[Full text of the news station]Last Otani, Darvish’s secret story, Genda’s injury… Behind the scenes of WBC to ask Director Kuriyama (March 23, 2023)

Samurai Japan won the world title at the 5th WBC for the first time in 14 years. We asked director Hideki Kuriyama, who had just returned home in triumph, about the behind-the-scenes story behind the impressive victory.[Ask Director Kuriyama “The best moment in the world”](Q. When you returned to Japan, did you feel how many Japanese people were watching?) Director Kuriyama: “It was really amazing from the airport. I was really grateful. (Q. The Samurai Japan members have returned to their respective teams. Aren’t you lonely?) Director Kuriyama: “I may never be able to feel that happy again.” I’m very sad, but they will do their best, so I will support baseball again.” (Q.It’s not often seen in baseball that the coach is awarded a medal.) Kuriyama: “That’s right. That’s why I was happy.” Q. Of course, Shohei Ohtani was on the final mound.At the moment when the victory was decided, Ohtani was bursting with joy. I was looking at the batter all the time and said, “Please miss the trout.” I was just watching, and the moment I struck out, I was giving a high-five with my coach, so I didn’t see him. (Q. What do you think of the scene where Ohtani is bursting with joy?) Director Kuriyama: “It’s been a long time since I’ve been with Shohei for a long time, and I think I really wanted to do this. It’s not easy for the team to win with the Angels.If we lose, we’re done.I’ll do my best.I’ll risk my life to win.It’s been like that for about a month, so looking back now, I think this is what I wanted to do. (Q. The last batter was teammate Trout, and it became a battle between Japan and the United States. I think it’s a drama that transcends drama. But how did you see it?) Manager Kuriyama: “Normally, I watch the game while thinking about such things, but Shohei suddenly appears and has a runner in the foreball. , Normally, I don’t have a good time with that lead.I’m thinking about the possibility that I’ll be beaten somewhere someday.When I got two outs at Getz, the moment Trout came in, I thought, ‘I might win, this story.’ It’s a story, isn’t it? Ohtani vs. Trout should be the dream of the whole world to decide the game, so when I thought ‘I wonder if the gods of baseball made it like this’, I thought ‘I might win’ for the first time.” (Q. Wasn’t it surprising that the god of baseball would make such an uncomfortable performance?) Director Kuriyama: “I think that the final development of that game is to connect good pitchers. However, I didn’t expect to end the story like this. Maybe it’s the size of Shohei Ohtani, or maybe he’s a player blessed by the gods of baseball.” The director was appearing as a sportscaster for a news station. He mentioned three things that his old friends, the news station sports team, said, “I want to tsukkomi here.” (1) No. 1 Lars Nootvar (Q. Nootvar was almost unknown in the sports team. The result was a great success, but why did you decide to invite Nootvar?) Manager Kuriyama : “There are many factors. There is one.Therefore, I wondered if there was something wrong with two players, Nootvar and Quan.Although I was saying that there was only one player, I actually wanted to include two players.Kwan has a batting average of the Indians. was a good batter, and I thought he would be very strong if he entered the outfield with Nutvar.However, even though he has roots in Japan, everyone in Japan and baseball fans are aware of the United States. While I was thinking about whether it would be good or bad to include two players who are playing in , Kwan just happened to not be included due to regulations.My grandfather and grandmother are Japanese nationals, and my father and mother are not. I was alone in such a flow, but the moment I talked to Nootvar, he was a really nice guy and I thought he would definitely love me, so I thought I could go. I don’t know if I want to try it or not.” Playing with all my might was perfect for the leader of the cutting team.First of all, I want to start from No. 1. I want to go to the center.Normally, the center is called out to the outfield players on both sides and gives instructions, so it’s the center in the middle. It is often said that the Japanese are definitely better than the Japanese. Even people who had never seen baseball got involved in the excitement, but did you imagine that?) Manager Kuriyama: “I couldn’t go that far. However, people who don’t know baseball I was also moved throughout the tournament, I guess, because of his way of playing baseball. but his hard work When I look at it, it makes me cry. I was that kind of player.I think everyone felt that.” (2) Semi-final pitcher relay Starter Aki Sasaki → 2nd runner Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Q. It was a two-person relay. What were your thoughts on this?) Director Kuriyama: “Originally, we used Otani and Darvish in the quarterfinals. , If you lose, it’s over.I wanted to go with two of Japan’s proud four starting pitchers.Because I really wanted to win.In such a flow, pitchers Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, usually in the semifinals, It may be the final, but looking at this tournament, it’s very difficult to find the second pitcher.People who are said to be the second starter.However, with these two, I think they can win. (Q.As a result, Imanaga was able to keep Imanaga in the starting line-up for the final.) Coach Kuriyama: “Yes. Imanaga’s condition was very good, but I don’t really think about the finals too much.If I don’t work hard today, there will be no tomorrow.If I lose today, there will be no tomorrow.So take something. There is nothing so stupid as to lose, so I was actually thinking from the quarter-finals that I would use up all of them.So why is Sasaki first and Yamamoto second? It’s difficult.I don’t know when I’m going to go to prepare.Yoshinobu was a reliever, so I have experience in that, and I have experience in the number of games.I had Roki go first, and Yoshinobu and I were together. (3) Imanaga – Togo – Hiroshi Takahashi – Ito – Odai – Darvish – Ohtani (Togo is second in Q.) , Pitcher Takahashi in 3rd place.On the big stage of the final, you put a young man in a very nervous place.I thought it was bold here, how was it?) Director Kuriyama: “Pitcher Imanaga is that. However, when I listened to him, he said that he was so nervous that he didn’t understand what he was saying before the match. In my view, it would be more likely to choose someone who is young and who has a lot of momentum in the ball. An idea. Including that kind of thing, talk with the pitching coach. While we were talking about who would be good, the order was like this. Everyone gets nervous. Because I mess up. This time, when I changed pitchers, I tried to go to the mound and talk, but no one was listening to me. I’m nervous, and I know that I’m going through whatever the director says. I’m going to have a little talk with the fielders and then come back. If that is the case, I thought it would be better to be nervous and put all my strength into it and see what happens.” Director Kuriyama: “Among them, Taikai Ito threw quite a lot in relief, so the one who gave me the most stability was Taikai Ito. I was basically thinking about holding down the majority, so there was a bit of a feeling that if I went that far, it would flow smoothly. Keeping it, Darvish pitcher in the 8th inning, Otani pitcher in the 9th inning.It was more than a drama here.Did you have this case in your head?) Director Kuriyama: “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.Last year’s 11th. From about a month.When I went to pitcher Darvish in August, I wondered what kind of pattern I should be able to pitch, whether it was a starter or not.I wondered if I could go to relievers while starting.That kind of feeling is actually talked about here. I wondered if these two would be able to pitch three times in such a short period of time.I knew the last game would be one or two innings, so I won the toughest eight or nine innings. I wanted to go, but I don’t know if it will happen.Actually, pitcher Darvish said that the interval between pitches was getting tighter, and basically I was talking to him about quitting after two innings. However, when he said he could go, I said, “Tell me anytime.” If I could go one more time, come to the finals.I went to the stadium on the day of the finals. When I was talking about it, the pitching coach came and said, “I’m saying that I can go to Dal.” “I can go” means “I’m going!” So I felt like I entrusted it to the two of us (Q. So you were expecting and waiting for the powerful words of the two, “We’re going to the finals.”) Director Kuriyama: “It’s the same with Shohei, but I’d say he’s a “perverse person.” I didn’t say anything about the finals, and I waited for a long time.When Shohei entered the United States, three days before the finals, on the practice day, he started to create an atmosphere, and at the end he said, “I feel like I can go.” Seeing the state of my body, I thought, “If my body recovers well, I might be able to go.” …Continuing the article and other news from here!
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