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Report on Japan vs. Chinese Taipei Baseball Challenge [November 6] Teams will finally be united!

12/25/2013TopTeam

Report on Japan vs. Chinese Taipei Baseball Challenge [November 6] Teams will finally be united!

Let's follow the team's footsteps day by day from when the players met for the Baseball Challenge 2013 (held from November 8 to 10) to when they said good-bye after the games were over.

The First Practice

On November 6, all the members of the newly-structured Samurai Japan Top National Team got together to have their first practice as a team at the Yomiuri Giants Stadium in Kawasaki City.

The players started warming-up under the nice warm sun at 10:30. After playing catch and taking fielding practice, the pitchers went to the bullpen and the fielders took fielding and batting practice.

My eye fell on the coaches that were talking enthusiastically to the players. While they were taking fielding practice, I saw Toshihisa Nishi, the infield and base coach teaching Hideto Asamura to throw balls. 'I'm here for them only for a week. I don't want to nitpick, but I want to tell them a couple of things they could use,' said Coach Nishi, who felt it difficult to coach only for a short time. As for Asamura, he was thankful for the advice from a former great infielder and said, 'I've got a habit of opening up my shoulders too soon before throwing a ball. I really appreciate Coach Nishi correcting my throw.'

Ryosuke Hirata and Sho Nakata both went to Osaka Toin High School. It's fun to watch them playing catch together. In 2005, they both played and did great in the 'Summer Koshien', the National High School Baseball Championship. Hirata was a senior and Nakata was a freshman at that time. Who expected to see them wearing the same uniform with the letters of 'JAPAN' and playing catch 8 years later?

Before the practice, some of the players said, 'We're all about the same age, but we haven't had much chance to talk to each other.' However, at lunch after the practice, they looked more relaxed. Some were even joking and laughing around. After all, they all play baseball and love it. They are working hard with the same goal so it didn't take them long to become friends.

Ceremony to celebrate the 'Unity of Samurai Japan'

A ceremony to celebrate 'Unity of Samurai Japan' was held at a hotel in Tokyo at 4:30pm.

They had a press conference, where 7 players to represent the Top Team, the Amateur Team, the Collegiate Team, the 18U Team, the 15U Team, the 12U Team and the Women's Team and their managers got together. It was very exciting to see the same new striped uniform as 14 people came to the stage.

People were saying, 'Wow, players of different generations are wearing the same uniform! They look cool!' 'The new uniform looks so good!' 'This really encourages kids who play baseball to practice hard to wear this uniform one day.' 'Wearing this uniform is going to be a goal for many kids who play baseball!' Sho Nakata, who was at the ceremony to represent the Top National Team, said with great enthusiasm, 'In order for all the Samurai Japan teams to become world champions, we, the Top National Team need to lead them. I don't want to lose to Team Chinese Taipei in the Baseball Challenge. I want us to win the championship at any cost.' When asked about Tomoya Mori (Saitama Seibu Lions' top draft pick), who was his junior in Osaka Toin High School and was at the ceremony to represent the 18U National Team, Nakata said happily as his senior, 'I'm very excited that he's become a professional player. I hope we will play together in the Top National Team one day.'

Back in the hotel in the evening, I saw the players' luggage being collected to send off to the hotel in Taiwan the next day. Seeing their suitcases lined up in the hallway at the hotel, I thought 'They're finally going to Taiwan.'

チャイニーズ・タイペイ戦 ドキュメント 【11月5日】新生侍ジャパンのはじまり
チャイニーズ・タイペイ戦 ドキュメント 【11月6日】ついに全世代がひとつになる
チャイニーズ・タイペイ戦 ドキュメント 【11月7日】試合前日、いざ台北へ
チャイニーズ・タイペイ戦 ドキュメント 【11月8日】強化試合がついに開幕
チャイニーズ・タイペイ戦 ドキュメント 【11月9日】逆転勝利で2連勝
チャイニーズ・タイペイ戦 ドキュメント 【11月10日】チームはひとつに!強化試合3連勝
チャイニーズ・タイペイ戦 ドキュメント 【11月11日】戦いを終えた侍ジャパン

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