Guidance

"Listen up, Sendou. The catcher is the command center of a team.

He is the only player who can see everyone's defensive positions.

That is why catchers, who can see the whole field, are best suited to direct the defense.

But those are things you will learn later. First, I'll teach you some core ideas and basic knowledge about pitch calling..."

Then came a whole pile of basic knowledge.

He could tell that Sendou was a very smart kid, so he covered quite a lot.

Every now and then, he asked questions, judging from Sendou's understanding whether he should continue.

But even when he got to how to use Inside Corner Balls, Outside Corner Balls, and balls outside the Strike Zone to get batters out, Sendou showed no confusion. Coach Nakanishi could not help asking what he thought.

"Coach, you've said so much about a catcher's pitch calling.

Basically, it's about using those things to make the batter hit a Ball Trajectory he isn't aiming for, disrupt his stance, or throw off his sense of distance, making him miss or hit an easy ball, right?"

"Exactly!"

"But what if the other guy doesn't aim for any particular Ball Trajectory and can hit anything?

Then he wouldn't need to adjust his stance for a certain Ball Trajectory, would he?"

"Then all you can do is use tricky pitches to fight for decisive victory with him.

For example, an Outside Corner Ball outside the Strike Zone is not meant to make him swing. It is meant to create a sense of space for him.

So even if it is clearly outside the Strike Zone, that is fine. Make him feel that the ball is far away from him. Even if his stance does not change, his body's subconscious will retain that impression.

Then throw another Outside Corner Ball to deepen that impression. Once that impression forms, his body will unconsciously lean forward the next time he swings.

Against an even better batter, even if his body does not change, his gaze will extend outward. That is when you throw him an Inside Corner Ball.

Even if that pitch is a strike, he will feel that it is extremely close, as if it might hit him.

Make good use of the corners to create space, and the batter will develop the illusion that the Strike Zone has expanded.

Of course, once Changeups come into play, you can use breaking pitches from every angle, along with pitch speed, to completely confuse the batter.

If a batter cannot be fooled even by corner tactics, that would be difficult even for elite high school batters at this stage, let alone once Changeups are added.

I am only giving an example, but it can branch into all kinds of pitch calling. In the future, there will also be psychological battles.

There is no fixed pattern for how to do it. You have to judge based on the situation."

"Then pitch calling is pretty simple, isn't it?

Isn't it just using mind games to lure the other side's thinking?

If you can see through what they are thinking, then you can take out the batter without all that messy stuff, right?"

"All that messy stuff..." Coach Nakanishi had been about to apologize for explaining things too deeply, but he was instantly speechless. This was not a failure to understand at all. The kid was clearly using twisted logic to shut him up on purpose.

Still, Coach Nakanishi had no way to refute him. If you could truly see through the Ball Trajectory a batter was aiming for, it would indeed be easy to get him out.

Unless he was the kind of batter who could still make contact even when the pitch was far from the Ball Trajectory he had aimed for.

For example, he might start his swing expecting an Inside Corner Ball, then alter his stance and hit an Outside Corner Ball.

If he could do even that, what would be the point of aiming for any Ball Trajectory? He could just swing at whatever he felt he could hit.

Even Coach Nakanishi felt that such a batter was almost fantastical. It could only happen if the batter's level was far above that of the pitcher and catcher.

For example, if a Major League Silver Slugger went up against a high school pitcher.

Now he realized that this kid was full of mischief in every possible sense.

"Can you do it? What you said before, seeing through a batter's thoughts."

"Well, if it's those simple-minded guys outside, it's easy."

That meant that whenever the kid seemed distracted, he had actually been observing people, then using some unique method to analyze their behavior.

That really was a matter of talent. With observation and analytical skills as strong as a psychologist's, he could guess what others were thinking. There was no way for anyone else to copy that.

"It looks like you already understand some of the basics. These are choices that require experience to remember.

For now, I only wanted you to understand them. As for that 'messy stuff' you mentioned, it can also help you analyze unfamiliar opponents more quickly and gain a strike. After all, it takes three strikes for a strikeout."

"I understand!" Sendou lowered his head in thanks.

"Never mind all that. It looks like you already understand why I told you this. Now I'll start teaching you some basic catcher techniques. Come with me!"

All the earlier instruction had been meant to keep Sendou from developing a fixed mindset.

Especially as a catcher, once he developed a fixed mindset and the opponents figured him out, he would be finished. (I won't dig any more holes here, or I'll just confuse everyone.)

Then Coach Nakanishi took Sendou to get a set of catcher's gear and returned to the batting cages.

"In a moment, you'll catch balls from the Pitching Machine. I'll set it so the machine does not throw strikes. You need to catch them as quickly as possible, then do this..."

As he spoke, he showed Sendou the setup for a Pickoff Throw: rising the instant he caught the ball and getting into position to throw at any moment.

He explained how to use a cramped space to create the greatest possible room to generate force, while increasing the speed of his initial movement and using his body's power to increase ball velocity.

A professional catcher could absolutely make the fullest use of every muscle in his body, producing the most professional and efficient movements.

"Once you have practiced those, you will need to get used to pitching motions and training methods. I'll write you a training plan.

I'll teach you how to train your body and shoulder. Your specialty is explosive power, and this plan will expand that strength.

Whether it is pitching, catching, or even batting, all of it requires the explosive power to instantly engage the muscles throughout your body.

Only the most standard and efficient movements can bring out your body's full potential. Do you understand?"

"What about batting?"

"For batting, mainly correct your stance, then keep doing what you were doing before. You need to trust your judgment. Other people's gradual methods do not suit you.

Master the basic pitching and catching movements, and I can arrange for you to play. Games are the path that will help you grow quickly.

Once your body adapts, we can study the batting stance that suits you best. All right, keep practicing!"

Without saying anything more, Sendou gave a deep bow.

Even though he had no other thoughts about baseball.

Coach Nakanishi's goodwill was something he had to thank him for.

When Sendou left, he took several introductory books on catching, Coach Nakanishi's collected notes, and the training plan with him.

Today had been a little too busy, and I almost missed the update. This chapter was mainly about the coach using his expertise to fill the protagonist with baseball knowledge. The gap between professionals and amateurs was truly enormous. Often, a few casual words from a professional could help more than years of practice alone.