005; エ-スはどんな人なんだろう？
Since Abe-kun and Haruna-shishou have been posting their thoughts, I thought that it's possible that someone might, maybe, be interested in reading some of what I think. But nobody has to read it, I wrote this because it's on my mind a lot, so, you can skip it, too! It may be full of mistakes, but it's what I've come to believe about pitching.
What kind of person is an Ace?
Though I've been playing baseball for a while now, and though my teammates and my coach were kind enough to let me wear the number one, I'm not an Ace.
An Ace needs to be brave. Abe-kun told me, when we played our first game together, that on the mound there's no place to hide, and that's true. An Ace is a man who doesn't need to hide. In order for the rest of the team to rely on him, the Ace needs to be someone who will always look ahead. No matter how difficult things are, on the mound there must be an anchor for the team's worries. An Ace can change the flow and the atmosphere of the game; when things are going well, if he is too confident the rest of the team can become vulnerable. An Ace is a man who will always expect, and always deliver, a fierce fight for strikes. An Ace can't be intimidated by a batter, no matter about his size or his reach or his power or his technique. An Ace simply has to throw a ball that the batter, no matter how skilled he is, thinks that he can hit but actually can't. An Ace needs to be brave, so that his team can overcome their fears.
An Ace needs to be strong. An Ace is a man who can support the weight of his team's dreams. Even though he isn't fully responsible for them, if the Ace is not strong enough to carry them, he'll spend his energy and his focus worrying. An Ace is someone who's teammates lean on him when there are surprises and accidents. When facing a strong opponent, if the pitcher is discouraged or overwhelmed, he is weak. When an Ace faces a strong opponent, he is excited to test himself, and becomes stronger. If the Ace has inner strength, his team and their opponents will feel that he is saying, "I've got this." If the Ace is full of anxiety about the dreams that are riding on his pitches, his team and their opponents will feel that he is saying, "I can't take this pressure." An Ace needs to be strong, so that his team is not afraid of owning their weaknesses.
An Ace needs to be hopeful. An Ace is a man who knows the odds against him and the team, who understands them, and who believes that they can win no matter what. He can't be someone who ignores or mistrusts the data, or takes his opponents lightly, but should be someone who does not give up. When the team is in a difficult situation, the Ace must believe that there will be an opening his team can exploit and hope that he will be able to recognize it - with the help of his catcher and his team - when it appears. When the Ace believes that there is a way to win, or to learn from the game, his team and their opponents will feel it. When an Ace has lost faith in his teammates or his skills, his team and their opponents will know. An Ace needs to be hopeful, so that his team can be free from self-doubt.
An Ace needs to be kind. An Ace is a man who never looks down on baseball, or other people who love and play it. Even when an Ace wins, he knows that it was because of the support and assistance of his catcher and his team and his fans. An Ace who wins always says "Thank you." Even when an Ace loses, he knows that it was because the best efforts of he and his team were met with the best efforts of his opponents, and that he will learn and get better through losing. An Ace who loses always says, "Congratulations." An Ace never says "Thank you" or "Congratulations" in a way that is gloating or resentful, because he loves baseball that is played whole-heartedly. An Ace needs to be kind, so that his team can be proud of the baseball they've played together.
Though I've been playing baseball for a while now, and though my teammates and my coach were kind enough to let me wear the number one, I'm not an Ace yet. But I will become this kind of man someday.
What kind of person is an Ace?
Though I've been playing baseball for a while now, and though my teammates and my coach were kind enough to let me wear the number one, I'm not an Ace.
An Ace needs to be brave. Abe-kun told me, when we played our first game together, that on the mound there's no place to hide, and that's true. An Ace is a man who doesn't need to hide. In order for the rest of the team to rely on him, the Ace needs to be someone who will always look ahead. No matter how difficult things are, on the mound there must be an anchor for the team's worries. An Ace can change the flow and the atmosphere of the game; when things are going well, if he is too confident the rest of the team can become vulnerable. An Ace is a man who will always expect, and always deliver, a fierce fight for strikes. An Ace can't be intimidated by a batter, no matter about his size or his reach or his power or his technique. An Ace simply has to throw a ball that the batter, no matter how skilled he is, thinks that he can hit but actually can't. An Ace needs to be brave, so that his team can overcome their fears.
An Ace needs to be strong. An Ace is a man who can support the weight of his team's dreams. Even though he isn't fully responsible for them, if the Ace is not strong enough to carry them, he'll spend his energy and his focus worrying. An Ace is someone who's teammates lean on him when there are surprises and accidents. When facing a strong opponent, if the pitcher is discouraged or overwhelmed, he is weak. When an Ace faces a strong opponent, he is excited to test himself, and becomes stronger. If the Ace has inner strength, his team and their opponents will feel that he is saying, "I've got this." If the Ace is full of anxiety about the dreams that are riding on his pitches, his team and their opponents will feel that he is saying, "I can't take this pressure." An Ace needs to be strong, so that his team is not afraid of owning their weaknesses.
An Ace needs to be hopeful. An Ace is a man who knows the odds against him and the team, who understands them, and who believes that they can win no matter what. He can't be someone who ignores or mistrusts the data, or takes his opponents lightly, but should be someone who does not give up. When the team is in a difficult situation, the Ace must believe that there will be an opening his team can exploit and hope that he will be able to recognize it - with the help of his catcher and his team - when it appears. When the Ace believes that there is a way to win, or to learn from the game, his team and their opponents will feel it. When an Ace has lost faith in his teammates or his skills, his team and their opponents will know. An Ace needs to be hopeful, so that his team can be free from self-doubt.
An Ace needs to be kind. An Ace is a man who never looks down on baseball, or other people who love and play it. Even when an Ace wins, he knows that it was because of the support and assistance of his catcher and his team and his fans. An Ace who wins always says "Thank you." Even when an Ace loses, he knows that it was because the best efforts of he and his team were met with the best efforts of his opponents, and that he will learn and get better through losing. An Ace who loses always says, "Congratulations." An Ace never says "Thank you" or "Congratulations" in a way that is gloating or resentful, because he loves baseball that is played whole-heartedly. An Ace needs to be kind, so that his team can be proud of the baseball they've played together.
Though I've been playing baseball for a while now, and though my teammates and my coach were kind enough to let me wear the number one, I'm not an Ace yet. But I will become this kind of man someday.