
That's not true, really. Even if you pitch it right down the middle, the batter will still miss the shot. It would be nice to be able to eliminate that fear.
Ishikawa
Tsunehiro
In my university days, I almost only threw straight and forkballs in games, but I think that to become a starting pitcher in the pros, I should increase the number of pitches I can use in games. However, I am worried that if I do that, the quality of my current straight and forkballs will decline, so I am currently wondering which one I should prioritize in practice.
As I said before, I think it's best not to change your current style. What pitches do you two have now?
Ishikawa
Tsunehiro
Fastball, curveball, slider, changeup, and fork.
Shimomura
I throw fastballs, curveballs, sliders, cutballs, forks, changeups, and even a two-seam fastball just for fun.
There are so many pitches (laughs). I think it's good, but batters don't like it just because you have a lot of pitches. I also learned the shoot pitch because if you have a shoot pitch, just throwing a straight one to the inside of the left corner makes the batter think, "Oh, there's a shoot pitch, too." Even if professional pitchers don't pitch, they sometimes say during training camp, "I remember this kind of ball now." However, it's tough for professionals if they can't throw it firmly to the inside of the left corner. Slow pitches are also very important. I think it's better to throw it without being afraid.
Ishikawa
Tsunehiro
What is the first thing you should focus on when you become a professional?
I think the most important thing is to get used to the environment. And to not get injured. When I became a professional, the first thing Furuta (Atsuya) taught me was "don't get injured" and "don't make enemies." "Don't make enemies" doesn't mean trying to be liked, but rather greeting everyone properly and doing the things that are normal in society, which I'm sure you did at Aogaku as well, so it's fine. So I think the most important thing is to not get injured.
Ishikawa
Shimomura
What should I be careful of to avoid injury?
I want them to be more sensitive to their own bodies and shoulders and elbows than ever before. Also, in my opinion, I think it's better not to try to go back to the time when you were in good condition. I think both of you probably have had "good years" up until now, but your body is different now than it was then, and people change every day. I will refer to the good times, but I won't try to go back. Rather, I feel like I'm searching for what suits me now every day.
Ishikawa
2nd TALK
Long in the professional world
How to continue to be active?
"Baseball is an 'open weight class'.
Understand what kind of player you are
Think about your own fighting style."
What do you think is necessary to have a long career at the forefront of the professional world like Ishikawa?
Tsunehiro
Ishikawa
I guess it's about "knowing yourself," including your strengths and weaknesses. As you pitch, you'll realize that "this ball works, but this one is tough." I don't have a fast ball, so I've been thinking about how to throw off the batter's timing, increasing the number of curveballs I have, quick pitches, and using everything I can to compete.
Nowadays, there are machines like Trackman and Hawkeye that collect various data, but I don't want the two of them to compete with numbers. Of course, numbers are useful. But things like the timing when it's difficult for a batter to hit, or "the ball comes before the arm swing" are things that can't be quantified, and I think it's because those things that can't be quantified affect the outcome of a game that I've been able to survive as a professional.
I'm 174cm tall, so I'm not particularly tall. Is there anything good about being small, Mr. Ishikawa?
Shimomura
Ishikawa
A lot. It has nothing to do with body. Baseball is an "open weight class" with no rules on height or weight, so those who can hold their own are strong and cool. I was inspired by my seniors who were doing well despite their small bodies, and I would be happy if there were people who felt inspired by me when they saw me fighting despite being small. I'm the type of person who "loves spirit and guts. Ultimately, it's all about feelings," so I have a strong desire to "not lose to bigger people." You think so, don't you?
I've always thought that.
Shimomura
Ishikawa
You should cherish that feeling. It's also important to prepare mentally, with information about your opponent, and physically. I get very nervous during games, but I always have the feeling that I can stand on the mound because I'm well prepared.
With 143 games a year, there are only one or two days a year when you feel good both mentally and physically. So it's important to know what to do when you're not. After all, good players have small ups and downs. I think top players are those who can compete all year with small ups and downs.
Last year, I didn't have a single game where I felt good or comfortable, but after hearing your story, I felt relieved that I wasn't the only one, and I realized that players who can hold themselves back even in times like that can succeed as professionals.
As Mr. Ishikawa said earlier, my ideal is to play in the strike zone, even if the course is approximate, but on days when I'm not feeling it, I get anxious and think, "Today's ball...", and I end up getting ahead of the ball, which makes the count worse and gets me hit. On days when you're not in good shape, how do you think about the game?
Shimomura
Ishikawa
There's no point in thinking about it when you're on the mound, so you just have to accept it. As I said before, if you think somewhere in your head that they might miss the ball even if it's right down the middle, you might feel a little better, right? Because even if you're in good form, it doesn't mean you can hold them back, right? Even if you're not in good form, there are times when you can pitch a shutout, right?
Tsunehiro
Shimomura
I agree.
So I think it's important to have more ideas for what to do when things aren't going well. You can hedge your risks by thinking, "Let's avoid the points where this batter can hit a long ball," or you can think of ways to use fouls to improve the count, and so on.
Sometimes, when what they do in the off-season goes well and they get good results that year, some players think that "that practice is good," but I think that if they think like that, they won't be able to continue for long. It's important to think about what suits you at each moment and keep building on it. Both of them have many respected seniors on the team, so I hope they will absorb from them, imagine where they want to be in 5 or 10 years, find what suits them, and put it in their drawers.
Are there any batters you two would like to face in the future?
Ishikawa
Shimomura
There won't be one particular player in particular, but I'll be throwing to the star players used in the game, so I'm a little excited, although it might feel a little strange at first.
I know! I felt the same way. It was a really strange feeling. I thought, "Wow, it's Furuta" (laughs). The first time I pitched against the Giants, the opponent was amazing. No. 1 Hitoshi, No. 2 Shimizu, No. 3 Takahashi Yoshinobu, No. 4 Matsui, No. 5 Kiyohara, No. 6 Eto, No. 7 Nioka, and No. 8 Abe Shinnosuke. It was crazy, right (laughs)? At first, I was pitching while thinking, "Where will I get the out?" But you get used to it.
Soon, you'll start appearing in the game. I was so happy when I saw myself in the game for the first time. It's really fun to use myself.
Ishikawa
Tsunehiro
Eh, yourself in a game?
I'll use it, first of all. I'm also curious about the abilities, like "Oh, is this G*?" There are actually two types of sinkers, but in the game there is only one, so I thought "Look at more..." Isn't that fun? That kind of thing.
*In games, ability scores are divided into S to G, with G being the lowest value.
Ishikawa
Tsunehiro
It's fun.
Shimomura
Ishikawa's "Katsuo Curve*" is used in the game. It's amazing that a game can have a unique pitch named after you.
*Ishikawa's slow curveball is called the "Katsuo Curve." "Katsuo" is a nickname given to him by his colleague, Aoki.
Let's make two more curveballs that we can name!
Ishikawa
3rd TALK
Aoyama Gakuin University baseball team
What is the appeal?
"With freedom comes responsibility.
Practice thinking for yourself
It made me who I am today.”
I heard that you were with Director Ando Yasunori during your university days. What was he like?
Tsunehiro
Ishikawa
Mr. Ando was a student coach and supported the team. He was really kind even when we were students. Coach Masahiro Nakano was a fourth-year student when I was a first-year student and he was very kind to me.
What kind of coaching did your coach, Yoshinami Atsushi, give during your time as coach, Ishikawa?
Tsunehiro
Ishikawa
Back then, it was "old-fashioned training," with a lot of running and pushing yourself. I don't dislike that kind of training, and I still do it sometimes. It was tough, but I think I enjoyed it while communicating with the people there. It coincided with my growth period, and it really helped me. Without Yoshinami-san and Kawarai-san (former coach), I wouldn't be who I am today. What do you think of Coach Ando?
You are very serious.
Tsunehiro
Ishikawa
He'll get angry if the players do something crooked, but other than that he leaves it up to the players, right?
That's right. The director never unilaterally tells me what to do, so it's really easy to work with him.
Tsunehiro
Ishikawa
Thinking for yourself and practicing, rather than being forced to do something, has always been the style of the Aogaku baseball club. Because we don't have much time for full practice, we could have compromised as much as we wanted, but instead we each think for ourselves and do the practice we need to do. Freedom actually comes with a lot of responsibility, and you learn by thinking for yourself and practicing responsibly. Also, because there are so few members, I was given many chances, and I was able to develop close relationships with my peers, seniors, and juniors. I think that environment suited me. Back then, first-year students were in charge of maintaining the grounds, but is that still the case? It must have been really hard with so few students, right?
I was doing it. But it was only in the infield...
Shimomura
Ishikawa
What! When we were playing, the grounds were all dirt, even the outfield! So we had to run around holding dragonflies in both hands. It's nice now (laughs).
From 2024, the outfield of the stadium will be changed from natural grass to artificial turf.
Shimomura
Ishikawa
You're kidding me! That's the best! When we were in the fourth grade, Sagamihara campus didn't have a ground or a school building yet, so we had to take trains and buses from the dormitory in Tsunashima to the Atsugi campus, which was then. It was far away, so it was really hard.
Even so, recently Aogaku has been known for its participation in the Hakone Ekiden, but last year the baseball team won the All-Japan University Championship and they have two first-round draft pick players, so I'm really happy with the excitement.
That's right. When I visited Meiji Shrine for the opening ceremony of the Meiji-Jingu Tournament, a passerby saw the "Aoyama Gakuin University" placard and said, "Oh, that's the university for the long-distance relay. Good luck with baseball, too" (laughs).
Shimomura
Ishikawa
Have you ever thought, "I want to show them how good they are?" That kind of feeling is important. What about the younger students on the baseball team? There are a lot of good players.
Our pitcher, Yasunari Suzuki, who is currently a freshman, is really good.
Shimomura
Ishikawa
Is he from Tokai University Sugao High School? That's right. Is the next ace the left-handed Kodama Yuki?
That's right. And then there's the second-year pitcher, Vaderna. His slider curves like no other pitcher I've ever seen.
Shimomura
Ishikawa
That's great, I want to know about that slider.
I think our batting will become stronger with the addition of Nishikawa Fumiyoshi.
Tsunehiro
Ishikawa
Nishikawa-kun has a lot of punching power. Sasaki Yasushi-kun, who has been playing since his first year, is also good, isn't he? I'm looking forward to seeing what he does next.
This year's results have really brought the team into the spotlight, and there are a lot of good players, so I have high hopes for them.
Shimomura
Ishikawa
Of course, I'm looking forward to seeing Tsunehiro and Shimomura do well in the pro league. They're both on strong teams, so they have a chance. They're both in the Central League, so I think we'll play against each other a lot, and when I'm up to bat, I'll probably try to hit it (laughs). ...No, I don't think I'll be able to hit it, but I'd like to see with my own eyes what kind of ball they throw. I hope you two don't hit me, although bunting is fine (laughs).
I'll do my best to be able to pitch against Ishikawa soon.
Tsunehiro
Shimomura
Ishikawa
I want to pitch against him. I'll have to work hard for that (laughs).
