52episode The thoughts and training of super athletes （１）Two-way player Shohei Otani SK8-60

 I carefully watch interviews and documentaries on super athletes such as baseball player  Shohei Otani and boxing world champion Naoya Inoue. I also watch the recordings over and over again. I started learning skateboard tricks when I was 60 years old, so I'm very curious about what kind of their thinking goes into their training. I am impressed with the way they deal with themselves. There is a difference between the process they go through in pursuing a sport they have loved since childhood and mine, which I have pursued as an older adult, but I hope to be able to pick up even the smallest hints from them.

Baseball player Shohei Ohtani had been making headlines on television and elsewhere for planning to go to the major leagues after graduating from high school. I was paying attention to the fact that he was going directly to the Major Leagues instead of going to Japanese professional baseball. Nevertheless, Nippon Ham Fighters manager Kuriyama selected Shohei Ohtani as the first pick in the draft. Perhaps Shohei Ohtani was touched by Kuriyama's suggestion that he play two-way. I believe that acquiring Shohei Ohtani is an immeasurable home run for Manager Kuriyama. Shohei Ohtani's meeting with Manager Kuriyama was the basis for his success that has astonished the world. He has the good fortune to meet a good mentor. Both Shohei Otani and Naoya Inoue were born to fathers who were coaches with extensive knowledge of their respective sports, which could be said to have been a stroke of good fortune. I always thought it was a given that Shohei Ohtani would be successful in the major leagues with his fastball that exceeds 160 km/h and his batting power. However, since going to the major leagues, he has shown incredible self-improvement. Shohei Ohtani already has the talent to hit the ball far, but by making to grow in size he has transformed into a genuine home run hitter. I think he's special approach to baseball and training, his decision to transform his body, and his rapid growth spurt are particularly instructive. I practiced skateboarding tricks from 60 years old, so I'd like to how to  that will help me improve rapidly in a short period of time. He had elbow surgery, moved to the Dodgers, and turned the adversity into a springboard to focus on hitting. He showed superb selection and concentration, and sharp insight, honing his stealing skills to achieve the unprecedented feat of 50-50 (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases), something that even specializing in hitters in the major leagues have failed to achieve. He's like a superhuman. And he is a two-way player, so he is also a pitcher. I would like to make full use of this method of selection and concentration. I think what's really amazing is that he accomplished this feat while undergoing rehabilitation for his elbow, but that's not often discussed. I'm sure he's rehabilitation alone was no mean feat...

Shohei Ohtani has said that a comeback from his third elbow injury (If he would require surgery) is not realistic (as he would need a year and a half of rehabilitation), so he seems determined to make a comeback as a pitcher at last chance. This year, he plans to change his pitching form. I think that although commentators are saying that it is to reduce the strain on his elbow, Shohei Ohtani's point of view is not normal (even in coming back from elbow surgery), so I am thinking that he want to be throwing the fastest ball in human history (although maybe not this year).

.....Am I expecting too much? 

(・・・End  of  Episode  ５２・・・・・・・・・・・・to  be  continued・・・・・・）