As far as I can remember, the catchers who made the most painful mitt sounds in the Showa era were Hankyu’s Shinji Nakazawa and Lotte’s Hidetoshi Hakamada.
Of course, Takashi Yamaguchi and Choji Murata were throwing. Yamaguchi’s ball gave Nakazawa’s mitt a hard sound of “Turn!”, but I think Murata’s ball had a heavier sound of “Burn!” Children at that time tried to imitate that unique form of Choji Murata, but few children succeeded.
‘My career as an athlete may be over’
It was on May 17, 1982, that Choji Murata, a strong arm, could no longer throw. Murata, who started the match against Kintetsu at Kawasaki Stadium, dropped out after the first inning. He had pain in his elbow before that and skipped Rote, and it was the first pitch in 10 days, but when he threw the first ball into Kintetsu’s 3rd Harris with 1 death and 1st base in the 1st inning, he suffered severe pain in his elbow.
“I couldn’t follow through because of the pain, so I threw with just my shoulder (without using my elbow), but I can’t do it any more,” he said as if to squeeze out.
“It feels like a thread has been cut. My career as an athlete may be over.”
Murata’s words made the reporters pale.
After that, Choji Murata disappeared from the mound.
The cause was unknown, but Murata was said to have fallen into a “depressed state”, became unable to get along with anyone, and was hit by a waterfall in Kumano. The pain in his elbow did not subside even the following year, and Murata was in dismay, but he traveled to the United States with the introduction of Mr. Ike Ikuhara (a Dodgers staff member), and underwent surgery by Dr. Frank Jove to transplant the tendon from his left wrist to his right elbow. Underwent Tommy John surgery. He is the second pitcher in history after Lotte’s junior pitcher, Masaharu Mitsui.
“Whether or not you can make a full comeback depends on your rehabilitation.
What was the result in 1984 when you went up to the mound for the first time in two years?
Following Dr. Jove’s advice, Murata devoted himself to rehabilitation, and in 1984, he threw in a game for the first time in two years. He has 3 games with 0 wins, 1 loss, 6 innings, 2 hits, 5 hits, 4 strikeouts, and an ERA of 4.50 with 3 earned runs. And on August 12, he was promoted to the first army. it was sunday.
〈August 12th (Sun) Rescue Seibu / 1 round 0 safety 0 home 0 shock 0 ball responsibility 0〉
Murata, who went up to the mound after Yoshio Fukasawa in the ninth inning, when Lotte won 17-1, dismissed three batters with nine balls. “My first pitch is straight.
〈September 7th (Golden) Rescue Nanhai / 0 times, 3 safety, 0 home, 0 vibration, 0 ball responsibility 3〉
On September 9th, when there were two games remaining in the season, he went up to the starting mound and got off the mound with 2 earned runs despite 7 hits.
