Baseball: A Two-Way Player

Standing outside Izumi Minoru's office door, Lin Guanglai raised his hand but then put it down several times. After an intense internal struggle, he finally knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"Coach..."

"Ah, Guanglai, it's you—you're just in time, I was also looking for you. Have a seat."

Lin Guanglai had just opened his mouth, and before he could speak, Izumi Minoru interrupted him. So he chose to remain silent for the moment, waiting for the coach to speak.

Looking at the energetic young man sitting in front of him, Izumi Minoru smiled and asked:

"Guanglai, as the team captain, how do you feel about the team's atmosphere lately?"

This was precisely the reason Lin Guanglai had come to see his coach today.

"Coach, I don't know if you've noticed, but recently, during training, although everyone still completes their training routines, I've felt that the team's atmosphere is not what it used to be..."

As the team's captain, Lin Guanglai not only focuses on improving his own skills but also considers it his responsibility to observe and regulate the overall team atmosphere.

In the few days since their return to routine training, many teammates have become lax in their training attitude following their Spring甲 victory—although performance hasn't declined, Lin Guanglai could keenly sense that the team's morale was a far cry from during Spring甲.

Lin Guanglai knew this was the so-called "championship syndrome."

For most of Japan's high school baseball players, even for those from powerhouse schools, achieving a Koshien victory once is something they never dreamt of in their lifetime—since they've accomplished it now, why not relax a bit and enjoy the fun of baseball?

Perhaps this is what most people honestly think right now.

But Lin Guanglai doesn't think this way.

In baseball, he is someone with immense talent; driven by that talent, his desire and ambition for victory are far stronger than others:

The Spring甲 victory is something to be proud of, but it's ultimately past glory; next up are the Spring Tournament, Summer甲, and a series of championships they haven't yet touched—if possible, Lin Guanglai wishes to claim all the honors a high school baseball player can achieve.

But he also clearly understands that he can't do this alone without his teammates' support; yet, this is precisely where his frustration lies now:

Abilities and internal motivation vary among individuals. People like Lin Guanglai know they have talent and are willing to put in efforts unimaginable to others to realize their potential, naturally aiming for higher stages; but for most in the team, just making it into the 18-man first string and standing on the Koshien field once demands all their efforts, something they are not certain they can achieve.

Izumi Minoru didn't say a word, just smiled gently, listening to his disciple express his troubles. After Lin Guanglai finished speaking, Izumi Minoru still didn't make any suggestions; he merely patted his shoulder lightly and said:

"Afternoon training, repeat what you just said in front of everyone."

Time flew by, and it was soon time for the afternoon's training to begin—by the time Lin Guanglai arrived, the first-year rookies were already tidying the field and setting up equipment; some of his teammates hadn't arrived yet, and eventually, they leisurely strolled in just as the session was about to start.

Once everyone had gathered, Lin Guanglai stood at the front of the group and shared the words he had kept to himself all this time.

He knew he couldn't force his will onto his teammates, as that wouldn't be fair to them; but as the team's captain, he still wanted to rally his teammates to unify their goals and prepare for the most significant summer season of the year.

"When we won the Spring甲 championship, I felt extremely excited and proud—the media said we made it to the end mainly because of my presence, calling me a 'monster' and a 'genius'—but I want to say that everything we've achieved is the result of all of us."

"But everyone—are you really satisfied with just the Spring甲 victory? Since we've reached the summit, don't you want to see the scenery from an even higher place?"

"The Spring甲 championship is great, but over the past 83 years, there are 83 teams who can say the same—everyone, why don't we aim for something bigger?"

"Instead of being just a part of 'Spring甲 champions', don't you want to be proudly called 'Japan's Number One'? Rather than being forgotten in history as just one of the Spring甲, why can't we carve our name in the history of Koshien forever?"

"I don't know how many of you remember last summer—in the semifinals, we lost to Konan High School, indirectly helping them achieve consecutive Spring and Summer championships—the example is right in front of us!"

"There have been 83 teams that have won Spring甲, 92 teams that have won Summer甲; but how many have completed the Spring-Summer dual championship—only 6! So why can't we try to become the 7th?"

"In 1998, Yokohama High School achieved the Spring, Summer, and Shengong Triple Crown, so why can't we become the second one?"

"Going even crazier, no team in history has ever completed a 'Spring-Summer-Spring' or even 'Spring-Summer-Spring-Summer' consecutive championship—why can't we be the first?"

"Everyone, if we're going to dream, why not dream the biggest dream? Winning the Spring甲 proves we have this capability—why not charge forward as far as we can until we can't go any further?"

"Whether you are in third grade, second grade, or first grade, Summer甲 championship, Shengong championship, and even next year's Spring and Summer甲 titles, let's achieve them together!"

Lin Guanglai's emotionally charged speech directly stunned the players present: especially for those who knew him well, this Lin Guanglai was far from the one they remembered.

Spring-Summer consecutive championships, the Triple Crown, Koshien's triple consecutive victories—these words burst from his mouth, sparking an inferno that ignited everyone on the field.

The Spring甲 victory had indeed boosted many people's morale, but the current laziness was merely because many were still doubting their abilities—Lin Guanglai's words completely dispelled their worries.

Yes, since we've proven our ability to win, what's there to hesitate about—just charge forward, until we have to stop.

Since the captain, regarded as Japan's strongest high school player, says we have this capability, then we surely do!

Sakushin Gakuin, Chukyo Commercial, Jishima High School, PL Academy, Yokohama High School, Konan High School—this summer, we will engrave the name of Waseda Industries onto the commemorative wall of the Koshien Museum!