Seeing Suzuki Takahiro, his partner for three years, place the catcher's mitt in the center of the strike zone and signal with his right hand for a straightforward duel, Yoshinaga Kentarou, whose face was already drenched in sweat, revealed a slight smile.
Then, he nodded and gave a thumbs-up to his friend at home plate — he agreed with this pitch strategy.
The moment the baseball left his hand, the familiar sensation of the seams against his finger joints gave Yoshinaga Kentarou a sense of comfort. After a slight adjustment, he started the pitching motion.
Raising both arms high, this motion activated and engaged all his muscles, followed by pulling his hands down while lifting the front leg.
