NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: <4> Talent (3)
Chapter 4: Talent (3)
"Nice control. I want to see what your limit is! Aim for this spot!" Coach Nakani said, positioning his glove in the upper right of Sendo's field of view—inside and high for a right-handed batter.
Coach Nakani knew that to build confidence in young players, you should focus on encouragement, especially when someone like Sendo truly deserves praise.
At the same time, he wanted to test Sendo's limits, so he said this while directing him.
Whoosh!
Thud!
"Great, great! Now try here!" Seeing that the ball hit the inside corner accurately, Coach Nakani gave another instruction, this time aiming for the inside edge, right in the middle of the strike zone.
Whoosh!
Thud!
"It was slightly inside, but not bad at all! If I didn't know better, I wouldn't believe you're a beginner. In all my years, this is the first time I've seen someone throw so accurately on their first try."
"Is that really something that needs practice?" Sendo asked.
In his previous life, when watching baseball anime, Sendo would sometimes amuse himself by playing a game.
He'd place two walnuts—one about two meters away, and hold the other in his hand, trying to hit the one placed down by throwing the walnut with full force.
On average, he hit the target two out of three times, and even when he missed, the walnut would pass extremely close. For this reason, Sendo never considered this kind of task particularly difficult.
"Alright, let's wrap it up here! Anyone else who wants to..." Coach Nakani, somewhat exasperated by Sendo's lack of self-awareness, decided to ignore him and turned to the other players who had expressed interest in being pitchers.
Whoosh!
Thud!
Before Coach Nakani could finish speaking, Sendo had already thrown another fastball, this time right down the center.
The coach could tell that this pitch was even faster than the last one.
"Was his form still not smooth enough before? It seems that as his body adjusts to the motion, the wasted energy decreases, and his speed increases accordingly. Based on that last pitch, this kid's current top speed should be around the low 110s (km/h)," Coach Nakani thought with a smile.
"Alright, Sendo, that's enough! Time for someone else!" the coach called out.
Sendo nodded and returned to the group with his glove.
"Next up, Sasaki!"
The rest of the kids taking the test were those with previous baseball experience from school.
After watching Coach Nakani correct Sendo's pitching form, they quickly picked up on the proper technique and began their own tests.
Overall, the coach was satisfied with what he saw. After all, no one who came to the Wildcats was likely to be weak—unless, of course, they came from a wealthy family.
Those who didn't know much about the league might not think it was anything special, but anyone who followed the Little League would know that the Tokyo Wildcats were considered the kings of the Kanto region.
In their fifteen years of existence, they had won the Kanto Tournament ten times, been runners-up twice, reached the semifinals once, and made the quarterfinals once as well. They were a powerhouse team.
With a coach who was a former Major League player—and not just any player, but a catcher, the brain of the team—it's rare even for elite high school programs to have a coach of this caliber.
Because of this, the Wildcats attracted talented young players like a magnet. Athletes with natural gifts were drawn to the team by the coach's reputation, hoping for professional guidance.
The professional-level instruction combined with the tactical abilities and discipline instilled in the Wildcats made them practically unbeatable in the Kanto region.
They would ruthlessly dominate their opponents, leaving other teams feeling utterly defeated.
This meant Coach Nakani had to raise the standards for who he let join the team.
Wildcats' tuition fees were very high, but the program offered substantial discounts for talented players.
If a player passed the entrance test, their tuition could be significantly reduced, sometimes even less than what other teams charged.
Those who didn't meet the requirements, however, had to pay the full tuition.
Thus, the kids who joined the Wildcats either already showed great potential, were confident in their abilities, or simply came from wealthy families.
Even fourth graders, who often hadn't fully developed their talents, would be eligible for partial refunds if they showed significant improvement before their sixth-grade graduation.
Nobody doubted Coach Nakani's judgment when it came to granting tuition discounts.
After all, he didn't coach for the money—he ran the Little League team purely out of passion.
At the same time, the team had never selected a lower-grade student for their starting lineup.
Sendo was one of the full-paying students.
However, after observing him for a while, Coach Nakani was already considering giving him a full scholarship and treating him like a true disciple.
Since there weren't many kids testing for pitcher, the trial wrapped up quickly. Next was the comprehensive athletic test.
However, after observing Sendo's athletic ability over the past few days, Coach Nakani decided to have him go last for each test so that he wouldn't disrupt the other players' performance.
Sendo's final results were astonishing.
His long throw reached an incredible 87 meters, he completed the 50-meter sprint in 6.1 seconds, and the 100-meter dash in 11.8 seconds.
From Coach Nakani's perspective, Sendo's 50-meter time was far from his limit.
The reason for this was that Sendo's explosive power allowed him to reach full speed in just over 5 meters—definitely less than 10.
In contrast, professional 100-meter sprinters typically don't hit their top speed until after the 50-meter mark.
While sprinters require explosive speed, it doesn't have to be at the level of basketball or baseball players, who often need such incredible bursts of power.
However, just having explosive power doesn't mean one can succeed as a sprinter; the acceleration in the later stages of a sprint is unrelated to the initial burst of speed.
For instance, a basketball player with monster-level explosiveness can cover the distance from the three-point line to the paint in just two steps, meaning he can travel 10 meters in a little over a second. In comparison, a 100-meter sprinter only reaches 30 meters in about 3 seconds.
Thus, their initial acceleration starts from zero, with the first 10 meters being achieved at a pace of around 1 second.
Yet in the later stages, the fastest sprinters in the world can reach speeds of up to 14 meters per second. This highlights the difference between instantaneous bursts and sustained speed.
However, Sendo was clearly an anomaly.
Based on his results, he could demonstrate explosive power around the 50-meter mark but did not hit full speed in the first half of the 100 meters. If he had, he would likely be exhausted by the finish line at his age.
"If his results were made public, I think every track coach in the country would go crazy!"
"Yeah, but this kid is too skinny, and his leg muscles haven't been trained yet—no wonder he wants to go home. Otherwise, he would probably run even faster in the 100 meters," Coach Nakani thought to himself.
"Let's call it a day! Sendo, please stay behind. I want to discuss your position with you, everyone else can disperse!"
Once the others left, Coach Nakani brought Sendo inside.
"Sendo, your results are outstanding. Aside from second base, third base, and shortstop—which are not ideal positions for a lefty—you have the physical attributes to play any position.
But I'd like to know what your preferences are regarding positions?" Coach Nakani asked earnestly.
In Japan, people place a lot of emphasis on children's opinions, even elementary school students are consulted rather than forced into decisions.
"I don't have any specific requirements for defense, but I prioritize batting."
"If you're okay with any position at this stage, keep in mind that our team's field players are very strong and aren't easily replaced. So, the only positions that have specific pitching requirements are the pitching staff and catcher, which is difficult to cultivate at the elementary level."
"Our team's catcher is relatively weak, while the pitching staff is strong, which is relative. Your pitching is good enough to make you our ace."
"I'm not yet aware of your batting ability. Therefore, tomorrow I'll arrange for you to try out your batting with the pitching machine."
"For defense, I recommend you start practicing as a pitcher and catcher. How things unfold ultimately depends on your performance moving forward."
"The only thing I'm sure of is that your pitching can definitely make you our ace."
At that moment, Coach Nakani had made up his mind.
He wanted Sendo to become the first fourth grader to officially join the Wildcats, relying on the team's tactics for both offense and defense.
"I understand! Then I'll take my leave for now," Sendo replied, maintaining his usual nonchalant attitude.
"Alright, see you tomorrow!"
Sendo gave a slight bow and left.
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