The second season has ended. My stats were humbling: two games in the first team, a batting average of .000 with no hits, one defensive opportunity, no stolen bases, and one caught stealing.
(In the minor league, I played 56 games with a batting average of .222, zero home runs, 13 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases.)
There are many challenges ahead, but experiencing the first team stage was invaluable. The treatment for the first team players is completely different from the second team. The hotels are more luxurious, and the pre-match meals, served buffet-style, are varied and high-quality.
Financially, being registered with the first team is beneficial. I'm paid the difference between the first team's minimum guaranteed annual salary of 16 million yen and my annual salary of 4.5 million yen (11.5 million yen) divided by 150 days for the number of days I am registered. This means I earned about 77,000 yen per day. In total, for my six days of registration, I earned over 400,000 yen in extra income. This experience increased my motivation significantly.
With the final game of the season over, I was selected to participate in the Miyazaki Phoenix League, a league primarily for young players held in October. Selected teams from independent leagues across Japan will also participate.
The night before leaving for Miyazaki, I was packing my bags in my dorm. I would be away for nearly a month. Around 11 pm, there was a knock on the door. It wasn't Mitamura; if it were him, he wouldn't knock but just turn the doorknob. That's why I've recently gotten into the habit of locking my room.
"I'll open it now," I said, opening the door. Standing there was pitcher Iijima.
"Hey, can I talk to you about something?" he asked.
"What's wrong? It's unusual for you to come by this late," I replied.
"Oh, I need to discuss something with you."
"I see. Come in, it's a bit messy though."
I offered him a chair by the bed. Recently, it had become Mitamura's exclusive seat, but because he is tall, he often complains that I should buy a chair with higher legs. Why should I buy a chair for him? At least he could buy it himself.
Iijima sat down and handed me a can of coffee. "Thanks," I said, opening the tab and taking a sip. It was unsweetened.
"Preparing for the Miyazaki Phoenix League?" he asked.
"Yeah, it's about a month, so I end up with a lot of luggage."
"You're taking your teddy bear with you," he noted, glancing at the stuffed animal on my bed.
"Yeah, sort of," I admitted. It would be an extra burden, but my girlfriend would be angry if I didn't take it. The plan is to send her a photo of the teddy bear once a day.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked.
Before Iijima could respond, Mitamura barged in. "Takashi, take this for me," he said, handing me a 20cm stuffed dolphin wearing our team mascot's uniform with his number embroidered on it.
"No way. It'll be a burden," I protested.
"Since I had it custom-made, please take it as a replacement for me," Mitamura insisted.
I sighed, feeling sorry for the company that made the stuffed animals. If it didn't have his jersey number, it would be cute. But with his number, no one would want it, even for free. He probably bought them all himself.
Just then, Mitamura noticed Iijima's presence. "What's wrong, Iijima-san?"
"Oh, that's perfect. You should listen too," Iijima said, getting to the point. "I've been called to the team office tomorrow."
"Uh-oh," I thought. Being called to the team office at this time could only mean one thing.
"I'm probably out of the running," Iijima said, finishing his coffee.
"Honestly, I was prepared for it. Especially considering my age," he continued.
"Maybe a trade?" I suggested, grasping at straws.
"You know your own capabilities better than anyone," Iijima replied. "It's frustrating, but my current abilities aren't good enough to compete as a professional."
"But... it's only your second year," I stammered.
"Well, I joined the team because I was expected to be an immediate asset given my age. So, to be honest, I was prepared for this," he explained.
Mitamura and I were silent. We didn't know what to say.
"When I took the mound for the first team in August, I realized my pitches weren't effective at that level," Iijima continued, staring out the window. "Almost every ball I threw was hit hard. I was lucky the balls flew in good directions, and we only gave up six runs in the fifth inning. Miraculously, we even managed to win."
We remained silent, unable to find the right words.
"So even if I wasn't fired, I was planning on quitting this year. I'll be 30 next year," Iijima said, recalling his hard work even after being demoted to the second team.
"I wanted to give it my all as a professional baseball player until the very end. Even if I can't make it to the next team, I'm still getting paid to play baseball, so it's only natural," he added.
"What will you do now?" I finally asked.
"I had a lot of fun playing baseball, so I might try something different. I started playing when I was 5 years old, so it's been about 25 years. It was all fun. I didn't excel in high school or college, but I experienced amateur baseball, the American minor leagues, the Japanese independent leagues, and professional baseball. I had a great baseball career," he said, looking back at us.
"There's no need to be sad," Iijima continued. "My career as a professional baseball player is over, but I'll continue playing baseball as a hobby. I'm still better than the average person. I'll enjoy it. The two years I spent with my fun teammates are more precious to me than anything else."
"But after all that hard work..." Mitamura began.
"My efforts may not have always paid off, but I don't regret them. Did I do my best to the best of my ability? The results don't confirm this, but I can say this much: thanks to you guys, I was able to end my baseball career on a good note. My baseball dreams end here. Tomorrow, I'll find another dream. Don't make that face. This is a new beginning for me. Please send me off with a smile," Iijima said.
Mitamura and I couldn't hold back our tears any longer.
"You guys, thank you so much. It was fun. From now on, I'll be watching your accomplishments in the newspapers and on TV," Iijima said, turning to me.
"Takashi, congratulations on your debut in the first team. It may take some time, but I'm sure you'll become a great player. I guarantee it."
Then he looked at Mitamura. "And Mim, you have natural talent. Honestly, I was envious of your talent. Don't rush, heal your shoulder, and throw that fastball again."
Iijima shook hands with us. His hands were big and strong.
"See you later. Takashi, do your best in the Phoenix League. Mim, don't oversleep your walk tomorrow. You skipped it this morning too," Iijima said, leaving the room.
I watched in a daze, trying to throw Mitamura's stuffed dolphin into the trash.
"Hey, don't throw it away," Mitamura said, snatching it and leaving the room. He didn't want anyone to see his tears anymore. As a fellow pitcher, he must have spent more time with Iijima than I had.
I looked out the window, If I continue like this, it wouldn't be surprising if I was cut from the team at any time. I have to do my best.
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