The Goddess of Baseball?
Mama. Papa.
How are you doing?
Japan is so muggy, and the pizza is tiny.
So many people here are idealistic about baseball, and I can't keep up.
I don't fit in here.
Chiba MotorSuns Overseas Import Dennis Young (27 Years Old, Chicago Born & Raised)
I'll make my MLB comeback next season.
Dennis Young, formerly of Major League Baseball.
He didn't realize that today would be a red-letter day in his life.
Hey, Dennis, what are you doing?
You're up to bat soon!
Chiba MotorSuns Club Interpreter Joji Cronin
A foreign player like you needs to put up numbers, sure,
but team spirit is important, too.
Only if you want a long career in Japan.
I'm not holding a samurai sword. I'm holding a bat.
Batting fourth is recent import Dennis Young.
He let the second pitch go by, and the count is one and one.
We snagged a great player in him!
Nah, he's a total fly-by-night.
Totally focused on the MLB scouts. No team spirit.
He only cares about his personal numbers.
So even if he does well, we still boo him.
Boo!
He's awkward around the other players. I doubt he'll ever really fit in.
Strike two!
Hey, mister, want some salty snacks with that?
They won the last time you bought from me, remember?
I'll take a pack, then.
Your sales tactics are improving, little lady!
Hey, does it seem like Dennis is staring at us?
Did he hear us talking about him?
No way. He couldn't hear us from—
Here ya go. One for each!
M-Me, too?!
If you insist...
Thanks a bunch!
20/20 Vision
B-Beautiful...
Dennis wasn't looking at the scouts or the hecklers, but at the vendor girl.
Strike three!
Wh-What's wrong with me?
With the MLB scouts watching...
Concentrate, man!
Batting fourth: third baseman, Dennis Young.
There's a man on first. A home run now could put us in the lead!
Nerve-racking, isn't it?
And the runner takes off!
Oh, no! Dennis hates steal attempts when he's at the plate!
He says it distracts him or something!
Safe! That base is stolen!
Watch him! He'll be so mad!
He's not mad at all! He's smiling!
Stone-face Dennis... smiling?
It's Ruriko!
Ruriko!
That's not polite at all, you guys.
Ruriko!
B-Beautiful!
Dennis wasn't distracted by the runner, but by the vendor girl.
You think he's mellowed out a little?
I sure hope so...
Maybe we can get our hopes up now...
You're out!
Pop fly to the catcher.
He's still useless!
Dennis is cheering from the lip of the dugout today.
You think he's developing some real team spirit?
Where is that beautiful girl?
Should that be your focus, Dennis Young?
It's a tie game in the seventh.
With two outs and the bases loaded, Dennis Young steps up to the plate.
If he can bring a runner in, they'll take the lead!
This is a big chance for the team!
Lock in, man. You've been distracted all day!
You can't afford to look like a loser in front of the MLB scouts.
You need...
You need to put up something big!
You need to...
hit it!
It's a weak grounder!
But the infield was playing deep!
This might be interesting! Will Dennis beat the throw?!
Damn it! This is pathetic!
It's just pathetic!
If this weak crap is the best I can manage...
It's so hot.
Oh, my destiny!
Crap!
It had been a terrible outing for Dennis Young.
But though he was fighting alone in a distant foreign land,
God had not yet abandoned him.
Safe! Safe!
The MotorSuns take the lead!
The typically cool-headed Dennis with a fiery header into first!
Dennis! Dennis! Dennis! Dennis!
It's an invaluable go-ahead run for the MotorSuns!
A dive into the dirt earns Dennis a tenacity-fueled RBI!
He's been critiqued in the past as being stone-faced,
but today, he shows a different side!
His passion earns him unbridled cheers from the stands!
What the heck?
It's not so bad here after all!
Thank you, beautiful girl.
Dennis Young Says he's staying for another season
The Goddess of Baseball Is Here in Japan!
What a great picture.
Youthful passion personified!
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
MotorSuns Sputtering
Another 3-game slide...
The Invincible Mascot
It's like they just can't win.
As you may have noticed, the MotorSuns are not a good team.
But baseball's not just about winning... There.
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
Soccer
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
Sumo Newcomer Itada Scores Long-Awaited First Win "I Eked It Out"
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
Boxing Circle Maruyama Konshu at Triple-WBC: "Going For the KO"
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
Kitano Begins Rehab After Right Elbow Surgery
MotorSuns Give Up Lead for Third Straight Loss
Sun-Shiro (Japanese Giant Salamander) Cleans Seats With Fans After the Game
Strong-Arm Kitamura's Right Field Slammer Leads to Dramatic Come-From-Behind Win
Sports
Top Sports Entertainment
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
General
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
What's New
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
Featured
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
Baseball
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
MLB
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
Soccer
But many would say they are the club with the closest relationship to their fans.
Wonder if I'll make it to the ballpark today.
Sun-Shiro (Japanese Giant Salamander) Cleans Seats With Fans After the Game
This is exemplified by their mascot, Sun-Shiro.
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
2:30pm
Batting practice before MotorSuns game
No good. My hitting's dropped off since last year.
I'm putting topspin on it.
Damn it. I won't acknowledge it. I won't!
Hey, Sun-Shiro.
I wish I could always smile like you.
Sometimes I feel like the pressure's gonna crush me.
I thought I'd forged myself a career I wouldn't regret, even after it was all over.
But I don't want to be benched just yet.
Maybe it's just my stubborn pride,
but I'm afraid of the day when I'm no longer needed.
Sorry to vent at you like that.
Higher starting stance! Right elbow up!!
Is that supposed to be advi—
Wait a minute.
You might just be right.
My stance has gotten lazy, and it's affecting my swing.
Give it a try!
Thanks, Sun-Shiro.
I'm gonna try it out.
That does feel better!
I forgot. Who's in that suit again?
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
5:40pm
First pitch imminent
Sun-Shiro!
Hey, Sun-Shiro.
You're overweight.
You can't dance like this!
I'm not overweight, just a bit chubby.
But I did eat too much pizza because I was so happy that you're staying in Japan.
I'll treat you to Chicago pizza.
It's so thick.
The guy in the suit can speak English?
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
7:30pm
Concourse
It's finally settled down.
I wonder if I'll get to see Prince Charming today...
I'm back.
No, stop that! You can't go falling for a customer!
Stop that, Natsuno! Focus on your work already!
Sun-Shiro, how long have you been there?!
Look, um, I was just talking to myself...
Please don't think anything of it!
Love is a sport without rules
Sun-Shiro...
The person in the Sun-Shiro suit must have a lot of experience in love.
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
8:05pm
Upper Deck Tunnel
I'm exhausted!
I've barely made any sales today.
Haven't been to see my parents in a while.
I wanna drop in and take a nice, hot bath.
Don't just sit around! Look alive!
Oh, it's you, Sun-Shiro.
I was just taking a break.
Are you properly thanking the customers? A sense of gratitude is crucial!
Hey, where's this coming from?
You look under the weather, too! Have you been eating?
Get off my back already!
I'll be there for you if it gets rough, okay?
Fine, fine. I get it, Mom!
Wait... Did I just call the mascot "Mom"?!
Wait, could that be... huh?
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
8:30pm
Seating
It's Sun-Shiro!
Nice catch!
Sun-Shiro's awesome!
For me? Thank you!
Thank you, Sun-Shiro!
Thank you so much!
Sun-Shiro, you're good at baseball!
What do you eat?
Women's Changing Room
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
9:15pm
Vendors' Locker Room
Hey, Mom?
It's me.
Sorry to call out of the blue. There was something I wanted to ask...
You haven't taken a job as a mascot, have you?
Huh?
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
9:15pm
Employee Hallway
Sun-Shiro may be the mascot with the closest relationship
to the players and ballpark staff.
Rah! Rah! Rah!
At the ballpark, there's a place called "the base"
where vendor girls swap out their kegs.
Checkers work in two-man teams to instantly swap out the kegs,
restock the girls, and make sure they're hydrated.
They work as fast as the pit crew in an F1 race.
The swap happens in a part of the park that visitors can see,
so if you catch sight of it, cheer for them in your heart!
Need a new keg, please!
Ruriko, you've got a great pace going today.
Thanks.
Ruriko, let's see if you can hit 150 cups today!
No way I'm hitting 150.
Come on, cheer up!
Rah! Rah! Rah!
C'mon, Ruriko! I think you can make 150!
I told you, there's no way.
That's eight straight fouls for Dennis Young.
He's really hanging in there!
Dennis usually has a low P/PA and doesn't hit many fouls,
P/PA = The average number of pitches the player makes the pitcher throw per at bat
but he's really racking up the pitch count this time.
He's really shaken off the "Fast Food Man" nickname since declaring he'd stick around.
Section Chief Kobayashi
The section chief? This can't be good.
H-Hello? Good to talk to you, sir.
Hey, Murata? About that system design we've been discussing...
The deadline's been moved up three days.
Take care of that. Later.
Hey, there!
Yes?! I'm very sorry!
It's been a while, Mr. Regular.
R-Ruriko?
You're looking pretty blue.
I'm really not...
Too bad.
If you were, I'd teach you some magic words to cheer up!
Okay, let's say it together!
One, two...
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Hey, why didn't you do it?
Look, I'm around thirty already...
Well, okay. That'll be 700 yen!
H-Huh? For what?!
For the pep talk?
That was a beer's worth of encouragement, right?
No, that was... well...
Okay, fine.
I'm kidding!
Still can't recognize a joke, huh, mister?
She's teasing me again!
The vendor girls are so cute, aren't they?
Maybe I'll give it a try sometime.
I dunno, aren't they basically hostesses?
It's not a great look.
H-Hey... Ruriko?
I-I hate it when people say that sort of thing!
Every job has its struggles that others won't understand!
It's rude both to vendors and to hostesses!
Hey, mister...
Was that a "don't you badmouth my woman" speech?
Say it again!
Whoo, what a speech!
C'mon, one more time! One more time!
I-It's really not like that!
That was a great break!
See ya!
As usual, she teased me half to death.
But wasn't she supposed to sell me a beer?
Seven runs behind in the eighth...
Barely had any men on base.
Guess it's another write-off day.
Hey, wait a minute.
They're fist-bumping the catcher, Kawamatsu.
That means they haven't given up yet!
There's no look of defeat on their faces, either.
I'll have to keep the faith!
H-Huh?
Found ya, mister!
Don't you have to do your job?
I haven't sold a cup since the blowout started in the fifth.
I've got nothing but time.
Well, then... I'll take one.
Oh, it's fine, really. Don't sweat it.
It's just... You encouraged me before...
And besides...
When I saw you working so hard...
Ruriko! Doing great!
You're on track to 150!
Get to it!
I told you, there's no way!
Today's my 150 day! Sell 150!
It made me realize how seriously you take this job.
Oh, yeah?
Then...
I mean... Hang on a minute.
You stare at me way too much, mister!
In love much?
I-I just happened to catch sight of you!
Thanks a bunch!
See ya later, Mr. Peeper Man!
I told you, it was just a coincidence!
S-Someone saw me like that?
So freaking embarrassing!
I'll get to work early tomorrow and rearrange the schedule.
And I'll be thinking, "Rah! Rah! Rah!"
Hey, Ruriko, welcome back!
You can clock out now.
Great work today.
Y-You, too!
Hey, Ruriko! You sold exactly 150 cups!
Huh? You mean it?!
Congratulations! You worked really hard!
Y-Yup!
Next Time
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
"Soul Announcer"
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
"The Suggestion Box Incident (Pt. 1)"
m 0 0 l 230 0 l 230 215 l 0 215
"The Suggestion Box Incident (Pt. 2)"