â—†Sports Hochi/Reporter's Column “From Ryogoku”
Recently, I've often heard the phrase “the world line that was XX” in my daily conversation. Simply put, imagining a “world of an event” that is different from reality. Looking back on their lives, everyone has probably once piqued their imaginations, “If things had been moving like this at the time, what would have happened now?”
At last fall's draft meeting, Nissozoku University's 155km right-handed pitcher Teranishi Nari (22) was selected second by Orix. He was originally from Ishikawa and was selected for the U-15 Japan national team during his time at Negami Junior High School, and was a talented player who appeared at Koshien in the summer of his first year at the Seiryo family. Everyone envisioned a bright future. However, he injured his right shoulder in the fall of his second year and had surgery the following year. After that, he spent three blank years that he couldn't pitch in games.
“Have you ever wondered what kind of pitcher he would have been if he hadn't been injured?” Now that he has made a brilliant return with 5 wins and 0 losses in the league match in his spring of college, and has become a professional, I asked Teranishi the following question. And then the answer came back was an unexpected answer. “It would have been better if he was injured. I couldn't throw, so I thought about how to get rid of it and worked hard at other practices.”
One of the “other practices” that Teranishi calls is stretching and training for about an hour a day. He said that his shoulders had been strengthened after an injury, making his balls stronger than before the surgery. Of course, I always worked on it every day until I became a habit that would make me want to go crazy if I didn't do it on my days off. The man once called a “super middle schooler” looked at reality alone and turned adversity into growth.
“If he hadn't been injured, he wouldn't have been a professional.” This was his first professional victory in the Giants match (Kyocera D) on June 13th. What if Teranishi became a big ace like Yamamoto Yushin? I can't help but feel excited about the “world line” that is about to begin. (Orix, Nanbu Shunta)
　◆Nanbu Shunta(Nanbu Shunta) Joined the company in 2024. My hobby is playing baseball.
