Behind the scenes of both literary and martial arts Vol.12
Kouki Watanabe (University of Tokyo) Part 1
The Japan national baseball team won the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time in 2006 and the second time in 2009, two times in a row. Shunsuke Watanabe (former Chiba Lotte Marines, current NIPPON STEEL Kazusa Magic manager) supported the Japanese team as a starting pitcher and middle pitcher. He is a pitcher who took the world by storm with his unique under throw, which was said to crawl on the ground.
In the 12th installment of the serialized project, “Behind the scenes of both arts and sports,” we interview Koki Watanabe, the eldest son whose father is a great pitcher and who himself plays as an under-throw pitcher on the University of Tokyo baseball team. In the first part, he talks about his school days when he started playing baseball and worked hard at both academics and sports.
Koki Watanabe, a first-year student at the University of Tokyo and a member of the baseball club
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I started baseball on my own will
ーーYour father is Shunsuke Watanabe. What is your earliest memory of your father playing baseball?
Kouki Watanabe (hereinafter the same)Well… I think it’s when we’re playing catch together at home. Playing baseball by throwing a toy ball was probably my first memory. Also, I didn’t go to the games much, but I remember watching a day game with my grandparents, and I remember pitching quite well at that time. remains in
ーーWhat kind of match was it?
There was an image that I let you hit and catch it. Instead of striking out, I had the impression that the batter was making a quick count
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*Chiba Lotte Marines vs. Saitama Seibu Lions on July 20, 2008.Shunsuke Watanabe shut out the Lions batting lineup with 88 pitches, and the Marines won 16-0.
–Shunsuke said in an interview that he was in good shape when he let the ball hit and got an out. You witnessed exactly that kind of pitching. Well, Mr. Mukai is currently a first-year student at the University of Tokyo. He belongs to the baseball club and throws with the same under throw. What kind of pitcher will your father be for Mr. Mukai?
Even though I wasn’t born with a large physique, I remember holding down fairly strong opponents. I don’t have a big physique either, so I want to make it ideal.
–Did you start playing baseball when your father recommended it to you? Or did you say “I want to play baseball” yourself?
