Ep. 9: Sawamura seeks Chris to find his pitching specialty after failing to control speed.
Aired on December 1, 2013
Sawamura shadows Chris to understand baseball and skips practices to observe team dynamics. Chris eventually catches Sawamura’s pitches, advising him to develop a unique specialty for effectiveness. Confused by his lack of speed and breaking balls, Sawamura identifies control as his strength. However, prioritizing control reduces his velocity, leading to a poor performance in a weekend game. The narrative questions whether he can identify his true specialty before facing demotion. This segment adapts chapters 22 through 24 of the source material.
Episodes
- Ep. 5 · First years compete against upperclassmen in a crucial tryout match for starting positions.
- Ep. 6 · Eijun and Haruichi collaborate against upperclassmen until Eijun faces roommate Masuko on the mound.
- Ep. 7 · Furuya and Eijun receive varsity and JV promotions with assigned training partners.
- Ep. 8 · Chris's Hidden Struggles and Eijun's Realization of His True Dedication
- Ep. 9 · Sawamura seeks Chris to find his pitching specialty after failing to control speed.
- Ep. 10 · Eijun Refines His Pitching Skills Before the Final Junior Varsity Match
- Ep. 11 · Chris Enters the Game as Eijun Struggles with Control Issues
- Ep. 12 · Chris trains Sawamura while his father intervenes and Zaizen shifts strategy to target Chris.
- Ep. 13 · Sawamura's Original Form Shifts Momentum as Chris Becomes Manager