"The Art of Fielding" (2011) by Chad Harbach is a wonderful masterpiece novel. I was engrossed in reading it. “The Art of Fielding” by Chad Harbach Japanese translation version of “The Art of Fielding” Some people may think that this novel is an entertainment baseball novel just by looking at the title. It certainly has aspects of a baseball novel, but I think that this novel is a work of literature that deals with a profound theme. To be more specific, this novel depicts the choices that various people make at a crossroads in their lives, set in a university in Wisconsin. However, I would like to focus only on the aspects of it being a baseball novel and talk about a few points. In this novel, a student with genius defensive skills as a shortstop appears. Since childhood, he has admired a famous shortstop in the major leagues, and is an avid reader of the book "The Art of Fielding" written by that famous shortstop. The famous shortstop in the major leagues is Aparicio Rodriguez. He is from Venezuela and played for the St. Louis Cardinals for 18 years, winning the Gold Glove Award 14 times. Aparicio Rodriguez is a fictional character, but I can't help but think about the author's decision to create such a wonderful fictional character. Here, about shortstops who really played in the major leagues. There was a great shortstop named Luis Aparicio from Venezuela who retired from the major leagues in 1973. He won the Gold Glove Award nine times and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but he never played for the St. Louis Cardinals. On the other hand, there was an American major leaguer who played mainly for the St. Louis Cardinals as a great shortstop and won the Gold Glove Award 13 times: Ozzie Smith. He retired in 1996 and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Ozzie Smith's defensive skills were so amazing that he even had the nickname "The Wizard of Oz" based on his name. ... Until Ozzie Smith won the Gold Glove Award 13 times, the aforementioned Luis Aparicio's nine wins was the major league record for a shortstop. I believe that the author of this novel must have created a fictional character by mixing two real major leaguers. Incidentally, neither of them have written a book like "The Art of Fielding". If you are interested in Major League Baseball, you can enjoy the ingenuity of the character settings in the masterpiece of American literature. ...My own opinion about this character setting may be wrong and may be completely different from the author's intention. Here's a story that has nothing to do with baseball. The novel contains the following description of a woman who is one of its main characters: A copy of the new Murakami novel, its cover an opulent yellow poked out of her jacket pocket, bought at the campus bookstore to commemorate her first-ever paycheck. It's normal to think that this Murakami is the famous Japanese novelist, Haruki Murakami. Here's something interesting. The English translation of Haruki Murakami’s "1Q84" was released in the United States in 2011, the same year as "The Art of Fielding".  And when "The Art of Fielding" was number one on the New York Times bestseller list, "1Q84" was number two. ...I don't think my memory is wrong, but I'm sorry if I'm wrong. By the way, I'm a big fan of Haruki Murakami, and I've read all of his works. Well, since many of the important characters in "The Art of Fielding" are university baseball players, there are a lot of descriptions of baseball plays. They are detailed, beautiful, and fascinating. In addition, there are also some extremely detailed references to major league baseball. I think that the author must be a big fan of major league baseball. However, there is one thing that bothers me a little. In this novel, Henry, a student with genius defensive skills as a shortstop, suddenly begins throwing the ball badly to first base. The author writes the following in relation to this setting, including a conversation between Henry and Sarah, a female sports reporter . "Do you know who Steve Blass is?" Sarah asked. "Never heard of him," Henry lied. Steve Blass was an all-star pitcher for the Pirates in the early ‘70s. In the spring of 1973 he suddenly, inexplicably, became unable to throw the ball over the plate. He struggled for two years to regain his control and then, defeated, retired. "What about Mackey Sasser?" "Never heard of him." Sasser was a catcher for the Mets who’d developed paralyzing fear of tossing the ball back to the pitcher. He would double-, triple-, quadruple-, quintuple-pump, unable to believe it was okay to let go. Opposing fans would loudly, gleefully count the number of pumps. Opposing players would run around the bases. Total humiliation. When it happened to Sasser, they said he had Steve Blass Disease. I'm not saying that this description is wrong, but I think catcher Mackey Sasser is a special case of the yips. He has trouble throwing the ball back to the pitcher but is able to perform other aspects of a catcher's role. So there is a special term called "Mackey Sasser syndrome." So, I wish the term Mackey Sasser syndrome had been used in "The Art of Fielding" in addition to the term Steve Blass Disease. (I was worried because all the major league fans around me didn't know the term "Mackey-Sasser syndrome." I wondered if I was mistaken in thinking that there was such a term. So I did a lot of research. Finally, I found a good book. "The Language of Baseball: A Complete Dictionary of Slang Terms, Cliches, and Expression from the Grand Ole Game" by Ryan Gray (2002, COACHES CHOICE). This book says about Mackey-Sasser syndrome: "Term for a catcher who is psychologically hindered from making basic throws back to the pitcher.") “The Language of Baseball: A Complete Dictionary of Slang Terms, Cliches, and Expressions from the Grand Ole Game” by Ryan Gray By the way, in the classic American comedy film "Major League II" (1994), there is a catcher who can throw the ball properly to the fielders but cannot throw it properly back to the pitcher. Many people seem to think that this is an absurd setting in a movie, but I think that it must have been inspired by Macky Sasser. DVD of the movie “Major League Ⅱ” (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.)

Wisconsin is a state in the Midwestern United States. It is famous for its large German population and for its beer production. The largest city is Milwaukee. The name Milwaukee used to be quite well known in Japan because when I was a boy (I'm 78 now, so it was a long time ago!), a beer company often played a song on TV commercials that repeated the phrase "München, Sapporo, Milwaukee," listing the three areas where beer is produced. This song is rarely heard these days, so Milwaukee may not be well known among young people in Japan. The home stadium of the Milwaukee Brewers, a major league baseball team based in Milwaukee, was County Stadium for over 30 years, but moved to a newly constructed stadium in 2001. The stadium has a retractable roof, Miller Park (the name of which has changed to American Family Field in 2021). Miller Park I make it a rule to visit any major league baseball stadium at least once, so I thought I should go to Miller Park someday. I didn't have a chance to go there for a while, but finally I was able to go in the summer of 2009. Miller Park was a very impressive stadium. Around the stadium, there were bronze statues of men who played for the Milwaukee Brewers and left their mark on the history of major league baseball. Robin Yount, who played for the Milwaukee Brewers for 20 years, retired in 1993, and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Hank Aaron, a great player with 755 home runs in his career, played for the Braves, who were based in  Milwaukee, and played for Atlanta after the Braves moved to Atlanta, Georgia, but returned to Milwaukee for his final two years as a player and was a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. Robin Yount statue Hank Aaron statue By the way, Milwaukee is very passionate about baseball. The residents love baseball and are passionate about supporting their local team. So they waited for a major league team to come to their hometown, but it didn't happen for a while. Finally, in 1953, a major league team came. The Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee and became the Milwaukee Braves. Their home stadium was the brand new County Stadium. However, in 1965, the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and became the Atlanta Braves. Once again, Milwaukee was left without a major league team. Five years later, in 1970, the Milwaukee Brewers, which still exists today, were born. Their home stadium was once again County Stadium. In 2001, with the completion and opening of Miller Park, the new home stadium of the Milwaukee Brewers, the nearby County Stadium was demolished. Most of the stadium site is now the parking lot for Miller Park, but the site of the former infield is now converted into Helfaer Field for Little League baseball. I gazed upon Helfaer Field, the site of County Stadium, with emotion, because it was the place where Milwaukee baseball fans once performed a wonderful "deed." I learned about this "deed" because it was introduced in the masterpiece novel, "Shoeless Joe" by W.P. Kinsella. It is the original novel on which the American film "Field of Dreams" was based, but this "deed" is not mentioned at all in the film. It is not that I criticize the film or feel disappointed about it for that. The novel contains several episodes that have nothing to do with the story development, and the introduction of this "deed" is one of them, and it would be difficult to incorporate into a film, so it was only natural that it would be omitted. “ Shoeless Joe” by W.P.Kinsella (A Mariner Book, HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY) So let me introduce this "deed" by quoting it from the novel. “ I am reminded of the story about the baseball fans of Milwaukee, and what they did on a warm fall afternoon, the day after it was announced that Milwaukee was to have a major-league team the next season. According to the story, 10,000 people went to County Stadium that afternoon and sat in the seats and smiled out at the empty playing field ― sat in silence, in awe, in wonder, in anticipation, in joy ― just knowing that soon the field would come alive with the chatter of infielders, bright as bird chirps.” It's a wonderful and moving story. And it's also a touching story that the site of this story is being turned into a Little League baseball field for children. I gazed at Helfaer Field, the site of County Stadium, for a while before taking a photo. I thought I would ask a passerby to take a photo of me standing in front of Helfaer Field. But no one came. After about 30 minutes, one person finally showed up. It was a middle-aged, white woman.   When I asked her to take a photo, she gladly accepted. Helfaer Field Me standing in front of Helfaer Field. After taking the photo, the white woman asked me, "Are you Japanese?" "Yes, I am. I'm on a road trip in the United States, and I'm very interested in Major League Baseball, so I came here." "Did you come all the way here just to see this field?" I briefly explained the reason for my visit to the site of County Stadium. The white woman stared at me and said, "That's a really amazing story. I'm embarrassed that I, a local resident, didn't know about it. Are you going to visit other places related to MLB?"  "Yes, I plan to."  "I'm sure you'll visit some amazing places like this. Enjoy your road trip!" I muttered to myself, "I wonder if there are any other places as moving and wonderful as this one. Even if there are, they'd be extremely rare." ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

Kevin Costner is my favorite movie actor. When he was young, he was so cool that even a man like me was fascinated by him. Since middle age, he has become more mature and cooler. By the way, there are many actors in the United States who are bad at baseball. And they are sometimes used in baseball movies, so I feel uncomfortable with those movies.   But Kevin Costner is a huge exception. Kevin Costner has loved playing baseball since he was a child, so he is really good at baseball. I think that he is the best among American actors. He looks great when he pitches to the legendary hitter Shoeless Joe Jackson in "Field of Dreams"(1989), and he looks like a real baseball player when he casually hits the ball coming out of the batting machine in "Bull Durham"(1988), and it doesn't feel strange at all when he plays a pitcher who achieves a perfect game before retiring from the major leagues in "For Love of the Game"(1999). DVD of the movie “For Love of the Game” (Japanese version) Before I get to the main topic, I'd like to briefly touch on the American movie actors who are good and bad at baseball, other than Kevin Costner. I'll say in advance that everything I write from now on is just my personal preference, so please don't get angry. I have no disrespect for any of the actors. Movie actors don't have to be good at baseball. 　 First, actors who are good at baseball. The masterpiece baseball comedy "Major League" (1989). Charlie Sheen, who plays the pitcher in this movie, was a pitcher on his high school baseball team, so his pitching form is really good and his ball speed is amazing. He may be able to throw the ball at a speed of about 130 km/h. Anyone who is interested in American movies and baseball should know that Kevin Costner and Charlie Sheen are good at baseball, as I've written so far. My pride wouldn't allow me to keep writing examples like that. So from here on, I'll only give you some surprising examples. In the American movie "A League of Their Own" (1992), Tom Hanks plays the male manager of a women's baseball team. It is probably not widely known that Tom Hanks is a good baseball player. However, if you watch the scene in this movie where Tom Hanks is batting, you will realize that he is also quite good at baseball. Next is Jack Nicholson, who plays the lead role in the American movie "The Shining" (1980), which has nothing to do with baseball. There is a scene where he throws a ball with all his might against a wall. It is a very short scene that can be called a mere moment. After seeing Nicholson's pitching form in that scene, I think Nicholson must be good at baseball. Both Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson are good at acting, having won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice. For these two, it may be natural that they are good at baseball. These two are often seen in the media watching major league games at the stadium, so it is well known that they love baseball. Next, let's talk about actors who are bad at baseball. I'll give you an unexpected example in this regard as well. What I'm about to write is probably something that no one has noticed. The American movie "The Great Escape" (1963) depicts Allied soldiers escaping from a German prison camp during World War II. For men of my generation, it is a nostalgic classic. In this movie, the late great actor Steve McQueen plays Captain Hilts, an American prisoner of war. Captain Hilts is set to love baseball. So, there are scenes where Captain Hilts throws the ball with his right hand against the glove on his left hand, and where he repeatedly throws the ball against the wall in the solitary cell. However, I think that Steve McQueen's acting in these scenes is not good at all. I think Steve McQueen had not played much baseball since he was a child. His acting makes it seem that way. First of all, the action of throwing the ball with his right hand against the glove on his left hand is not good at all. He releases the ball from his right hand too soon. He releases the ball without bending his wrist much. This is a typical action of someone who is not used to baseball. DVD of the movie “The Great Escape” (Japanese version) When someone who is used to baseball repeatedly throws the ball against a wall, they usually throw it on the floor near the wall. In that way, the ball that bounces off the floor and hits the wall always tends to return to a fixed place. However, Steve McQueen throws the ball on the floor quite far from the wall, so the ball that bounces off the floor and hits the wall does not return to a fixed place, but returns to different places. Despite these points, the movie is really great and Steve McQueen is cool and awesome. Steve McQueen is my favorite actor and I do not mean to disparage him in any way by writing this, and I apologize if there are any mistakes in what I have written. I've digressed a bit, but let's get back to Kevin Costner. Kevin Costner is really good at baseball, but his best known work would probably be "Dances with Wolves" (1990), which depicts the sad history of the United States against the backdrop of the Civil War. After all, he produced, directed, and starred in the movie, and it won seven Academy Awards. I also think this movie is a great masterpiece. Even though it is over three hours long, I never got bored and lost track of time while watching it. But there is one thing that bothers me about this movie. There are no baseball scenes at all. DVD of the movie “Dances with Wolves” (Japanese version) The history of baseball cannot be discussed without the Civil War. It is said that the Civil War was the catalyst for baseball, which originated in the eastern United States, to spread throughout the country. It is said that soldiers who were taught baseball by soldiers from the east during breaks in the battles returned to their hometowns after the war and spread the game there (although it should be said that there are objections to this idea). Kevin Costner loves baseball, so I wish he had included some baseball scenes in this Civil War movie. So, are there any movies about the Civil War that have baseball scenes in them? Of course there are. Here is my favorite of those movies. "Glory" (1989). The film is about black troops in the Union Army, formed mainly by black slaves who escaped from the South. There is a scene of the soldiers playing baseball. It's only briefly in the background, so you don't notice it if you're not paying attention. DVD of the movie “Glory” (Japanese version) But I still think it would have been nice to see baseball scenes like this in Kevin Costner's film. If that had happened, I would have liked Kevin Costner even more. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

After the 2008 season ended, I was sorting through various records and noticed something unusual. It was something unusual with regard to individual titles for both batting and pitching. Now, let me write about the strangeness of the titles for both batting and pitching. (A) Batting titles I noticed that in the eight years from 2001, when the 21st century began, to 2008, no player had been the batting average leader for two consecutive years in major league baseball. To be more specific, in the nine years from 2000 in the National League and in the eight years from 2001 in the American League, no player had been the batting average leader for two consecutive years. Some people may ask whether that is strange, but it really is strange. Since the modern Major League Baseball began in 1901 (the beginning of the 20th century), there had only been one time in the 20th century where no player had been the batting average leader for two consecutive years in a span of eight years in the major leagues: from 1932 to 1939. More specifically, there was a 14-year period from 1926 to 1939 in the National League, and an eight-year period from 1932 to 1939 in the American League, where no player was the batting average leader for two consecutive years. In both of these eight-year gaps, there were excellent hitters. For example, in the 20th century gap, there were Paul Waner and Jimmie Foxx. In the 21st century gap, there were Ichiro, Joe Mauer, and Barry Bonds. The five players mentioned here were the batting average leader twice during the eight-year gap, but it was just not consecutive. There are two possible reasons why no player had been the batting average leader for two consecutive years despite the existence of such excellent hitters. First, there were many excellent hitters, and the competition for the batting title was fierce. Second, there was no super-excellent hitter who could overwhelm the excellent hitters. These two reasons are essentially the same. In the past, both leagues had amazing players who dominated the batting average title for many years. Rogers Hornsby was the batting average leader in the National League for six consecutive years, and Ty Cobb was the batting average leader in the American League for nine consecutive years. It may be that such players will never appear again, though we cannot say for sure that they will never appear again. Portrait of Ty Cobb (on display at the Ty Cobb Museum in Royston, Georgia) By the way, the gap in the 20th century ended after eight years when Joe DiMaggio, who was the batting average leader in the American League in 1939, also became the batting average leader the following year in 1940. However, in the National League, no player had been the batting average leader for two consecutive years for 25 years until Stan Musial became the batting average leader for the second consecutive year in 1951. So what happened during the gap in the 21st century?  In 2009, Joe Mauer became the batting average leader in the American League for the second consecutive year, ending the eight-year gap. However, in the National League, the gap continued for 19 years until Christian Yelich became the batting average leader for the second consecutive year in 2019. (B) Pitcher titles Actually, this is the main topic of this article. I realized that something was happening regarding pitcher titles that had never happened before in the long history of modern Major League Baseball. In the 10 years from 1999 to 2008, there was no pitcher who won the most wins title in two consecutive years in Major League Baseball. More specifically, in the 13 years from 1996 to 2008 in the National League, and in the 10 years from 1999 to 2008 in the American League, there was no pitcher who won the most wins title in two consecutive years. There were pitchers who won the most wins title twice in these 10 years, but not consecutively. Brandon Webb won twice in the National League, and Curt Schilling won once each in the National League and the American League. In the past, there were pitchers who won the most wins title for many years. For example, Pete Alexander won the most wins title in the National League for four consecutive years, and Walter Johnson won the most wins title in the American League for four consecutive years. It may be that we will never see another pitcher like that again. We can't say for sure that we will never see another pitcher like that, though. Large photograph of Walter Johnson at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum By the way, what happened after this 10-year gap?  In 2010, CC Sabathia won the most wins title in the American League for the second consecutive year, ending the gap after 11 years. After that, Max Scherzer won the most wins title in the American League for two consecutive years in 2013 and 2014. But here lies the biggest problem. In fact, the gap in the National League has continued for a long time. In other words, from 1996 to 2024, there was no pitcher who won the most wins title two years in a row for 29 years. Since the beginning of modern Major League Baseball, there has probably never been such an amazing turn of events in terms of individual titles. So, over these 29 years, has the National League had many excellent pitchers, but no exceptionally good ones? Is that the reason why the competition for the most wins title was so fierce? I think that may be true, but I don't think that's the only reason. This is because there was an exceptionally good pitcher who won the best ERA and most strikeouts titles two years in a row. During those 29 years, Randy Johnson won the best ERA title two years in a row, in 2001 and 2002, and Clayton Kershaw won the best ERA title four years in a row, from 2011 to 2014. As for the most strikeouts title, Curt Schilling won it two years in a row in 1997 and 1998, Randy Johnson won it four years in a row from 1999 to 2002, Tim Lincecum won it three years in a row from 2008 to 2010, Max Scherzer won it three years in a row from 2016 to 2018, and Jacob deGrom won it two years in a row from 2019 to 2020. Although the National League has had such outstandingly talented pitchers, there has been no pitcher who has won the most wins title two years in a row for a long period of 29 years. I can think of only one reason for this. The titles for best ERA and most strikeouts can be won solely by the pitcher's ability, but the title for most wins is not. It depends on the runs scored by both the team and the opponent. In other words, there are aspects that cannot be controlled by the pitcher's ability alone. I think this is the reason why no pitcher has won the most wins title two years in a row in the National League for 29 years, but if that is the case, then the scoring ability of the teams in the National League was much more even than that of the American League for 29 years. Can we really say this? If anyone else can think of a reason why no pitcher has won the most wins title two years in a row in the National League in 29 years, I'd love to hear it. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

On April 25, 2016, I flew from Japan to the US, arrived in Houston, Texas, and started my road trip in a rental car. Then, on May 3, I arrived in Kalamazoo, a city in Michigan. I had a little business to take care of at Western Michigan University in that city. The campus of Western Michigan University was extremely large and extremely beautiful. After taking care of my business, I took a rest and drank coffee in the cafeteria on campus, and fell asleep for about an hour. But thanks to that, I was able to recover from the fatigue of the drive and feel extremely good. So, I decided to accomplish another purpose. Actually, there was another place I wanted to visit while I was in Kalamazoo. I returned to the parking lot and headed to that place. After arriving at KALAMAZOO CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, I parked my car in the large parking lot and walked towards the school building. I opened the most conspicuous door and tried to go inside, but it was locked. Oh dear, so where do I enter? As I was wandering around, someone called out from behind me, "Gentleman, what's the matter?" It was a black boy. I asked him,  "Are you a student here?" "Yes, I am. It seems like you're having some trouble". "I'm a tourist from Japan, so I don't know where to enter". The high school student smiled kindly and politely told me, "I see. There's an unlocked entrance over there". "Thank you". "You're welcome. Welcome to our high school!" He was a really kind high school student. I walked into Kalamazoo Central High School without an appointment....into the alma mater of Derek Jeter, the superstar who played his entire career for the New York Yankees and retired in 2014. Kalamazoo Central High School building Derek Jeter, captain of the New York Yankees, was said to be the most famous and popular active major leaguer in the United States. At least, that's what the people of New York thought. There is a good example that illustrates Jeter's such position. It is the American movie “World Trade Center”(2006) which is based on the true story of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks This movie begins with a scene in New York in the early morning of September 11th, before anything unusual had happened. Then we see a conversation between two men on a commuter train. “Did you see Jeter’s homer on Saturday?  Guy’s got some swing, man.” “Yeah, I was there.” “Yeah? It was a good one to have been at.”  “It was.” In this way, Jeter was New York’s most iconic conversation piece. But Jeter was not the batting average leader, home run leader, RBI leader, or MVP, all of which are recognized by everyone as proof of a top-class player. And some people called Jeter “the most overrated player." Here is a good example that illustrates Jeter's such position. This is also a conversation between two men on a commuter train in “World Trade Center”. On September 8, 2001, the Saturday before the terrorist attacks, Jeter had not hit a home run. In fact, he had not even played in a game. Jeter had not played in a game since playing in a game on September 4. If anyone saw Jeter's home run live at Yankee Stadium, it must have been on Saturday, August 18. Is that something to talk about on September 11? (I think “World Trade Center” is a great movie that depicts the September 11 terrorist attacks very well. However, I think the conversation between the two men about Jeter is a bit problematic. Of course, I didn't remember Jeter being absent after the game on September 4. When I heard the conversation between the two men in this movie, I thought it was strange and looked into it. There were two reasons why I thought it was strange. First, Jeter was not a home run hitter, so it seemed a bit strange for them to talk about Jeter’s home run. Second, even if Jeter had hit a home run, it seemed strange to me for them to discuss his swing. Jeter's batting style was unique, and that style didn’t make me think about his swing in particular just because he hit a home run. My thoughts on Jeter's batting may not be correct, but when I looked closely at Jeter's play in September and August based on these thoughts, I discovered the surprising facts mentioned above. If I've made a fundamental mistake, or have grossly misunderstood something, or if the results that I looked into has turned out to be incorrect, please let me know and I will sincerely apologize.) DVD of the movie “World Trade Center” (Japanese version) To be honest, I didn't think highly of Jeter either. I thought, "Hmm, he's the captain of the Yankees, so he must be overly highly rated." However, something happened that changed my view of Jeter. Just before the 2012 season started, I was casually looking up records when I noticed something that surprised me. There was a player who could tie the great MLB record !  That player was Derek Jeter. If Jeter had 150 or more hits that year, he would have tied Hank Aaron's major league record of 17 consecutive years with 150 or more hits. In the three years leading up to 2012, Jeter's number of hits per year was clearly declining, 212, 179, and 162, so I thought it might be difficult for him to hit 150 hits in 2012. But to my surprise, Jeter hit 216 hits, the most in both leagues. Amazing, hats off to him!  My view of Jeter had to change drastically. But I still had some resistance to becoming a Jeter fan like the people in New York. By the way, the following year in 2013 Jeter had 12 hits, and the year after that in 2014 he had 149 hits. Then he retired. Now, when I entered the building of Kalamazoo Central High School, I became the center of attention of many high school students in the hallway. They seemed surprised by my scary face with a mustache, and looked at me with anxious expressions. But when I smiled and waved at them, they all smiled back. I introduced myself to the young woman at the reception desk. "I'm a huge Derek Jeter fan, so I came to this high school from Japan." In a situation like this, it would be bad if I didn't say I was a huge Jeter fan. The young woman smiled and said, "Oh, that's good to hear. Just wait a moment," then called over someone. The person who came was a white woman, I couldn't tell if she was young or middle-aged (for us Japanese, it is often difficult to guess the age of white people, regardless of gender).  I think she was probably someone in charge of public relations, but she might be a teacher. I didn't ask which it was, as I felt it would be somewhat rude to ask. She didn't say much. When I said, "Jeter is in this high school's Athletic Hall of Fame, isn't he?" the woman nodded without saying anything and took me to the "Athletic Hall of Fame." Kalamazoo Central High School Athletic Hall of Fame “Kalamazoo High School's Athletic Hall of Fame” was a wall in the gymnasium hallway a short distance from the school building, with about 40 people's photos and brief biographies of them lined up evenly on the wall, and the whole thing is covered with glass. I really like this simple look and how Jeter isn't treated specially. When I tried to take a photo, the woman said, "The light is reflecting off the glass. I'm sorry I forgot the key to open the glass cover." She was a woman of few words, but very kind and gentle.  I said, "I'll do something about it, so don't worry about it," and took the photo. After taking the photo, I asked, "Next, can I see the baseball field named after Jeter?" The woman nodded slightly without saying anything and started walking toward the baseball field. Photoand biography of Jeter on display at the Athletic Hall of Fame The baseball field came into view. "Oh, so you've put up a photo of Jeter from his Yankees days." "Yeah." The sign saying Jeter Field was quite impressive, but the baseball field itself was simple. Derek Jeter Field The sign at Derek Jeter Field featuring the photo of Jeter from his time as a member of the Yankees As we returned to the parking lot, I asked the woman, "Have you ever met Jeter?" "Only once. …I wish I could introduce you to the teachers who taught Jeter, but they're all getting old and have retired. It's a shame." "No, I'm very satisfied." I shook hands with the woman in the parking lot as we said goodbye. She smiled a little and said, "I hope you have many enjoyable drives." My impression of Kalamazoo Central High School was very good. The black male student who kindly called out to me when I was having trouble finding the entrance, the many students who were surprised when I suddenly showed up but quickly smiled back, the receptionist who was not reluctant at all despite my unexpected visit without an appointment, and the quiet but very kind woman who guided me to fulfill all my wishes. As I was leaving Kalamazoo Central High School, I started to think, "Maybe it would be nice to become a fan of Derek Jeter, who studied at such a wonderful high school." Surprised at myself for starting to think such a thing, I left Michigan.  (If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

Wednesday, September 28, 1960, at Fenway Park. If you get what I'm talking about from this, you must be a big MLB fan. That day, a 42-year-old great man who had played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox played his final game. That man was Ted Williams, the only major leaguer I have ever loved from the bottom of my heart. In that game, something happened that can only be described as divine providence. That divine providence is as follows: A 28-year-old young writer was watching the game from the infield seats behind third base. That young writer was John Updike, who would later be recognized as an excellent writer and win the Pulitzer Prize twice. About a month after the game, on October 22, 1960, Updike wrote a column for the famous magazine “The New Yorker” that delved into the essence of Ted Williams through the game. Even today, it is widely known as a masterpiece of sports columns. I also think it is a great masterpiece, and I would even say it is the best column in baseball columns. “Sports Classics “ edited by Howard Siner (1983, Coward McCann,Inc.) including “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu” ( Japanese translation version) Before I get into the content of this column, let me first talk about the title. "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu." It's really cool that it's a string of short words that doesn't seem like English, and it's also great that the last three words contain the letter "d" to rhyme. You can really understand how great it is by reading it aloud. ...By the way, Kid is the nickname of Ted Williams. Hub is Boston. There are two Japanese translations of this column, and both are excellent, but neither of them can convey the elegance of this English title in Japanese. No matter who translates it, I don't think it's possible, because there are some insurmountable differences between English and Japanese. There's another reason I mentioned the title: if you search the Internet now for this title, you can instantly access the full text of this column, because “The New Yorker” has made it available online for anyone to read for free. I think this is because it's a great column and they want as many people as possible to read it. Selected Essays of John Updike compiled in Japan(2013), including "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu" (in Japanese) Now, there is a famous passage in this column that strikes a chord with readers. Ted Williams hit a home run in his last at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning of his last game as an active player. However, Ted Williams quickly circled the bases as usual and quickly retreated to the dugout. The enthusiastic fans expected Ted Williams to come out of the dugout and respond to their cheers. The other players also asked him to do the same, but Ted Williams remained in the dugout and did not respond to the cheers of the fans. After describing this situation in detail, Updike wrote, "Gods do not answer letters".  This famous passage is known as a wonderful sentence that expresses Ted Williams, a lone batting genius  who went his own way, in a very elegant way. I also think this is a very elegant and wonderful passage, and I love it. However, some people criticize Ted Williams for this attitude. They say he is cocky, rude, and has problems with his humanity. Ted Williams was often criticized for his problems with his humanity. It is true that he was sometimes rude, such as appearing at official events without a tie. He was not good at socializing, and he did not always get along well with the press. However, we should not forget that everyone has many facets. Of course, Ted Williams also had many facets. I would like to briefly introduce just two of them here. First, his contributions through the Jimmy Foundation. This foundation was established in Boston with the aim of advancing research and treatment of childhood cancer. It is widely known that Ted Williams spared no effort for the Jimmy Foundation, always led fundraising efforts, and fought to save children's lives. Next is the speech Ted Williams gave when he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. In the days when Major League Baseball was closed to blacks, blacks had no choice but to play in the "Negro Leagues", no matter how good they were. Ted Williams argued that such black players should be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. This speech is said to be one of the catalysts that led to many outstanding black players being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. A plaque honoring Ted Williams at the National Baseball Hall of Fame I cannot conclude that Ted Williams, who has these facets, is cocky, rude, or has problems with humanity. And do gods who have these facets really not answer letters?  Something that seems to answer this question happened in Ted Williams' last game. After hitting a home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, Ted Williams took his defensive position in left field in the top of the ninth inning. However, he was immediately replaced by another player at the manager's instruction and returned to the dugout. If he was going to do something like that, you would think that he should not have been in the defensive position from the beginning of the inning, but the manager created an opportunity for the audience to see Ted Williams one more time and say their final farewell. Updike calmly wrote about Ted Williams returning from his left field defensive position to the dugout, but he didn't write about what happened after he arrived there. However, there is a book that goes into detail about it. "Baseball's Great Moments"(1974, A Rutledge Book Crown Publishers, Inc.) by Joseph Reichler, who is well-known as both a sports writer and a baseball historian. This is a classic that has had several new editions. This book says, “When Ted reached the dugout, he turned, and for a moment it seemed he would acknowledge the fans with a tip of cap. He hesitated, then ducked his head under the roof.” In other words, Joseph Reichler’s book shows us a touching facet of the lone batting genius, who looks and hesitates. I think that if this is true, then Updike's famous passage may be an oversimplification of the man Ted Williams was, and may not capture his essence. However, some people may wonder if what Joseph Reichler’s book says is true, since John Updike never mentioned it. But I believe it is true. Considering the many facets of Ted Williams, it can only be considered true. “Baseball’s Great Moments”. Original (1974, A Rutledge Book Crown Publishers, Inc.) and 1988 edition (A Rutledge Book BONANZA BOOKS) If I were to write about Ted Williams, I’d like to write, " Gods wonder whether they should answer letters" or, "Gods do not answer letters in a way that anyone can understand".  I have to admit that these are not as elegant or wonderful as Updike's famous passage, but I'd like to think they get closer to the essence of Ted Williams. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

My wife, Chiaki Mukai, is an astronaut and has flown twice on the space shuttle. Her second space flight was the nine-day STS-95 mission on the space shuttle Discovery from October 29 to November 7, 1998. One of her crewmates on that flight was John Glenn. The STS-95 crew members. John Glenn is on the far right, and Chiaki Mukai is in the center. (Ⓒ JAXA/NASA) John Glenn, a top Marine Corps pilot, was selected as one of America's first seven astronauts in 1959, and in 1962 became a national hero by becoming the first American to orbit the Earth in space. After retiring from astronaut status, he served as a U.S. Senator from Ohio for more than 20 years. In 1998, at the age of 77, John Glenn, still a senator, flew in space again, this time on STS-95, where my wife was also a crew member. The purpose of his space flight was to study the effects of weightlessness on the elderly. John Glenn and Chiaki Mukai working together in space. (Ⓒ JAXA/NASA) The whole of America was excited by the news that John Glenn, a national hero, would be flying in space again, even before the flight actually took place. There was a lot of excitement even after the successful completion of the STS-95 mission. Celebration parties and parades were held many times and in many places. Not only John Glenn but all the crew members participated in these parties and parades, including my wife. A few days before the celebration party at the hotel in Florida, John Glenn said to Chiaki, "Hey, Chiaki, I've specially invited a friend of mine to the party in Florida. I'll introduce him to you, but he's a guy you've never even heard of." Chiaki asked Glenn.  "Who is he?"  "His name is Ted Williams. You don't know him, do you?"  "Oh, I know him. He was the last .400 hitter, right?"  "Huh, how do you know that, Chiaki?"  "My husband is a big fan of Major League Baseball. So he always tells me about Ted Williams.” "Oh, is that so?"  "Where did you meet Ted Williams, John?"  "Ted and I are comrades in arms." When the Korean War broke out, Ted Williams participated as a Marine Corps pilot. At that time, the Marine Corps had a top pilot, John Glenn. The two were comrades in arms who fought together in the Korean War. By the way, Ted Williams served in the military twice during the prime of his career as a major leaguer. In World War II and the Korean War. Some people (I am one of them) say that if he had not served in the military twice (a total of about four years), Ted Williams would have been able to break Babe Ruth's career record of 714 home runs. Additionally, I would like to point out that only two major leaguers, Ted Williams and Bob Kennedy, served in both World War II and the Korean War. Jerry Coleman also served in both World War II and the Korean War, but I think he was a minor leaguer during World War II, not a major leaguer. MY LIFE IN PICTURES  TED WILLIAMS WITH DAVID PIETRUSZA (2001, TOTAL Sports Illustrated). In this book, Ted Williams mentions John Glenn, and includes a photo of the two of them meeting as old men. He also writes that he and Bob Kennedy are the only two MLB players to have served in both World War II and the Korean War, and includes a photo of the two of them together. Now, the celebration party was held at a hotel in Florida. Ted Williams, who was living out the rest of his life in Florida, came to the hotel at the invitation of John Glenn. And Chiaki met Ted Williams. And then....Chiaki called me internationally to tell me what had happened at the party. When I heard it, I was deeply moved. On the day of the celebration party in Florida, a waiting room was prepared for John Glenn and the other crew members. Ted Williams came to visit John Glenn in the waiting room. John Glenn was 77 years old, and Ted Williams was 80 years old. The two old comrades were engaged in a friendly conversation. After a while, John Glenn introduced the crew to Ted Williams. When Chiaki extended her hand to shake hands, Ted Williams said, "Oh, so you're the Japanese woman who flew with John. You look like a very lively woman."  His hand was really big and warm. As they shook hands, Chiaki said to Ted Williams.  "My husband is a big fan of yours. He's told me about your record over and over again." Ted Williams must have heard this kind of thing hundreds or thousands of times to the point of getting bored. But Ted Williams looked into Chiaki's eyes and smiled happily. The time had finally come for the celebration party to begin. The crew left the waiting room and headed to the big celebration venue. After some congratulatory speeches, John Glenn gave a speech on behalf of the crew. At the beginning of his speech, John Glenn said, "Today, I would like to introduce someone to you all. My comrade-in-arms, Ted Williams, whom you all know well!  Ted, can you say hello for a moment?"  The hall was filled with applause and cheers. Everyone looked for Ted Williams. But no one could find him. Ted Williams had left the hotel. Ted Williams probably came because he could see his comrade in arms. He probably came to the hotel for that reason alone. He probably didn't need to be surrounded by applause and cheers at the celebration hall. He had experienced such things many times during his time as a major league player. Besides, the main character who should have been surrounded by applause and cheers at the celebration hall that day was John Glenn. Ted Williams probably didn't want to steal John Glenn’s thunder. When my wife told me the story, I was deeply moved. And I thought, "Ted Williams is everything I expected him to be“.  To be completely honest, Ted Williams is the only major leaguer I've loved from the bottom of my heart. Ted Williams passed away in 2002 at the age of 83. John Glenn passed away in 2016 at the age of 95. The crew of STS-95 attended the funeral, including my wife. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

Since 1901, when the modern era of Major League Baseball began, eight players have achieved a batting average of .400 a total of 13 times. However, since Ted Williams' batting average of .406 in 1941, no one has achieved it in the major leagues. Major League Baseball fans are always waiting for the birth of a new .400 hitter. And when a player who seems like he could do it appears, they make a big fuss, but in the end they are disappointed. For example, Rod Carew in 1977, George Brett in 1980, Tony Gwynn in 1994, etc. So why is it so hard to find a new .400 hitter?  There are various theories. Players' salaries have increased, so they no longer have a hungry spirit, batters now have to adapt to the wide variety of breaking balls that pitchers throw, etc. However, the most famous, most persuasive, and most widely accepted theory is probably the one proposed by the late American paleontologist and evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould. I don't want to give a brief outline of the theory here, as it is such a wonderful theory that it would be a shame to only give an outline. Gould has written about it in detail in "Full House: The Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin”(Harmony Books, New York, 1996), so please read it. You will be moved by his surprising and wonderful analysis, and you will be forced to think about the evolution of life on Earth. “Full House: The Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin” by Stephen Jay Gould (Japanese translation version) Gould was not saying that .400 hitters would never appear in the future, but rather he hoped that one would appear. So, I would like to think about what kind of hitter can achieve a .400 batting average. To do this, I have looked in detail at a total of 13 cases by eight players who have achieved a .400 batting average so far. A section on .400 hitters on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. 1) Age. Of the 13 times, 11 were achieved in their 20s, and two in their 30s. The average age was 27.6 years old. The youngest player to achieve a .400 batting average was Ted Williams, who was 23 years old (1941). The oldest case was Ty Cobb, who achieved a .400 batting average for the third time at the age of 35 (1922). Another achiever in his 30s was Bill Terry (1930). It may be best to expect batters in their 20s to achieve a batting average of .400. A plaque honoring Ty Cobb at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. A plaque honoring Ted Williams at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 2) There have been three players who throw right-handed and bat right-handed : Nap Lajoie, Harry Heilmann, and Rogers Hornsby. There have been two players who throw left-handed and bat left-handed: George Sisler and Bill Terry. There have been three players who throw right-handed and bat left-handed: Ty Cobb, Joe Jackson and Ted Williams. If we split the numbers into right-handed and left-handed, there were six right-handed and two left-handed. Many right-handed players have achieved a .400 batting average, but since there are more right-handed players in the major leagues, this may not mean much. It may be better to think that whether a player is right-handed or left-handed, or whether he bats right-handed or left-handed, has nothing to do with a .400 batting average. 3) If you divide the number of at-bats by the number of strikeouts, you can see how many at-bats a player strikes out at. All of the major league batting average leaders have a number over 4. In other words, they have never struck out once in four at-bats. All of the triple crown winners have a number over 5. In other words, they have never struck out once in five at-bats. I have independently researched this data, and have already published it in a column titled "Strikeouts and hits" on this website. If you do the same calculation for .400 hitters, you will be surprised at the amazing results. Surprisingly, the lowest number for a .400 hitter, that is, the hitter who strikes out the most, is only 12.5. That was Rogers Hornsby in 1922. If you strike out once in 12 at-bats, you may not be able to become a .400 hitter. 4) In all 13 times, the .400 hitters were ranked in the top 10 in slugging percentage, and seven of those times they were ranked first in slugging percentage. Four of the eight .400 hitters won the Triple Crown ( Nap Lajoie, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby and Ted Williams), two of whom achieved both the Triple Crown and a .400 batting average in the same season (Nap Lajoie and Rogers Hornsby). In 10 of the 13 times the .400 hitters were ranked in the top 10 in home run rankings, and four of those times they were ranked first. It may be only sluggers who can become .400 hitters. 5) The last one is something you might call the “mystery” of .400 hitters. There is a really strange thing that .400 hitters have in common. That is, all 13 times, a batting average of .400 was achieved by a player on a team that did not win the league championship. In 10 cases, the team was 10 games or more behind the league champion, meaning that the team was completely out of the running for the championship. In the remaining three times, the team was 9 games, 5 games, and 1 game behind the leader, respectively. Only teams that did not win the league championship have produced .400 hitters. This fact may not mean anything. There are many things in this world that seem to have meaning but actually have no meaning. But if there is some meaning to this fact, I would like you to think carefully for yourself about what it could be. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

One night, I was lying in bed in my bedroom at home, watching the DVD of the very funny American comedy movie "Liar Liar" (1997). Then, I was so startled by a certain scene that I sat up.　The scene was a father giving his son baseball stuff as a gift for his fifth birthday. The son put on the glove and said, "Cool!  Can we play?  I’ll be Nomo. You can be Jose Canseco. Can we play? " As a Japanese person, I am very happy that a five-year-old boy loves Hideo Nomo , the Japanese pitcher in Major League Baseball. DVD of the movie “Liar Liar” (Japanese version) American movies often use the real names of major leaguers. However, most of the time, it is to explain the outcome of a famous game in the past, or as a casual reference. It is rare to see a boy admire a player like Hideo Nomo in this movie. It is an honor given only to a very limited number of superstar players. As a Japanese person, I was truly surprised to see Nomo being treated like this in an American film, but at the same time I was very happy. I should also mention that there are few American films in which the images or names of Japanese major leaguers appear. As far as I know, at this point in time, there are only two other films besides "Liar Liar". First, "Moneyball" (2011). There is a scene in which Athletics GM Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt, stares intently at a television screen at the airport, showing Ichiro, who is now a runner on first base. The film also features the name of another Japanese major leaguer. In a scene where sheets containing data on many players are introduced one after another, the name Shigetoshi Hasegawa appears on the sheet, albeit for just a moment. It's a scene that you would miss unless you were watching very carefully. The other film is "Fever Pitch"(2005). In this movie, the announcer who is broadcasting the New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox game loudly announces that Hideki Matsui has hit a home run. DVD of the movie “Moneyball” (Japanese version) DVD of the movie “Fever Pitch” (Japanese version) If there are any other American movies featuring Japanese major leaguers besides the ones mentioned here, please let me know. The first Japanese major leaguer was Masanori Murakami. Murakami was sent to the US  by his Japanese professional baseball team, the Nankai Hawks, to train in the minor leagues, but his skills were recognized and he played as a relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants for two years in 1964 and 1965. After that, no Japanese major leaguer was born, but in 1995, 30 years after Masanori Murakami played in the major leagues, Hideo Nomo became the second Japanese major leaguer. Nomo decided to leave the Japanese professional baseball world and move to the US, joining the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nomo's performance was so outstanding that fans went crazy, leading to the term "Nomomania" being coined. During his 12 years as a major leaguer, Nomo was the strikeout leader twice (once each in the National League and the American League) and threw two no-hitters, once each in the National League and the American League. Inspired by Nomo's success in the major leagues, many Japanese players went to the US to play as major leaguers. Nomo is widely known in Japan as the pioneer who created the opportunity for many Japanese players to become major leaguers. Furthermore, from his playing days to the present, Nomo's taciturn personality continues to be loved by many Japanese people. Now, let's go back to "Liar Liar." There is another scene in this very funny comedy that surprised me. The father says to his son, "Who else is gonna hit that famous Nomo slider."  Nomo's best pitch was not a slider but a forkball. This must have been famous not only in Japan but also in the US. So why did they make Nomo's best pitch sound like a slider? It's strange. Incidentally, in the Japanese dub, they must have thought that this line was bad, so they changed it to "forkball." I think that "Liar Liar" is a thoroughly entertaining, brilliant comedy worth seeing. I have no intention of criticizing "Liar Liar" for Nomo's best pitch. I am truly happy that they treated Nomo as an object of admiration for a five-year-old boy. The matter with Nomo's best pitch isn’t really worth making a fuss about. …However, I would be even happier if the movie accurately depicted the best pitch of Nomo, who is a hero to us 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.）

Fargo is located in the southeastern part of North Dakota, bordering Canada, in the northern part of the US mainland. It is the largest city in North Dakota, but most Japanese people are not familiar with it, and I think they don't even know the name. I visited Fargo in 2009 to see the Maury Willis Museum. I have already published a column on this website about that experience. However, I visited Fargo in 2008, one year before I visited the Maury Willis Museum in 2009. That was the first time I visited Fargo. What was the reason for visiting Fargo in 2008?  That's because Fargo is the hometown of Roger Maris. Though he was born elsewhere, Maris attended high school in Fargo and is buried there. Roger Maris, a member of the New York Yankees, hit his 61st home run at Yankee Stadium in 1961, and will forever be remembered in history as the first man to break Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in a season. But Maris's achievements didn't end there: he was the home run leader once, the RBI leader twice, and was named MVP twice. However, Maris has never been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The people of Fargo are said to be eager to see Maris inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and there is even a museum in Fargo called the Roger Maris Museum. I made a long journey to Fargo in 2008 to see the museum. Incidentally, all single-digit uniform numbers 1 through 9 are retired for the Yankees, but of those 10 (10 because number 8 was retired in honor of both Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey), only two players, Billy Martin (number 1) and Roger Maris (number 9), have not been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. This is a great pity for me. I have a lot of respect for Roger Maris, who was the first player to break Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in a year without using steroids or other drugs, and I have been watching the DVD of the TV drama "61*" about Roger Maris in 1961 over and over again. When I watch this DVD, I can really see how Maris worked hard in 1961, when he hit 61 home runs, despite the various pressures he was under from those around him. Meanwhile, Billy Martin was one of the members of the Yankees who came to Japan in 1955, and made me an enthusiastic fan of Major League Baseball. Now then. There are no direct flights from Japan to North Dakota, so I flew to Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is next to the state to the east, and from there rented a car to go to Fargo. After arriving in Fargo, I asked a local where the Roger Maris Museum was, and he told me it was in a shopping center. I was surprised that it was really in a place like that. I don't dislike shopping centers, but it seems like a mismatch for a museum, right? Shopping center where the Roger Maris Museum is located I wondered if the Roger Maris Museum was really in there, so I went inside the shopping center. And then I found the Roger Maris Museum. A sign that read "Roger Maris Museum" was hanging from the ceiling in the hallway of the shopping center. Along the wall of the hallway, there was a display case about 20 meters long. That was the Roger Maris Museum. In other words, there was not a large room as a museum, but the walls of the hallway functioned as a museum. Some people may complain that it is a museum, but I think it is better not to complain. It is a fine museum. In the display case, there were many wonderful exhibits, such as photos of Maris, paintings of Maris, trophies he won, baseball equipment and uniforms he used. A sign for the Roger Maris Museum hangs from the ceiling in the hallway. Me standing in front of a display case displaying many of Roger Maris's exhibits. There was a small room at the end of the museum, and a screen there shows videos related to Maris endlessly. There was also an interesting exhibit that compares and lists various physical measurements of Babe Ruth at the age of 32, when he hit 60 home runs, and Roger Maris at the age of 26, when he hit 61 home runs. As I was looking at the measurements, I thought, "I assumed Maris had a slender body, but he had a body that was just as impressive as Babe Ruth's." I was also impressed and thought, "I guess a batter who hits 61 home runs in a season needs to have a physique like this". A comparison table of the physical measurements of Babe Ruth and Roger Maris By the way, there were no staff in the hallway or in the small room. During the hour or so I was there, I was the only person touring the museum. Many people were walking down the hallway, but they all just passed by without noticing. Are the people of Fargo already tired of seeing the Roger Museum? Are there no people who come all the way from other places just to see it? I grabbed an older woman walking down the hallway to ask for photos of me with the museum in the background. When I said, "I came to the US from Japan just to see this place" (this is of course a lie. There's no way I'd just see this place and then go back home), the older woman took me seriously and exclaimed, "Oh my!" in excitement, and agreed to take the photos. Then she asked, "Is Roger Maris famous in Japan?" I answered right away, "Of course, he's very famous" (this is also a lie. No Japanese person other than avid MLB fans knows about Maris). ...I told two lies to the old lady, but I'm sure God will forgive me since she was happy and no one was hurt. Me standing in front of the entrance to a small room. As I left the shopping center, a thought suddenly came to my mind. "Roger Maris is a lucky man since he has a museum in his hometown. Not all major leaguers have a museum in their hometown. Even if he doesn't make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame, having such a wonderful museum in his hometown may be just as honorable as being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame." Whether he makes it into the Baseball Hall of Fame or not, Maris' greatness will never change. I truly hope that the people of Fargo feel the same way. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

On the evening of August 16, 2017, I arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport after a 13-hour nonstop flight from Japan and headed straight to my hotel in New York City. It had been 10 years since I last visited New York City. As I headed from the airport to my hotel in Midtown Manhattan, I thought to myself, “ I'm going to enjoy New York City to the fullest after such a long time ". From the next day, I ran around New York City every day, visiting various places and enjoying myself to the fullest. I even took a short trip across the Hudson River to New Jersey. Even though I was suffering from a significant jet lag, I was so excited that I didn't feel tired at all. And then August 21 arrived. That morning, I was having a leisurely breakfast in the hotel's small restaurant. A news program was playing on a TV at the corner of the restaurant, but I only glanced at it from time to time and didn't really listen to the news. However, after a while, I noticed that the TV news program seemed to be announcing something important. "What?  Did something big happen?" I thought, so I stopped eating my toast, drank some coffee to refresh my mind, and then focused on the news. Surprisingly, that day, August 21, 2017, was the day when an astronomical event that would get the whole of the United States excited was going to happen!  It was the day when a total solar eclipse could be seen in a wide belt-like area from the west coast to the east coast of the United States. Since New York was outside of that belt-like area, it couldn’t see the total solar eclipse, but it was said that it would be possible to see a partial solar eclipse.   The news program was very detailed, stating that the partial solar eclipse that could be seen in New York would begin at 1:23 p.m., reach its peak at 2:44 p.m., and be completely over around 4 p.m. The news program also showed footage of interviews with New York City residents, and it was clear to see how excited the residents were to see the solar eclipse. I don't have a particularly strong interest in astronomical phenomena, but I do have the average curiosity to see a solar eclipse if one occurs. However, I had an appointment that started at 11 a.m. that day. I didn't know what time that appointment would finish in the afternoon. That meant I didn't know if I'd be able to see the solar eclipse. So should I reschedule my appointment to another day?  No, that was impossible. I'd have to watch the solar eclipse when completing my appointment, or after I'd finished my appointment, if the eclipse was still going on. So what was that appointment?  Let's go back to the day after I arrived in New York City, that is, August 17th. That day, I had dinner with a wonderful woman, Ayaka Shinozaki.   After graduating from junior high school in Japan, she moved to the United States alone to attend a prestigious high school near Boston. After graduating from high school, she went on to Columbia University, which has a campus in Manhattan, New York City. She became interested in physics after becoming fascinated with Einstein's theory of relativity, and majored in it. She graduated from Columbia University in the summer of 2017, and was scheduled to move to the UK in the fall to carry out her research. I've known this wonderful woman since she was in junior high school, as she is the daughter of a friend of mine. While we enjoyed our meal, we discussed the plan for my visit to Columbia University campus. Ayaka was going to show me around the campus even though she was busy before going to the UK. We decided to meet at the main gate of Columbia University at 11:00 a.m. on August 21, four days later, and Ayaka said with a smile, "I'll show you places related to Lou Gehrig." "Really?" "Yes." "That'll make me happy!" Lou Gehrig studied at Columbia University and then joined the New York Yankees, where he was a very successful MLB player. He even won the batting triple crown. Although he was physically strong enough to achieve the amazing record of playing in 2,130 consecutive games, he suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a rare disease, and died at the age of 37 in 1941.  It is well known that he was also a man of great character. Gehrig's turbulent life was made into a movie. "The Pride of the Yankees" (1942). DVD of the movie "The Pride of the Yankees" (Japanese version) "The Pride of the Yankees" is one of my favorite movies. Since it's an old movie from over 80 years ago, the character portrayals are stereotypical, but I still love it. One reason is that the main character, Lou Gehrig, is played by Gary Cooper, my favorite actor , but that's not the only reason. It’s because I'm moved by the wonderful way that Lou Gehrig lived his life. By the way, I have the original book on which this movie is based, "Lou Gehrig: Pride of the Yankees" (1942) by Paul Gallico. It's a hardcover published in 1942. I happened to find it listed as a used book on Amazon and bought it. The seller may not have known that this book is extremely valuable to an avid MLB fan like me, because it was listed for an unbelievably low price. "Lou Gehrig: Pride of the Yankees" by Paul Gallico Now, August 21. I arrived at the main gate of Columbia University about 20 minutes earlier than the appointed time. The main gate was inscribed with "Pulitzer," which refers to Joseph Pulitzer, who is famous for the Pulitzer Prize. I was waiting for Ayaka to come, not knowing that I would be told that Pulitzer and Gehrig had a "strange connection". The main gate of Columbia University Pulitzer's name engraved on the main gate When Ayaka showed me around the Columbia University campus, I was surprised at the number of libraries. It felt like there were libraries everywhere. Even in this IT age, I still don't doubt the significance of libraries, and I thought, "This is what's amazing about prestigious American universities." The main library, Butler Library, was a spectacular sight. There were so many rooms for students to study, the interior was elegant, and the collection of books was amazing. I don't think any university library in Japan could compare to the splendor of Butler Library. In front of Butler Library was a large space called” South Field”. This is a field where Columbia University students play sports. We couldn't go inside because of maintenance work, but Ayaka stood near the field and said something surprising. "The home run that Lou Gehrig hit on this field is legendary." Ayaka continued, pointing to a building in the distance. "The ball hit that building and bounced off." Next, she pointed to the library on the opposite side of Butler Library. "And it flew all the way to that library." The building Ayaka first pointed to was the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism building, which was established through the will and donation of Joseph Pulitzer. By the way, the famous Pulitzer Prize was also established by the will and donation of Joseph Pulitzer, and is run by the Graduate School of Journalism. Ayaka also showed me around the Graduate School of Journalism building. …Whenever I read a book that won a Pulitzer Prize from now on, I will surely remember Gehrig's legendary home run. Ayaka pointing to the Graduate School of Journalism building In one corner of the campus, there were rows of residential-style buildings. Many of them had three Greek letters at the entrance. Ayaka said, "Here was the building of the club Gehrig belonged to, but unfortunately it has been demolished and replaced with a different building." I immediately thought of a certain scene in "The Pride of the Yankees" and was overwhelmed with emotion that it was here... I think many people have no idea what I'm talking about, so I'll explain it. But only briefly. A building with three Greek letters at the entrance In American universities, there are organizations where students deepen their friendships and bonds while doing community service activities. The names of these organizations are often written in three Greek letters. Gehrig also joined a club called ΦΔΘ (Phi Delta Theta) at Columbia University. For some reason, in the movie "The Pride of the Yankees”, the club has a fictitious name, ΣΑΨ (Sigma Alpha Psi). ...I researched all of this myself, but I may be wrong. If I'm wrong, I'd appreciate it if you could let me know.  In the movie "The Pride of the Yankees," there is a scene where the members have a heated debate over whether to allow Gehrig to join the club, because unlike the other members, Gehrig was born and raised in a financially disadvantaged family. ...I don't know if this episode actually happened, but remembering this episode from the movie, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with emotion when I visited the place where Lou Gehrig was a member. Ayaka stands at the spot where the building of the club Gehrig belonged to once stood. By the way, there is an award called “Lou Gehrig Memorial Award”, which is officially recognized by MLB. Every year, the award is given to one major leaguer who is chosen for their excellent character, and it was created by the ΦΔΘ in honor of Gehrig, who was a member of the club at Columbia University. After finishing our tour of Columbia University, Ayaka and I had a late lunch at a cafe near the university. We had a pleasant conversation about Ayaka's new life in the UK. After parting ways with Ayaka and heading back to Midtown, I suddenly had a thought. I'd completely forgotten, but what happened to the solar eclipse? I quickly looked up at the sky, but couldn't see anything. I had no idea if anything out of the ordinary was happening. I looked at the clock. It was almost 2:30 p.m., which meant that the partial solar eclipse should reach its peak soon. I looked up at the sky again. I couldn't look directly at the sun because I wasn't wearing eclipse glasses, so I couldn't tell if there was a solar eclipse or not. I looked around, and there was not a single person looking up to watch the solar eclipse. I was a little surprised that no one was interested in the solar eclipse. I gave up on watching the solar eclipse, but I suddenly thought of Ayaka. She hadn't said anything about the solar eclipse. Was she not interested in the solar eclipse?  That couldn't be. Since she majored in physics because she was fascinated by the theory of relativity, she must be interested in astronomical phenomena. I'll ask her about it next time I see her. When I returned to Midtown, unlike the area around Columbia University, many people were looking up to the sky to watch the solar eclipse. Many were wearing eclipse glasses to watch the solar eclipse closely. I didn't have any eclipse glasses, so I just muttered to myself without looking up to the sky, "It's okay if I can't see the solar eclipse. Today I had an experience that was far more wonderful than seeing a solar eclipse. But from now on, whenever I think of Lou Gehrig, I'll always think of the solar eclipse." ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

In 1941, Joe DiMaggio set a record of 56-game hitting streak. It is incredible that he had 56 consecutive games with at least one hit in a game. It is an unprecedented record.  A statue of Joe DiMaggio standing in front of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame building in Chicago. Joe DiMaggio on display alongside Yogi Berra at the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. There is something I really want to say about DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. I would like to start with an essay by an American. Stephen Jay Gould (died in 2002 at the age of 60) was a famous American paleontologist and evolutionary biologist who published wonderful academic papers, but he also published many scientific essays for the public. I am an avid reader of such essays. Gould was also an avid Major League Baseball fan, and wrote many interesting essays that discuss biological evolution in relation to Major League Baseball. Among these essays is one about DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. “The Streak of Streaks” included in “Bully for Brontosaurus: Reflections in Natural History” (1991, W・W・NORTON & COMPANY). In this essay, Gould introduced his colleague and Nobel Prize winner in physics, Ed Purcell, and wrote: "Purcell calculated that to make it likely (probability greater than 50 percent) that a run of even 50 games will occur once in the history of baseball up to now (and 56 is a lot more than 50 in this kind of league), baseball’s rosters would have to include either four lifetime .400 batters or 52 lifetime .350 batters over careers of 1,000 games. In actuality, only three men have lifetime batting averages in excess of .350, and no one is anywhere near .400 (Ty Cobb at .367, Rogers Hornsby at .358, and Shoeless Joe Jackson at .356). DiMaggio’s streak is the most extraordinary thing that ever happened in American sports.” Bully for Brontosaurus: Reflections in Natural History Japanese translation version of Bully for Brontosaurus: Reflections in Natural History Do you know how Ed Purcell did this calculation, and what was the basis for it?  I think most people don't know. I don't know either. But I don't want to know. There are two reasons for this. Even if there is a relationship between hitting streak and lifetime batting average, I don't think it's that significant. I think that you can see this by looking at the actual records. DiMaggio, who hit in 56 consecutive games, had a lifetime batting average of .325, ranking 48th in history, Willie Keeler, who holds the second-highest consecutive game hitting record with 45 consecutive games, had a lifetime batting average of .341, ranking 17th in history, Pete Rose, who holds the third-highest consecutive game hitting record with 44 consecutive games, had a lifetime batting average of .303, ranking 178th in history, and Bill Dahlen, who holds the fourth-highest consecutive game hitting record with 42 consecutive games, had a lifetime batting average of .272, ranking 944th in history... Jimmy Rollins, who holds the eighth-highest consecutive game hitting record with 38 consecutive games had a lifetime batting average of .264, ranking below 1000th in history. I think that this makes it hard to believe that there is much of a relationship between lifetime batting average and consecutive games with a hit. This reason is more important. Purcell's calculations do not explain why it was DiMaggio and not some other player who set the incredible record of 56-game hitting streak. If you think that this is not necessary, I think you are very mistaken. I believe that it was only DiMaggio who was able to set the record, and that no one else could have set such an incredible record. DiMaggio did not achieve the 56-game hitting streak by chance. Before playing in the major leagues, DiMaggio played for the San Francisco Seals in the Pacific Coast League, and while playing there he achieved the incredible feat of 61-game hitting streak. He was only 18 years old at the time. Luck is probably an important factor in achieving 61 or 56-game hitting streak. However, such records cannot be achieved by luck alone. They can only be achieved when luck comes to someone who already has great qualities. And I believe that DiMaggio had those great qualities. So, let's talk about those qualities. DiMaggio was the batting average leader twice. In other words, he was a good hitter who could hit consistently, but he was also a powerful hitter who was the home run leader twice. He never hit more than 50 home runs in a season, his highest being 46, but he hit more than 30 home runs in seven seasons, including five consecutive seasons. Incidentally, he was also the RBI leader twice. There are other players with similar results. However, there is no player who always swings as hard as DiMaggio to hit strong balls, yet strikes out so rarely. There is a fact that clearly shows this. DiMaggio played in the major leagues for 13 seasons, and in seven of those 13 seasons, he struck out fewer times than he hit home runs. In five consecutive years of those seven seasons, he struck out fewer times than he hit home runs. There is no other player in the history of the major leagues like DiMaggio. This quality of his becomes even more apparent when comparing his lifetime stats with those of other great players. DiMaggio had 361 home runs and 369 strikeouts. He had only eight more strikeouts than home runs. Ted Williams had 521 home runs and 709 strikeouts. Babe Ruth had 714 home runs and 1,330 strikeouts. Barry Bonds had 762 home runs and 1,539 strikeouts. I'll also list active players. These are records up to 2024. Shohei Ohtani had 225 home runs and 917 strikeouts. Aaron Judge had 315 home runs and 1,209 strikeouts. I'll also list players who didn't hit enough home runs to be the home run leader, but did have a lot of hits and were the batting average leader. Ichiro was the batting average leader twice in the major leagues, but he has 117 home runs and 1,080 strikeouts. Among active players, I would like to mention Luis Arraez, who has been the batting average leader for three consecutive seasons until 2024. He has 28 career home runs and 194 career strikeouts. So, how do these qualities of DiMaggio relate to consecutive games with a hit. There is also an element of luck in baseball. A strong hit may not result in a hit because it flies directly in front of the fielder, or a slow grounder may happen to fall in a good spot and become an infield hit. However, the best way to hit hits consistently is to hit strong balls. If you take a full swing in every at-bat in every game and hit strong balls without striking out, it is natural that you will have a higher chance of hitting at least one hit in every game. Here, let me introduce some interesting data. I researched it myself. Here is a list of players who became home run leaders in the modern era of major league baseball starting from the 20th century despite having fewer strikeouts than home runs(Table 1), and players who became the batting average leaders despite having fewer strikeouts than home runs (Tables 2). Table 1: Home run leaders with fewer strikeouts than home runs number of home runs number of strikeouts Lou Gehrig (1934) 49 31 Lou Gehrig (1936) 49 46 Joe DiMaggio (1937) 46 37 Ted Williams (1941) 37 27 Tommy Holmes (1945) 28 9 Joe DiMaggio (1948) 39 30 Ted Kluszewski (1954) 49 35           Table 2: Batting average leaders with fewer strikeouts than home runs number of home runs number of strikeouts Lefty O’Doul (1929) 32 19 Al Simmons (1930) 36 34 Lefty O’Doul (1932) 21 20 Lou Gehrig (1934) 49 31 Arky Vaughan (1935) 19 18 Ernie Lombardi (1938) 19 14 Joe DiMaggio (1939) 30 20 Joe DiMaggio (1940) 31 30 Ted Williams (1941) 37 27 Stan Musial (1948) 39 34 George Brett (1980) 24 22 Barry Bonds (2004) 45 41 Five players have become home run leaders a total of seven times despite having fewer strikeouts than home runs. Only Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio have managed to do it twice. Incidentally, Ted Kluszewski had four seasons in which he had fewer strikeouts than home runs, and those four were consecutive, second to DiMaggio's five consecutive seasons. Ten players have led the batting average with fewer strikeouts than hits, a total of 12 times. Only Lefty O'Doul and Joe DiMaggio managed to do it twice. The only players besides DiMaggio who have been both the home run leader and the batting average leader with fewer strikeouts than home runs are Lou Gehrig and Ted Williams. DiMaggio is the only one to have managed both twice. It seemed that Lou Gehrig and Ted Williams could achieve notable consecutive game hitting records, too. But there was a reason they couldn’t. They walked too many times. Both had many seasons in which they walked over 100 times, and some seasons in which they led the league in walks. DiMaggio never led the league in walks in a season, and never even walked over 100 times in a season. Now, let's talk about what happened in 1941. That year, DiMaggio hit in 56 consecutive games, but his batting average was .357. Ted Williams, who played in the same American League as DiMaggio that year, led the batting average with an impressive .406 batting average. Both players struck out less than they hit home runs. DiMaggio hit 30 home runs and 13 strikeouts. Ted Williams hit 37 home runs and 27 strikeouts. However, there was a big difference in the number of walks they each walked. DiMaggio walked 76 times. Ted Williams walked 145 times, the most in the league. That was almost twice as many as DiMaggio's walks. That means he would never be able to achieve a consecutive game hitting record like DiMaggio. Ted Williams said something interesting. "Funny it should work out that way, but it was pointed out to me later that over that same 56-game period, Joe hit .408 and I hit .412. ”[1]  This is true. However, there is an important thing that Ted Williams didn't mention. During his 56-game hitting streak, DiMaggio struck out 7 times , while Ted Williams struck out 9 times. There is no difference between the two, but the number of walks is different. DiMaggio walked 21 times , while Ted Williams walked 50 times. This is more than twice as many as DiMaggio. Ted Williams walked too many times. If he had walked less than half as many times, he might have been able to achieve a great record in terms of consecutive games with a hit.   But in fairness, there's something important to say about Ted Williams' many walks. His high number of walks was a major reason he was able to achieve a major league record of .482 lifetime on-base percentage, and an astounding major league record of 84 consecutive games in which he reached base. Neither record would be achievable for Joe DiMaggio, who didn’t walk many times. DiMaggio: The Last American Knight Japanese translation version of DiMaggio: The Last American Knight DiMaggio always swung the bat hard, but he struck out very few times and didn't walk too many times. Then in 1941, luck came to DiMaggio who had these qualities. I believe it was these things that allowed DiMaggio to achieve the unprecedented feat of 56-game hitting streak. Finally, here's what Ted Williams said about Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. "It may be the greatest batting achievement of all."[1] （ If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.） Reference 1.  Joseph Durso (1995). DiMaggio: The Last American Knight. Little Brown and Company