In the summer of 2011, I was driving around the US, mainly in Alabama and Mississippi, but I decided to take a quick trip to Texas as well. There was a place I really wanted to visit. Hubbard, Texas, is a rural town with a population of less than 2,000 people. It is the hometown of Tris Speaker, who played in the major leagues from 1907 to 1928 and left a great record. Speaker's career batting average of .345 is the sixth best in the history of the major leagues, and his career hits of 3,514 are the fifth best in the history of the major leagues. Speaker was born and raised in Hubbard and graduated from the local Hubbard High School. And Hubbard High School has an exhibition corner commemorating Speaker, a graduate of the school. So, as an avid fan of the major leagues, it would be a shame not to visit it at least once. The front of the Hubbard High School building When I arrived at Hubbard, I was able to find Hubbard High School right away. The school building was a beautiful, brick building. A wall display on the Hubbard High School building I tried to open the front door to go inside. However, the door was locked. What's going on? Are they not letting me in because it's summer vacation? I noticed a small piece of paper taped to the door. It had something written on it. I read it and it said something like, "Only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In case of emergency, please call this number." The day I visited was a Tuesday. I immediately decided to make a phone call, using the cell phone I had brought with me from Japan. "In a situation like this, I'd have to make an international call from Japan to the United States. What's the correct procedure for doing that?" I thought frantically. Somehow I got through and spoke to a middle-aged man with a cheerful voice. Of course, all I could do was try to get his sympathy. "I came all the way from Japan just to see the Tris Speaker exhibit in this school building. Could you please open the door for me?" He answered without a moment's hesitation. "Today is Tuesday, so no. We'll be open tomorrow, Wednesday, so please come tomorrow." It was unfortunate, but of course it was. I had no choice but to give up. I went back to the main road, found a motel, and decided to stay the night. The next day. The entrance door to Hubbard High School was unlocked. I quietly opened the door and went inside, and it was completely silent. There was no one there. I stood in the middle of the lobby and called out loud, "Is anyone there?" and a white elderly lady came out from a room that looked like a library next to the lobby. She had a friendly smile on her face. I introduced myself. I told her that I was an avid Major League Baseball fan, and that I had come from Japan because I heard there was an exhibition corner for Tris Speaker. The lady smiled even more and said, "I'm so glad you came all the way from Japan. There is indeed an exhibition corner for Mr. Speaker, but there are other exhibition corners, so you should take a look at those first." I wasn't interested in the other exhibition corners, but I followed the lady. I was afraid I would be punished if I went against the lady, who was a bundle of goodwill. In the room she took me to, there were many faded old newspapers reporting the city's news and photos of graduates on display. I wasn't interested at all, but all I could do was pretend to be curious and listen to the lady's explanations, nodding affably. Thinking that the lady would be happier if I asked her a question rather than just listening to her explanation, I casually asked her, "When was this school building built?" I got a surprising answer. "It's from 1891. But after the last graduates left in the 1960s, the school building hasn't been used. It just remains as a historical monument. The high school has now merged with another one and is located far away." "So that means this school building hasn't been rebuilt for over 100 years? Does that mean Speaker studied here?" "That would be right." I was taken by the lady to the room that was the Speaker exhibition area. It was a room near the lobby on the first floor. It must have been a classroom in the past. It was just the size of a school classroom. The entrance to the Tris Speaker exhibit In the room, there were old black and white photos of Speaker when he was still active, old newspapers reporting on his achievements, and a drawing of Speaker by someone. Exhibits of Tris Speaker's photos, newspaper articles, etc. One thing I learned for the first time from the exhibit was that Speaker was the first Texan to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Until then, I had never thought about the home states of baseball Hall of Fame players, but this incident made me start thinking about it. Me standing in front of the Tris Speaker exhibit I noticed a colored panel photo hanging at the edge of the room. The moment I saw the panel photo, I felt happy and thought.” Yes, this is it, this is the true essence of Tris Speaker.” Only those who are very knowledgeable about major league baseball will understand the meaning of the panel photo the moment they see it. It is a panel with a composite photo of two major leaguers. The large and prominent photo in the foreground is Craig Biggio, who retired from active play in 2007. Behind him, quietly, is Tris Speaker. A panel photo honoring the two who achieved ”another” 50-50 These two men had one thing in common: Texas. Speaker, a Texas native, played for four teams but never played for a major league team in his home state of Texas. When Speaker played, Texas didn't have a major league team. Biggio, on the other hand, was from New York, but spent his entire 20-year career as a major leaguer playing for only one team in Texas, the Houston Astros. Their major league careers were completely different, but both men have a connection to Texas. Furthermore, both Speaker and Biggio achieved 3,000 career hits. However, these two have something else in common that is even more amazing. In 1912, Speaker achieved 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases. This 50-50 record was achieved not only by being able to hit hard hits, but also by being fast on his feet, and it was a first in major league history. 86 years later, in 1998, Biggio became the second player to achieve this record. Just like the 50-50 record of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases that Shohei Ohtani achieved in 2024, this another 50-50 record of 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases is also a great record. By the way, Speaker’s 792 career doubles are the most in major league history. And Biggio's 668 career doubles rank sixth in major league history. In a corner of an old school building in a rural town, I was able to experience the history of major league baseball and the fun of records that are relevant to the present day. I was very happy. The white elderly lady had not spoken to me since we entered the Tris Speaker exhibition room, allowing me to freely view the exhibits to my heart's content. I expressed my heartfelt gratitude to this lovely and kind lady before leaving Hubbard High School. (If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

To hit a lot of doubles, you need to consistently hit the ball hard with the bat. This means that players who hit a lot of home runs also hit a lot of doubles, since hitting a home run requires hitting the ball hard with the bat. In the modern era of Major League Baseball, which began in 1901, 11 players led the league in home runs and doubles in the same season, achieving this feat a total of 12 times. See the list below. Only Harry Davis has achieved this feat twice. Doubles Home Runs Harry Davis (1905) 47 8 　　　　　(1907) 35 8 Tris Speaker (1912) 53 10 Heinie Zimmerman (1912) 41 14 Rogers Hornsby (1922) 46 42 Chuck Klein (1933) 44 28 Joe Medwick (1937) 56 31 Hank Greenberg (1940) 50 41 Tommy Holmes (1945) 47 28 Ted Williams (1949) 39 43 Willie Stargell (1973) 43 44 Albert Belle (1995) 52 50 Here are a few things I noticed when looking at these 11 players. The four times recorded by the first three players on the list are records from the dead ball era, when players used balls that didn't fly far, so it's best not to equate them with records from after that era. If we consider records from after the dead ball era, there are eight players totaling eight times. Do you think this is a lot or a little? It should be considered extremely little. You can't get many home runs or doubles unless you consistently hit the ball hard with the bat, yet only eight players, a total of eight times, were the top players in home runs who also topped the doubles list. In other words, there are far more players who aren't top players in home runs who topped the doubles list. This is easy to explain. This is probably because there are far more players who can hit a lot of doubles who don't have the power to hit a lot of home runs (alley hitters) than players who can hit a lot of home runs (long-ball hitters). It's only natural that players who are the best at hitting doubles tend to emerge from among these alley hitters. None of these 11 players are the six players I mentioned in my last column who led both home runs and triples in the same season (Tommy Leach, Harry Lumley, Jim Bottomley, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Jim Rice). Of the 15 players I mentioned in my previous column who have never led both home runs and triples in the same season but have been in different seasons, only two are included in this list: Rogers Hornsby and Joe Medwick. Furthermore, of the three players mentioned in my previous column who led both home runs and stolen bases in the same season (Ty Cobb, Jimmy Sheckard, and Chuck Klein), only one is included in this list: Chuck Klein. Willie Mays, who I mentioned in my previous column as the only player to have led both home runs and stolen bases in different seasons without leading both in the same season, is not included in this list of 11 players. These results may indicate that speed (being fast) is not necessary to be the leader in both home runs and doubles. In fact, the list of 11 players includes players who are widely recognized as slow runners (such as Ted Williams). A photo of Ted Williams at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Based on 1) and 2) above, it can be said that hitting a lot of doubles does not require the power required to hit a home run, nor does it require fast running. This means that any player can hit a double if they hit the ball hard. Since Albert Belle in 1995, no player has led both home runs and doubles in the same season. None of the active players have done so. Recently in Major League Baseball, many players have started swinging the bat with more force, so it may be becoming easier to produce players who can hit a lot of doubles even if they don't hit a lot of home runs. I looked into players who have never led both home runs and doubles in a season, but have led both in different seasons. There are 18 of them. Their names are listed below. Nap Lajoie Sam Crawford Socks Seybold Ty Cobb Jim Bottomley Lou Gehrig Hank Aaron Frank Robinson Carl Yastrzemski Juan Gonzalez Andres Galarraga Larry Walker Alex Rodriguez Adrian Beltre Miguel Cabrera Albert Pujols Bryce Harper Nolan Arenado Looking at this list of 18 players, there are a few things to note. Of the six players who led both home runs and triples in the same season, as mentioned in my previous column, only Jim Bottomley is included among these 18. Also, of the 15 players who led both home runs and triples in different seasons, as mentioned in my previous column, only three are included among the 18 this time: Sam Crawford, Ty Cobb, and Lou Gehrig. Also not included among these 18 is Willie Mays, a remarkable player who possessed both power and speed, as clearly shown in my previous column. Incidentally, during his 22-year career, Willie Mays was in the top 10 in the National League in doubles seven times, and in the top five three of those times (third twice, second once). As you can see, he hit a fair number of doubles, but not enough to be the leader. Some of these 18 players are not considered to be fast runners (such as Miguel Cabrera). Miguel Cabrera's compact and highly readable biography by Bill Redban (2015) Two of these 18 players are currently active (Bryce Harper and Nolan Arenado), so it will be interesting to see if more players join the list. Bryce Harper's compact and excellent biography by Clayton Geoffreys (2020, Calvintir, Books, LLC) ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or addtions.)

All home run leaders (the players with the most home runs in each season in each league) naturally possess incredible power. But are there any home run leaders who also possess incredible speed? To explore this, I looked at players who were both home run leaders and triples leaders (the players with the most triples in each season in each league), as well as players who were both home run leaders and stolen base leaders (the players with the most stolen bases in each season in each league). First, I look at players who were both home run and triples leaders. In the modern era of Major League Baseball, which began in 1901, six players have been home run and triples leaders in the same season. See the list below. Home Runs Triples Tommy Leach (1902) 6 22 Harry Lumley (1904) 9 18 Jim Bottomley(1928) 31 20 Willie Mays (1955) 51 13 Mickey Mantle (1955) 37 11 Jim Rice (1978) 46 15 Of the six players listed above, the first two (Tommy Leach and Harry Lumley) had more triples than home runs, but their playing days were known as the "dead-ball era," when the ball didn't fly very far. Therefore, it might be best not to consider these two players on the same level as the other four. Of these six players, only Willie Mays won home run and triples titles not only in the same season but also in different seasons. Mays won the home run title four times and the triples title three times, and on one of those occasions he won the home run and triples titles in the same season. The other five players won different numbers of home run titles, but won the triples title only once, and that was the year they won the home run and triples titles listed above. A great book about the life of Willie Mays. "24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid" by Willie Mays and John Shea (2021, St. Martin's Griffin) A wonderful biography of Mickey Mantle. "The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood" by Jane Leavy (2011, Harper Perennial) So, are there any players who have never been the home run and triples leader in the same season but have been the home run and triples leader in different seasons? There are 15 players. Among active players, only one player has achieved this: Shohei Ohtani (home run leader in 2023 and 2024, triples leader in 2021). The 15 players won different numbers of home run titles, but all but two won the triples title just once. Those two are Sam Crawford and Ty Cobb. Here is a list of the 15 players: Home Run Leader (Number of times) Triples Leader (Number of times) Sam Crawford 2 6 Jimmy Sheckard 1 1 Buck Freeman 2 1 Frank Schulte 2 1 Ty Cobb 1 4 Frank Baker 4 1 Wally Pipp 2 1 Rogers Hornsby 2 1 Lou Gehrig 3 1 Joe Medwick 1 1 Joe DiMaggio 2 1 Johnny Mize 4 1 Dick Allen 2 1 Ryne Sandberg 1 1 Shohei Ohtani 2 1 Next, players who were both home run and stolen base leaders. In the modern era of Major League Baseball, which began in 1901, only three players have been home run and stolen base leaders in the same season. See the list below. Home Runs Stolen Bases Ty Cobb (1909) 9 76 Jimmy Sheckard 9 67 Chuck Klein 35 20 Of these three, Ty Cobb and Jimmy Sheckard only won the home run title once and also won the stolen base title in the same season, but Ty Cobb also won the stolen base title in other seasons (he won the stolen base title six times in total). Chuck Klein won the home run title four times, but only the stolen base title once. An excellent biography of Ty Cobb. "Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty" by Charles Leerhsen (2016, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks) So, are there any players who have never won the home run and stolen base titles in the same season, but have won them in different seasons? There is only one: Willie Mays. Mays won the home run title four times, and stolen base title four times. It's fair to say it's strange that he was never the home run leader and the stolen base leader in the same season. Here are some of the points I want to make based on these results: 1) In the nearly 70 years since Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays in 1955, no player has been the home run and triples leader in the same season. In recent years, there have also been very few players who have been the home run and triples leader in different seasons. Among active players, only Shohei Ohtani has done so, and even in the 21st century, he is still the only player to do so. Shohei Ohtani's achievement marks the first time in about 40 years, since Ryne Sandberg, who was the triples leader in 1984 and the home run leader in 1990. Why is this happening? Is it because in recent years, the home run leader has often been a player with power but not much speed? Hopefully, I will see a player with the power and speed to become the home run and triples leader in the future. A press photo collection of Shohei Ohtani from the first half of 2024 (in Japanese, Sports Nippon Newspapers Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, 2024) 2) Since Chuck Klein in 1932, no player has been the home run and stolen base leader in the same season. Even in the nearly 70 years since Willie Mays, no player has been the home run and stolen base leader in different seasons. Why?  Perhaps it's because the stolen base leaders are often players with little power but great speed. While that's impressive in itself, I'd like to see a player with both power and speed to become the home run and stolen base leader. 3) From the results of this analysis, we can see that two players stand out: Ty Cobb and Willie Mays. Ty Cobb played during the dead-ball era and became the home run leader with only nine home runs, his only time as the home run leader. This makes it difficult to compare him to players from after the dead-ball era. On the other hand, it's fair to say that Willie Mays' play, which made full use of both his incredible power and speed, stands out compared to players of any era. This result is not surprising at all, but rather something that one would expect. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

This time, I'd like to talk about something very strange. I don't think anyone has pointed this out before, but I apologize if someone has already pointed it out. DVD of the movie "Field of Dreams" (Japanese version) In my favorite American masterpiece film “Field of Dreams” (1989), there is a scene where the main character and another man buy food and drinks at a concession stand inside the stadium before watching a game at Fenway Park, the home stadium of the Boston Red Sox. In the Japanese version of the DVD I have, the waiter who receives an order for hot dogs and beers for two men says "It's seven dollars" in the Japanese dubbing.  This is omitted in the Japanese subtitles.  I was surprised when I next watched it with English subtitles. The waiter says "ten dollars." Next, I tried changing the audio to English. The waiter's voice is quiet, so I have to strain my ears to hear it, and I can hear "ten dollars." In English, both the audio and the subtitles say "ten dollars" consistently. So is the Japanese dubbing wrong? The DVD only has audio in English and Japanese, but there are subtitles in other languages, so I checked them out. In Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai it says "10 dollars." However, only in Spanish it says "7 dollars." I checked the footage in slow motion over and over again. I noticed that the main character pays for two people, and it just looks like he first hands over one bill, then two. I couldn't figure out what type of dollar bill they were. The main character doesn't get any change. It's impossible to pay $10 with three bills. It would make sense if it was $7. The first one is a $5 bill, then two $1 bills. I thought I had to figure it out completely, so I listened to the English with headphones that block out the surrounding noise, and all I could hear was the waiter saying "7 dollars." It's true. Try it for yourself. It seems to me that the Japanese dubbing and Spanish subtitles are correct, and the subtitles in other languages, including English, are wrong. How could something like this have happened?　It's very strange. Is such a strange thing really happening ?  I’m left feeling uneasy that it may all just be a huge misunderstanding on my part. I urge everyone to check it out. And if I’m wrong, please let me know.     Anyway, whether it was 7 or 10 dollars, it seems incredibly cheap when we think about it now. Nowadays, if we go to the stadium and order hot dogs and beers for two people, 10 dollars probably won't be enough. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

Saturday, September 15, 2012 (Friday, September 14 in the US). I was off work and watching a live broadcast of a major league game at home (in Tokyo, Japan). The game was between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at the Texas Rangers' home stadium. The starting pitchers were Yu Darvish for the Rangers and Hisashi Iwakuma for the Mariners, and it was a match between two Japanese pitchers. The Rangers were batting in the bottom of the eighth inning with the Rangers leading 2-1. The leadoff batter, Elvis Andrus, hit a double. Then, to my surprise, the sound of Elvis Presley was heard throughout the stadium. The song was "ALL SHOOK UP." CD including "All SHOOK UP"(RCA/SONY) This double marked the start of the Rangers' fierce attack, and they scored four runs in one go. And with two outs and the bases loaded, it was once again Elvis Andrus who stepped up to bat. When he hit a triple to clear the bases, Elvis Presley's "ALL SHOOK UP" was played again. It was then that I learned for the first time that when Elvis Andrus did a great job, they would play Elvis Presley's singing voice. And I was impressed that it was such a cool and fun thing to do. By the way, the lyrics of "ALL SHOOK UP" talk about a man who is distracted because he longs for a woman. Doesn't that seem a bit inappropriate for Elvis Andrus's success?  As an avid Elvis Presley fan, should I choose a better song and convey it to the Rangers?  But I decided not to interfere like that. Regardless of the lyrics, I realized that "ALL SHOOK UP" is a very catchy song. In fact, I once sent a nosy email to a baseball team about the music during a game. Let me tell you the story. Yoshihisa Hirano is a Japanese pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for three years from 2018 to 2020. He played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, based in Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, for the first two years, and the Seattle Mariners for his final year. During his time with the Diamondbacks, Hirano was neither a starting pitcher nor a closer. He played a relatively unspectacular role as a relief pitcher connecting the starting pitcher and the closer, but he performed brilliantly. He even set a new team record of 26 consecutive games without giving up a run. There was something that made me think about Hirano. In the United States, there is a lively classic song called "Route 66," which has become a rhythm and blues standard. I wanted this classic song to be played loudly in the stadium when Hirano pitched with a lively style and held the opposing team scoreless during his time with the Diamondbacks. There are three reasons for this. CD including "Route 66" (Blue Moon Imports) 1) Because Hirano's uniform number was 66. 2) Route 66, which stretches for about 4,000 km from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica near Los Angeles, California, was one of the most iconic roads in the United States. However, after World War II, when the interstate highway system was developed, it began to decline, and in 1985 it was officially abandoned. However, parts of it have been preserved, and there are still many fans who travel along the road that was once Route 66 (I am one of them). For these fans, the upbeat song "Route 66," which is about this road, is irresistibly appealing. 3) Route 66 also passes through Arizona. And the lyrics of the classic song "Route 66" mention three cities in Arizona through which Route 66 passes. One of them, Flagstaff, has ties to Japan. Percival Lowell, the famous astronomer who built the famous Lowell Observatory in this city, was also known as a Japanologist. He visited Japan many times in the late 1800s and wrote many books about Japan. There is a monument in Lowell's honor in Anamizu Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, where he stopped off on his travels. Furthermore, when I visited Lowell Observatory about 30 years ago, I was happy to see the memorial monument donated by Anamizu Town. I sent an email to the Diamondbacks' official website about this, requesting that they play "Route 66" whenever Hirano takes the mound and plays well, but there was no response. What a shame! But I don't have any ill feelings towards the Diamondbacks. If the Diamondbacks were to respond to every single email from fans with suggestions and requests like mine, they would never have enough time. And my suggestions and requests may have been too intrusive. Still, it's a shame! ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

The Pitcher's Triple Crown is a pitcher who monopolizes the three titles of best ERA, most strikeouts, and most wins in the same season. In the modern era of Major League Baseball, which began in 1901, 25 pitchers have achieved the Triple Crown a total of 35 times since Cy Young first achieved it in 1901. If we divide this into the 100 years of the 20th century and the 24 years of the 21st century up to last year, 17 pitchers achieved it a total of 27 times in the 100 years of the 20th century, and 8 pitchers achieved it a total of 8 times in the 24 years of the 21st century. It is safe to say that it is almost proportional to the number of years. In other words, the Pitcher's Triple Crown has appeared consistently regardless of the era. However, strangely enough, there is a big difference between the 20th century and the 21st century when it comes to pitchers who have achieved it multiple times. In the 100 years of the 20th century, there were seven pitchers who achieved the feat multiple times (a total of 17 times for these seven pitchers), but in the 24 years of the 21st century, there was not a single pitcher who achieved the feat multiple times. If the feat appeared in proportion to the number of years, we would have liked to see two pitchers who achieved the feat multiple times in the 24 years of the 21st century, for a total of four. A detailed and excellent biography of Grover Alexander. "The Best Team Over There: The Untold Story of Grover Cleveland Alexander and the Great War" by Jim Leeke (2021, University of Nebraska Press) A compact, unique, and excellent biography of Sandy Koufax. "Sandy Koufax: A Lefty Legacy" by Jane Leavy (2010, Harper Perennial) Of the seven pitchers who achieved the feat multiple times in the 20th century, four achieved it twice (Christy Mathewson, Lefty Grove, Lefty Gomez, Roger Clemens), and three achieved it three times (Walter Johnson, Grover Alexander, Sandy Koufax). Of these seven, four achieved it two years in a row (Grover Alexander, Lefty Grove, Sandy Koufax, Roger Clemens), but no pitcher achieved it three years in a row. So, why has there been no pitcher in the 21st century who has achieved the Triple Crown multiple times in the past 24 years?  It may be impossible to find out, but I thought about it anyway. I looked into the eight pitchers who have achieved the Pitcher's Triple Crown once in the 24 years of the 21st century, and found out whether there was a season in which they won two of the Triple Crown titles but failed to win the remaining one, meaning they unfortunately missed out on a second Triple Crown. Four of the eight pitchers have done so a total of nine times (Randy Johnson three times, Johan Santana once, Justin Verlander twice, and Clayton Kershaw three times). Of these nine times, five times, which is more than half, they did not win the most wins (Randy Johnson three times, Johan Santana once, and Clayton Kershaw once). There were three times when they did not win the most strikeouts (Justin Verlander once, Clayton Kershaw twice), and one time when they did not win the best ERA (Justin Verlander). Clayton Kershaw, featured on the cover of "WHO'S WHO IN BASEBALL 2014: Official Lifetime Records Of Major League Players" edited by Pete Palmer (2014, Who's Who in Baseball Magazine Co., Inc.) Although it is difficult to draw any definitive conclusions from these results, I would like to share my personal impressions as follows. I previously wrote a column titled " Unusual things in the title race " (it is included in the Data Deep Dive category of this website). In that column, I wrote that in recent Major League Baseball, just like in the past, there are many pitchers who win the best ERA and most strikeouts, which can be won solely through the individual pitcher's ability, for two or more consecutive years. However, when it comes to the most wins, which involve factors such as the team's scoring ability, it has become much more difficult to win them two years in a row than in the past, and I wrote that this may be because the scoring ability of each team is more equal than in the past. Given that there have been five instances in the 21st century where a pitcher was unable to achieve a second Triple Crown because he was unable to win the most wins, the main reason why no pitcher has achieved the Triple Crown multiple times in the 21st century may be because the scoring ability of each team is more equal than in the past. Finally, I would like to briefly touch on the Pitcher's Triple Crown in Japanese professional baseball. In 1937, Eiji Sawamura, a legendary pitcher whose name will forever remain in the history of Japanese professional baseball, became the first pitcher to achieve the Triple Crown. Including Sawamura, 21 pitchers have achieved the Triple Crown a total of 24 times. In the 64 years since Sawamura's achievement in 1937 in the 20th century, 16 pitchers have achieved it a total of 17 times, and in the 24 years since the 21st century, five pitchers have achieved it a total of 7 times. Just like in Major League Baseball, it's fair to say that the Pitcher's Triple Crown has been achieved consistently in proportion to the number of years. However, when it comes to achieving the feat multiple times, it is quite different from Major League Baseball. In the 20th century, one pitcher achieved the feat multiple times ( twice, but not two years in a row; it was achieved by Kazuhisa Inao, a legendary pitcher whose name will forever remain in history), and in the 21st century, one pitcher has also achieved the feat multiple times. That one pitcher from the 21st century is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has been playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2024, and is the only pitcher in Japanese professional baseball to have achieved the Triple Crown three times. Moreover, it has been three years in a row (2021, 2022, 2023), which no one has managed to do in Major League Baseball. A book about pitching techniques of Yoshinobu Yamamoto (by Daisuke Nakajima, in Japanese, SHINCHOSHA Publishing Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) Among Japanese pitchers who have played or are currently playing in the major leagues, five pitchers have won the Pitcher's Triple Crown in Japan besides Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Hideo Nomo, Koji Uehara, Kenta Maeda, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Kodai Senga. Each of them only achieved the feat once, but if these five pitchers had continued playing in Japan without moving to the Major Leagues, it is possible that they would have achieved it multiple times. However, this is merely a possibility, and in reality they did not achieve it. Furthermore, Yoshinobu Yamamoto won the Triple Crown three times by the age of 25 and moved to the major leagues at age 25, but all five of these pitchers moved to the major leagues after turning 25, and yet none of them have won the Triple Crown for a second time. As you can see, Yoshinobu Yamamoto's record of achieving it three times, and in three consecutive years, is an outstanding and amazing record in the history of Japanese professional baseball. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

In my previous column, I wrote about my visit to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum in Jackson, the state capital of Mississippi, in 2011. This time, I'd like to talk about something related to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum. It was something that suddenly came to mind and moved me when I heard the news that Ernie Banks had passed away at the age of 83 in 2015. The modern era of the Major League Baseball, which began at the dawn of the 20th century, has a sad history. It is a history of discrimination. For a long time, it did not open its doors to black people. If a black person wanted to become a professional baseball player, they had no choice but to play in the Negro Leagues, which was made up entirely of black people. Ernie Banks also played in the Negro Leagues. But the flow of the times changed Banks' fate. When Banks joined the Negro Leagues, the Major League had already begun to accept black people. And so, the young Banks, who had shown great talent in the Negro Leagues, was able to move to the Major Leagues. He also left a brilliant record of 512 home runs in the major leagues, and went down in history as a great top-class major leaguer. And of course, he also achieved the honor of being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. I once visited Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco, Texas, where Ernie Banks, a native of Texas, was inducted into the Hall of Fame and honored along with other famous athletes from Texas.          A photo of Ernie Banks from his playing days on display at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco, Texas By the way, the Negro Leagues were full of players who were just as good as the major leaguers. One of them was Cool Papa Bell (died in 1991 at the age of 87). Bell was not only a talented baseball player, but he also had great talent as a coach. It is said that Ernie Banks was able to join the Negro Leagues and succeed because Bell recognized his talent and coached him. Incidentally, it is said that Jackie Robinson was also recognized and coached by Bell. Bell has become a legendary figure because of his incredible abilities, but he never played in the major leagues. When the major leagues opened their doors to blacks, Bell was already in his 40s. If he had been born 10 years later, he would have undoubtedly been successful in the major leagues. Bell never played in the major leagues, but he was selected by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. So how was Cool Papa Bell, a native of Mississippi, treated at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum?  Of course, Bell was inducted into the Hall of Fame and honored, but that was not all. The road leading from the main street to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum was named after Bell, representing all the athletes from Mississippi. The road leading to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum is named after Cool Papa Bell (If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

In my last column, I wrote about my visit to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum. The purpose of my visit was to see the exhibits on Dizzy Dean, a pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1930s and was inducted into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame, and his brother Paul, who was also a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Actually, before arriving at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum, something unexpected happened. As I was driving on the Interstate Highway from Alabama to Mississippi, I suddenly thought, "I should get the latest map of Mississippi first." So, after crossing the state line into Mississippi, I immediately stopped at the public information center for tourists, where I could get the latest map for free. If you can get it for free, that’s probably the best thing to do. At the public information center, I was able to easily obtain the map I needed for free. It was piled up on the counter so that I could take it as I pleased. Having achieved my goal, I was about to leave immediately, but then I noticed something strange in the atmosphere and stopped in my tracks. There were no other tourists in the center except for me. It was extremely quiet. So quiet it was almost eerie. The four ladies working behind the counter looked bored. So I casually asked them if I could have a chat. "I'm going to Jackson to look up the Dean brothers, who played in the major leagues a long time ago, but you don't know anything about the Dean brothers, do you?”  However, they all replied in unison, "Yes, we do," which shocked me. They also told me something unbelievable. The ladies told me that there was a rest area named “Dizzy Dean Rest Area” on U.S. Highway 49 in Mississippi. ... I have seen roads named after sportsmen in the United States several times. But I have never seen a rest area named after a sportsman. Is there really such a thing? When I went to the place the ladies told me about, I found the rest area. There was a neat, one-story building there. One-story building at the Dizzy Dean Rest Area I later found out that this rest area is in a city called Wiggins in Mississippi. Dizzy Dean spent his later years five miles north of Wiggins (probably in a place called Bond, his wife's hometown). Because of this connection, a rest area named after him was built on U.S. Highway 49, which runs through Wiggins. I apologize if there are any mistakes in my research. I would like to rewrite this information correctly, so I would appreciate it if you could tell me the correct information. When I went inside the single-story building, it was very quiet. There was no one there except me. There was not even a staff member there. There was a photo of Dizzy Dean on the wall just inside the building, but it wasn't a particularly interesting photo. However, as I headed further in, I came across something really interesting. A photo of Dizzy Dean inside the building Dizzy Dean was not only an outstanding pitcher, but was also famous for his cheerful personality and the way he was well-liked by everyone. A large, amusingly caricatured painting capturing these characteristics of Dizzy Dean was hanging on the back wall. A funny caricature of Dizzy Dean. Next to the painting was a list of the amazing records Dizzy Dean had in the major leagues. At the top was the fact that he was the National League's strikeout leader for four consecutive years (1932-1935). A list of Dizzy Dean's great accomplishments in the major leagues I was in the rest area for nearly two hours, and no one came in during that time. So I couldn't help but think, "Maybe there are many days when no one comes here. And besides, is this rest area really necessary?" When I went outside, I thought to myself as I got into my car. "I think this rest area may not be necessary, but please don't destroy it. It's valuable just for existing. I'll be coming here many times from now on." ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

The American novelist I consider to be the most knowledgeable about Major League Baseball is Paul Auster, who passed away in 2024 at the age of 77. He was of the same generation as me (we were both born in 1947), and I believe he, like me, was captivated by the charms of Major League Baseball at the age of eight. Because of this commonality between us, I have felt a sense of familiarity with him for a long time, and I am an avid reader of his works. In Auster's masterpiece novel, "MR. VERTIGO" (1994), a real-life major leaguer appears and has a conversation with the protagonist. It is Dizzy Dean, a famous pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1930s. In explaining about Dizzy Dean to readers who are not familiar with this old-school big leaguer, the author Auster also touched on the events of 1934, when Dizzy Dean had a spectacular year, winning 30 games and two World Series games. Furthermore, Auster also mentioned that Dizzy's younger brother Paul also won 19 games that year as a pitcher for the Cardinals. However, Auster did not mention that Paul, despite being a rookie that year, also pitched a no-hitter and won two World Series games, just like his older brother. In the 1934 World Series, the four wins needed to win the championship came with two complete game victories by each of the Dean brothers. I was surprised that Auster didn't mention this extremely unusual event. Is Paul the younger brother not very well-regarded in the United States ? It is true that Dizzy was a great pitcher who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. On the other hand, Paul was not such a great pitcher, but his performance in 1934 was amazing. Still, is Paul not thought highly of in the United States? So, during the summer vacation of 2011, I decided to look into it while taking a road trip in the United States. The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum in Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, has a detailed exhibit about Dizzy. The reason they have such a detailed exhibit about Dizzy, even though he wasn't from Mississippi, is because Dizzy spent his later years in Mississippi and is buried there. I decided to visit the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum. I thought there must be an exhibit and explanation about his younger brother. Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum Admission was $5 for adults, but $3.50 for me as a senior (over 60). When I entered the museum, I was first shown an 11-minute video in a fairly large room. I was the only person in the audience. The video started with footage of boys playing baseball, which continued for quite some time, then moved on to footage of various sports in Mississippi, and ended with footage of a black girl practicing basketball alone. I was impressed by the video's stylish structure. I was free to walk around the museum. Famous athletes from various sports were introduced through their respective lockers. Wow, what a stylish way to introduce them, I was once again impressed. However, there was no locker for Paul, who I wanted to know the most. Athletes from various sports are introduced through their respective lockers. Dizzy Dean's locker is in the center of the photo. On the left is Brett Favre's locker, and on the right is Archie Manning's locker. Both are NFL stars from Mississippi. As I was feeling disappointed, an elderly white male staff member called out to me. "Are you from Japan?" I answered "Yes, I am," and then asked, "Is Paul Dean not well-received in the U.S."  The staff member seemed to think I was a strange guy asking unexpected questions. He had that expression on his face. Then he began to gently admonish me.  "Dizzy and Paul are on different levels. ....Also, Dizzy had a very cheerful personality and was well-liked by everyone. Oh, by the way, one time a girl asked Dizzy to sign a golf ball. Dizzy gladly signed it, and the girl later won the amateur golf championship..."  I ended up listening to endless stories about Dizzy Dean. Now that I was alone and away from the staff, I wandered the museum from corner to corner, checking out each exhibit. I was surprised and fascinated to see that the museum did not only display regular photographs of Dizzy Dean, but also a sequence of photographs of his pitching form.      A sequence of photos of Dizzy Dean's pitching form There was also a drawing of Dizzy Dean in various poses. There were also some photos of him with non-baseball notables, such as President Eisenhower and Will Rogers. A drawing of Dizzy Dean in various poses I also found quotes of his younger brother talking about his older brother. They were words that spoke about what a wonderful person his brother was and how well-liked he was by those around him. So, were there any exhibits that explained what kind of person the younger brother was? There weren't any. However, one old photograph caught my eye. It was a photo of the Dean family. Both his older brother Dizzy and younger brother Paul were in the photo. The younger brother seemed to have a weaker presence than his older brother. As it turned out, that photo was the only exhibit I could find about Paul Dean. I could not find anything that glorified Paul Dean in 1934. Photo of the Dean family. Dizzy is on the far left in the back row, and Paul is on the far right in the back row. In my mind, I spoke to Paul in that photo, "I will never forget your achievements in 1934. Even if others have forgotten, I will never forget." ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

The Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1960s had two great pitchers, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. The Dodgers won three league championships (1963, 1965, 1966) and two World Series (1963, 1965) in the 1960s, and it was largely due to the efforts of these two pitchers. Drysdale was a top-class pitcher who won the Cy Young Award once, the most wins once, and the most strikeouts three times. However, even he may look a little pale in comparison to Koufax, because Koufax was an incredibly great pitcher who won the Cy Young Award three times and the pitcher's Triple Crown three times. However, Drysdale set an unprecedented record in 1968 that even Koufax could not achieve. This was something that could be called a miracle. On May 14, 1968, Drysdale pitched a shutout victory against the Chicago Cubs. He continued to pitch shutouts every time he took the mound thereafter, and on June 4, he pitched another shutout victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates, achieving the amazing record of six consecutive shutout wins. This was a new major league record, breaking the previous record of five consecutive shutout wins set by Doc White in 1904, 64 years ago. Drysdale also accomplished one more incredible thing. At the time of his sixth consecutive shutout win on June 4, he had pitched 54 consecutive scoreless innings, but in his next appearance on June 8 against the Philadelphia Phillies, he pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings, achieving the amazing record of 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. This was a remarkable achievement, breaking the major league record of 52 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings set by Walter Johnson in 1913. "Up and In: The Life of a Dodgers Legend" by Mark Whicker (2025, TRIUMPH BOOKS). A very good new biography of Drysdale. So, when comparing the two new records that Drysdale set in 1968, which one is more impressive? Both are truly impressive, so it may be pointless to compare them, but if we were to compare them, which one is more impressive? The reason I say this is that in Japan, many people mention the 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings record, but never mention the six consecutive shutout wins. In other words, it seems that in Japan, the 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings record is considered the more impressive record. What about in the United States? So what do I think? I think six consecutive shutout wins is more impressive, because I think it's less likely to be broken than 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. In fact, the major league record of 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings was broken 20 years later in 1988 by Orel Hershiser, who updated it to 59 consecutive scoreless innings. On the other hand, not only has the record of six consecutive shutout wins not been broken, but no pitcher has ever tied the record. I don't think Drysdale's record of six consecutive shutout wins will ever be broken. In today's major leagues, the division of roles between pitchers - starter, setup man, and closer - is functioning, and it's rare for one pitcher to pitch an entire game, so I think it's fair to say that it's impossible for any pitcher, no matter how good they are, to achieve six consecutive shutout wins. So how did Drysdale manage to achieve such an incredible feat as six consecutive shutout wins?  In other words, why was it Drysdale who managed to achieve such an incredible feat?  Actually, when I think about it, I can only say that this record achievement is nothing short of a miracle. Normally, one would expect a pitcher who achieves this record to have many shutout wins in their career. However, Drysdale's 49 shutout wins in his career ranks only 21st in history (the first place goes to Walter Johnson with 110), and his highest number of shutout wins in a season was eight in 1968, when he achieved six consecutive shutout wins, which ranks only 52nd in history (the first place in history is Grover Alexander and George Bradley, who both had 16. Bradley was a pitcher who was active in the 19th century). In 1968, Drysdale only had two shutout wins other than the six consecutive shutout wins. The most shutout wins that year was 13 by Bob Gibson. This record by Bob Gibson is the third highest number of shutout wins in a season in history. It was Drysdale who achieved six consecutive shutout wins, not Bob Gibson, who achieved such an amazing record. No one knows how this happened. So, this is nothing short of a miracle. A plaque honoring Walter Johnson at the National Baseball Hal of Fame For reference, let's look at the records in Japanese professional baseball. The highest record for consecutive shutout wins is six games, the same as in the major leagues, and was achieved by a pitcher named Hideo Fujimoto in 1943. Fujimoto's 19 shutout wins that year are the most in history for shutout wins in a season, and his 63 total shutout wins in his career are eighth in history. In Japanese professional baseball, it's safe to say that there's nothing surprising about a pitcher achieving consecutive shutout wins. Finally, here is an example of how once people form an opinion, it is difficult for them to break free from it. This is related to the two records achieved by Drysdale in 1968. As mentioned above, in Japan, the 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings record is more commonly mentioned than the six consecutive shutout wins record. In other words, the 58 2/3 consecutive shutout innings record is more famous. Mistakes that seem to be caused by this are often made in Japan. Let me explain them. Robert F. Kennedy (nicknamed Bobby) was the younger brother of the 35th US President John F. Kennedy. He served as Attorney General during his brother's administration. He later became a senator from New York State, and in 1968 ran in the Democratic primary for president. Then, on June 4th, the day Drysdale set a new major league record by pitching six consecutive shutout games, Bobby won the California Democratic primary. On the following day, June 5th, Bobby gave a speech in front of a large crowd of supporters in Los Angeles, and at the beginning of the speech, he praised Drysdale for his six consecutive shutout wins. Then, immediately after the speech, Bobby was shot and died the following day, June 6th. However, in Japan, this story is often told incorrectly, like this: "In his speech, Bobby praised Drysdale for setting a new major league record by pitching 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. Immediately after the speech, Bobby was shot and died." There is no way Bobby would praise Drysdale for his 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, because that streak had not been achieved on June 5th, the day Bobby gave his speech. It was achieved three days later, on June 8th. Why do people make this mistake?  The only thing I can think is that many people think that 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings is more impressive than six consecutive shutout wins. But if they watch the American movie "Bobby" (2006), they will no longer make this mistake. The movie accurately depicts Bobby praising Drysdale for his six consecutive shutout wins at the beginning of his speech, and then being shot immediately after the speech. The people who make this mistake probably don't even know that this movie exists. DVD of the movie “Bobby” (Japanese version) ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

In 1998, Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" began to be played at the end of games at Fenway Park, the home stadium of the Boston Red Sox. It was started by a woman who worked in the sound department at the stadium. It wasn't played at every game, but only when she felt like it, and only when the Red Sox were leading. However, it was a very catchy song, so many spectators began to sing along with Neil Diamond and sing parts of the lyrics. Then, in 2002, it was made an official tradition to play "Sweet Caroline" before the Red Sox's attack in the bottom of the eighth inning at every game at Fenway Park, and it has continued to do so to this day. It's so well-known that it's safe to say that every MLB fan knows it. Neil Diamond's song collection CD, which includes “Sweet Caroline”(MCA) "Sweet Caroline" is a song written and composed by singer-songwriter Neil Diamond himself in 1969, but the Caroline in this song refers to Caroline Kennedy, the beloved daughter of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy (JFK), who was assassinated in 1963. Neil Diamond himself has clearly stated that he wrote this song with Caroline Kennedy in mind. A unique and wonderful biography of Caroline Kennedy, "Sweet Caroline: Last Child of Camelot" by Christopher Andersen (2003, William Morrow) JFK was a special person to me. He was young, intelligent, energetic, and seemed to me to be a wonderful American president who embodied hope for the future. Furthermore, to my great delight, as I had been an avid Major League Baseball fan since I was eight years old, JFK loved baseball. I think he also said something like, "Baseball and the United States will stand together forever." During his presidency, he threw the ceremonial first pitch at the opening game of the Major League every year (three times in total). He was the first president to throw the first pitch at an All-Star Game after World War II. I will never forget the day that JFK, who was such a special person to me, was assassinated. I think that not only I, but all Japanese people of my generation will never forget it. There was a special circumstance. November 23, 1963 (November 22 in the US) was a national holiday in Japan. It was also a memorable day when the first broadcast connecting Japan and the US was made through a communications satellite in space. Because it was a national holiday, I, a 16-year-old high school student, woke up later than usual. I went down from my room on the second floor to the living room on the first floor and turned on the TV. And lo and behold, the news of JFK's assassination was being broadcast on the TV screen. The first satellite broadcast connecting Japan and the US had become the news of JFK's assassination. I was surprised and shocked, but I immediately shouted and woke up the whole family. My family woke up to see what was going on, and they were also surprised and shocked by the JFK assassination. Just like my family, many households across Japan were surprised and shocked to learn of JFK's assassination on the first television broadcast connecting Japan and the United States via a communications satellite. I was saddened that my beloved JFK had been assassinated, but I wanted to know why it had happened, so I read every book and magazine article about the JFK assassination I could get my hands on. Among those magazine articles, I found one that was interesting. To summarize it briefly, it said this: "When JFK was assassinated, it was unknown where 5-year-old Caroline was. So the Secret Service and intelligence agencies desperately searched for Caroline. They issued the command, 'Find Lilac!' Because lilac was used as a code name for Caroline." After reading this article, I thought that lilac, whose flower language is "first love" and "purity," was a good code name for Caroline. Once I found it possible to look up various things on the Internet, I look up Caroline’s code name. And I found it seems that her code name was not lilac but lyric. The magazine I read seemed to have confused lilac with lyric. Lyric has many meanings, but it can also mean the lyrics of a popular song like "Sweet Caroline" (it is usually used as the plural "lyrics"). Did the code name predict Caroline’s future use in song lyrics? Caroline Kennedy served as the US ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017. During that time, she was extremely popular in Japan. And even now, she is very well-liked in Japan. Of course, I love her too. I'm very happy that JFK's daughter is well-liked in Japan. A concise and very well-written biography of Caroline Kennedy's life so far, “Caroline Kennedy Biography: A Life of Courage, Conviction and Service” by Lissette R. Kent (2025). It also mentions Caroline Kennedy's outstanding achievements as ambassador to Japan and how she was loved by many Japanese people. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

July 20, 2016. I was so excited to leave Japan and head to the US. The time had finally come to realize my long-held dream. Being old, I just didn't think I'd get another chance. The US mainland is roughly rectangular in shape. I had been dreaming for a long time to drive through all states on the four sides of that rectangle, that is, all the states on the edge of the US mainland over the course of six weeks. Obviously, there was no deeper meaning to this. I just thought I might be able to get a feel for the vastness of the US. After arriving in Houston, Texas, at the southern tip of the US mainland, I rented a car and drove east along the Gulf of Mexico (now the Gulf of America). When I reached Florida, at the southeastern tip, I headed north. I drove through one state after another on the east coast. And on July 29, I arrived in Cooperstown, New York. The city is also known as the sacred place of baseball, with the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Up until this point, things had gone just as I expected. Ichiro had hit a double as a pinch hitter the day before, leaving him just two hits away from reaching 3,000 hits in his major league career. It is said that if a major leaguer achieves 3,000 hits, he will surely be honored with being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the future. As an avid Ichiro fan, I wanted to be in Cooperstown to witness the moment Ichiro achieved his 3,000th hit. I had been making drives to realize my long-held dream, anticipating the day when Ichiro would achieve his 3,000th hit. It was fantastic that I had come to Cooperstown just as I had predicted, with just two hits left. I was sure I could resume my drive trip after spending two or three days in Cooperstown. But things didn't go so well for me. It seemed like days were passing without Ichiro achieving 3,000 hits. I thought, "I can't achieve my long-held dream and Ichiro at the same time." It seemed to be true that "He who chases two rabbits catches neither," so I had no choice but to choose one. I was wondering which one to choose.　I chose Ichiro and ended up spending 11 days in Cooperstown. During that time, I went to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum every day. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Although I gave up on my long-held dream, I don't regret it. The 11 days I spent in Cooperstown waiting for Ichiro to achieve his feat became wonderful memories. Days passed with only two left. During that time, I became familiar with all the vast amount of exhibits in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. I also took lots of photos. On July 31, the third day of my stay, I noticed that if I operate the record display device on the third floor, it displays the total number of hits of active major leaguers. Of course, Ichiro's total number of hits was displayed as 2,998. Ichiro's exhibition corner. The record display device showing Ichiro's total number of hits at 2,998. When I wasn't in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, I wandered around the town of Cooperstown and ate and drank at restaurants in Cooperstown. I was so sure that I had eaten and drank at every restaurant in Cooperstown. I felt like I had changed from a tourist to a local. Something happened that made me feel even more like a local. It was on the afternoon of the sixth day of my stay. I was sitting on my butt on the road near the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, staring blankly at the people walking around town. I was dressed casually (or, more accurately, dirty and shabby?). I had a big paper cup of coffee between my open legs. Then, a cute white girl of about 7 or 8 years old suddenly appeared in front of me and held out her right hand to give me something. I casually took it, and the girl quickly disappeared as if running away. What? What on earth had happened? I realized when I saw what she had given me, because it was a one dollar bill. I'm sure you all understand by now. Yes, the girl thought I was a poor beggar with a paper cup for "receiving alms" and gave me the one dollar bill. Don't you think no one would do something like that to a tourist? The main street of Cooperstown. Many restaurants face this street. A lake a short distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. I once found myself staring blankly at the lake. On August 6th, the ninth day of my stay, Ichiro hit an infield hit as a pinch hitter, leaving him one hit away from 3,000 hits. After the game, it was announced that "Tomorrow, Ichiro will be in the starting lineup for the first time in a while."  When I heard this announcement, I immediately thought, "Tomorrow will be the day he achieves this great feat." Then, on August 7th, the tenth day of my stay. I went to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and immediately operated the record display device on the third floor to display the total number of hits of active major leaguers. Ichiro's total number of hits had changed to 2,999. The record display device showing Ichiro’s total number of hits at 2999. That day, I had brought my computer to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The game started at 4:10 pm EDT, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which had an internet connection, closed at 9 pm. In other words, I could watch the game from start to finish inside the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum via internet broadcast. So, where in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum should I have watched the game?  There was a room on the first floor with plaques honoring the Hall of Fame inductees on the wall, but part of the wall has blank plaques for future inductees. The wall decorated with plaques honoring players who have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and another wall with blank plaques for future inductees. I sat on a bench nearby and opened my laptop. I thought to myself, "Today, it will become to be almost certain that one of those blank plaques will be replaced with one honoring Ichiro in the future." Well, the moment Ichiro, who had been out for three at-bats, hit a triple in his fourth at-bat in the top of the seventh inning, achieving a great feat, I shouted, "Yay!" But I immediately became worried. "I wonder if Ichiro will get another turn at bat and get another hit?"  The display on the third floor didn't change after each at-bat, but instead changed the next day. So if Ichiro got another hit, the next day's display would suddenly change from 2999 to 3001. I wouldn't be able to take a photo of the memorable 3000. In the top of the ninth, it was Ichiro's turn to bat. I shouted, "Ichiro, don't hit a hit! Please be out!  I've been waiting in Cooperstown for 10 days, so please be out !"  The result?  It wasn't a hit. But it wasn't an out either. It was a walk. I was relieved, but at the same time I felt ashamed of myself. "I'm such a terrible guy for asking to be out." The next day, August 8th, the 11th day of my stay. I operated the record display device on the third floor to display the total hits of active major leaguers, and Ichiro's number had changed from 2999 to 3000. I was so happy that I casually touched the column for Ichiro's name, and lo and behold, a large column introducing Ichiro appeared. It even had a photo of him. Wow, so that's how it was set up. The record display device showing Ichiro's total number of hits at 3,000, accompanied by a large column introducing Ichiro with a photo of him. By the way. I went to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum every day, and on the second day a male staff member spoke to me. "You were here yesterday, weren't you?" How could he have known even though there were so many visitors there. Was it because I stood out because of my strange appearance?  But that didn’t really matter. I answered, "Yeah. I'll come every day until Ichiro hits 3,000 hits." The number of staff members who noticed me and spoke to me increased day by day. By the tenth day, it seemed like almost all of them had noticed me and spoken to me. On that tenth day, after I paid the admission fee at the entrance counter (incidentally, it was $23 for adults, but since I'm old I'm a senior so it was only $15), the staff member, Ms. S (a slim, beautiful and dignified woman who seemed to be in her 30s) spoke to me with a stern expression and in a stern tone. "You come here every day, don't you? Be sure to come to me tomorrow with all your tickets. I'll make sure you become a member here with no registration fee. If you become a member, you'll have many benefits. For example, the admission fee is..." And then, on August 8th, the 11th day of my stay, Ms. S took me, with my 10 tickets in hand, to the registration desk and immediately returned to her work at the admission counter. As I was leaving the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, I called out to Ms. S, who was sitting in a chair at the admission counter, "Ms. S!". When Ms. S turned around, I showed her my membership card and said, "I got it," and Ms. S leaned over the counter and asked for a handshake, with the most beautiful smile. Every time I see my membership card, I always remember that kind and wonderful Ms. S. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown was a wonderful place. The staff were also wonderful. The 11 days I spent in Cooperstown are the best memories for me. Ichiro has been selected for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the ceremony will soon be held in Cooperstown. I would love to rush down to Cooperstown as well, but due to my age, I have no choice but to give up. There will surely be many people who rush to the ceremony, but among them, there will surely not be anyone who was in the Baseball Hall of Fame when Ichiro achieved the 3,000th hit, ensuring his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I was. I will be satisfied with that. ( I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)