I witnessed the light and darkness of “New Speedster of Bandit Strike”. Seibu’s draft 4th place rookie, Gakuto Wakabayashi, outfielder (23) was replaced on May 30 with his left knee injured in the mid-level defense of the Hanshin Tigers (MetLife Dome). In the 3rd inning, 1st baseman, Hanshin Marté’s middle front hit was lightly jumped, and he went to the process and hit the grab with one bounce. Immediately after he flicked (the record was a mistake), he hurt his left knee and collapsed on the spot. It was carried to the bench on a stretcher as it was and replaced by Kawagoe. I went to a hospital in Tokyo for a medical examination.

Wakabayashi scored his first 3 stolen bases against Nippon-Ham Fighters (MetLife Dome) on the 22nd, reaching 20 stolen bases fastest in both leagues. The team’s 46th game (39th game of their own) was reached at an astonishing pace of 62 stolen bases in terms of season at that time. The new Speedster in the ball world will be a painful failure for many baseball fans as well as the team.

In addition to that speed, it was just after the characters began to attract attention. After the match on the 22nd, Director Tsuji was asked about Wakabayashi and laughed bitterly, saying, “I think I’m half an alien.” The scene where he reached Odai with three stolen bases was also “there is a 4th batter (Nakamura), but he steals the base.” Furthermore, he recalled with a laughing voice, “I don’t know if I’m listening or not. When I see the batting practice, it looks like I’m doing it a little bit.” The commander of Hyakusen Renma admitted, “I think I’m doing a lot of work in putting pressure on (the other pitcher),” but said, “Stolen base is about to begin. Now, running to Gamshala is a problem. It’s an important game. It’s not just a matter of running. You can run in a good place without running … The contents will be important. “

Nakamura, Yamakawa, Mori and other powerful hitters gather at the “Bandits Strike Line”, but on the other hand, Genda marked 30 stolen bases for three consecutive years from 17 years, the first year of joining the team. Kaneko also won the stealing king in 2016 and 2019, and there are also fast-paced players. When the running ability increased further by joining the comfortable rookie, it was a painful withdrawal. It is unclear when he will return at this point, but he will be cautious about his return, as the affected area is only on his knees.

“Alien Speedster” has begun to look attractive to characters. I would like to see a restart as soon as possible on site.[Yugun = Masaaki Suzuki]

Seibu vs. Hanshin 3rd inning Hanshin 1st baseman, Marté's center-fielder Wakabayashi gets stuck due to an accident (photographed by Takahito Shimizu)

Seibu vs. Hanshin 3rd inning Hanshin 1st baseman, Marté’s center-fielder Wakabayashi gets stuck due to an accident (photographed by Takahito Shimizu)