To Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Analyst
Editor’s Note: Ben Verlander spends time in Japan exploring Shohei Ohtani’s roots, experiencing Japanese culture and meeting fans. This is his fourth in the regular series. It started on Friday, August 19th.
Hello again from Japan!I’m writing this from the ballpark dugout Shohei Ohtani’s High school, Hanamaki Higashi High School.
The day started very early with a 4:30 am wake up call. I jumped on the bullet train from Tokyo Station at 6:00 in the morning and headed for Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, where the legendary Otani was born. Yesterday I wrote that we were traveling at 150 miles an hour, but in reality we were at about 200 miles an hour. This beautiful train drove us through the Japanese countryside with speed and style.
Ben Verlander boards a bullet train for a trip from Tokyo to Hanamaki. (Photo by Nick Lago/FOX Sports)
There were many breakfast options along the way. Almost all of them involved tuna in some way. My translator and guide Masa (who I say on every occasion was the key to making this trip possible) had a sandwich consisting of two pancakes with beans in the middle. He was very proud of his choice.
Now, a little bit about destinations. Iwate Prefecture is one of the northernmost prefectures (like states) on Japan’s largest island. Scenic and mountainous, it’s a great place for snowboarding in the winter. Even within Iwate, Hanamaki is a quiet town that reminds me of my hometown of Virginia.
When I got to the station, I immediately headed to another baseball field. This was very different from the bright lights of the Tokyo Dome we had experienced.The Mizusawa Little League field is where Shohei learned the game as a child.
Nestled between two highways, a river, and what appears to be a mineral field, this place is the site of the origin story of the greatest baseball player on earth.
I learned that the river over the right field fence actually played a big part in that story. When Ohtani started to pop a little, he quickly made a habit of hitting the ball over the fence and into the river to be lost forever. Eventually, Ohtani’s coach came to him and asked River to stop hitting the ball because he couldn’t afford to keep buying new balls. and laid the foundation for the ability to hit all major fields.
Young players welcoming Verlander to practice on the Mizusawa Little League field. (Photo by Nick Lago/FOX Sports)
I can’t help but mention the kids I met on that field. . We took pictures, played catch, and debated whether the pitcher Shohei could strike out the hitter Shohei (with the help of Masa, of course). I really didn’t want to leave.
As we drove off, the team huddled in our van to say goodbye. I really can’t put into words how much that moment meant to me. i will never forget it.
Next, we drove to Hanamaki Higashi High School, another point related to the life of an Angels star. During the ride, we made a quick pit stop for sushi from Convenience His Store, arguably the best I’ve ever had.
When I finally made it to campus, my jaw dropped. This was unlike any high school I attended in America. It looked like a beautiful college campus. The athletic facilities and bell tower tower above the forest line, unlike the facilities we saw in town at this point on our trip to Hanamaki. We parked our car and headed straight to the stadium where Shohei’s legend first started to take shape.
On this day, Verlander got the chance to see the two fields where Ohtani honed his baseball skills in his youth. (Photo by Nick Lago/FOX Sports)
This stadium is huge. With a capacity of 12,000 he’s like a stadium in his minor league. (I played a lot.) Featuring giant electronic scoreboards in the outfield and lawn, it’s pristine enough to be mistaken for Augusta National. Beyond the right field fence is a patch of grass, then another fence, then a row of trees. Here, he asked if Shohei had any notable stories to tell, and his high school teammate said he once hit a pitch in this tree. I’ve seen videos of this moment, and it sounds silly.
Ohtani’s former team was scrimmage with another local team while we were there. It was the brightest, most technically sound high school practice I’ve ever seen. Communication was seamless and every play was precise and perfect.
For practice, they worked on a “situation” drill. There, the runners are placed on the bases the coach wants, the defense is set, and they hit the ball exactly as the coach wants. When the ball is hit, the home runner from his plate takes off and the play is what it wants. I’ve never seen a classic baseball drill executed so perfectly.
Verlander surveys the field at Hanamaki Higashi High School and ponders the legendary home run that Ohtani hit from the stadium. (Photo by Nick Lago/FOX Sports)
After they finished training I took off and their day wasn’t over yet. did the drill. A former player told me that he could only use his smartphone for these kids to call his family for one hour a day. Other than that, I was completely focused.
When I asked him about this, he answered in English.
I returned to what I heard was one of the nicest hotels in Iwate Prefecture, Hanamaki Onsen. To best describe this, it is a traditional Japanese hotel with tatami rooms. After playing baseball my whole life, I’ve probably stayed in thousands of hotel rooms, but I’ve never had a room like this.
As I opened the door, I was greeted by a large, empty room with a low table and two flat chairs on the ground. I opened the manual that said “INSTRUCTIONS” in English and found that it was the only English in the entire book.
After searching my room for five solid minutes, a passerby told me that the hotel staff would make my bed when I went to dinner. I learned more about Japanese culture than I could have imagined in those few minutes. rice field. Sushi, sashimi, pasta, crab, and many others that have yet to be identified.
Hanamaki Onsen Hotel’s buffet was the best. (Photo by Nick Lago/FOX Sports)
The first meetup of the trip was also scheduled for this evening. Hanamaki is a small country town, so I didn’t know what to expect. It was scheduled for 8pm, but I told her she showed up in front of a large group of people at 8:05. About 15 people were already waiting for my arrival. As I got out of the taxi, they started clapping and cheering as I walked away. It was another “pinch me” moment. It’s important to note that this is not about me. It is a community “Flippin’ Bats” centered around Shohei Otani. These meetups are nothing more than a celebration of Shohei’s group.
My first encounter was with a man who explained why I have so much to be grateful for. “People in Iwate are very shy and don’t openly talk about Shohei Ohtani and how they feel he should be the MVP of the league again. You speak for the whole of Iwate. he said.
Fans of the “Flippin’ Bats” podcast gather to share Shohei Ohtani’s story. (Photo by Nick Lago/FOX Sports)
Another girl drove over 40 minutes to a meetup and told a tragic and powerful story. She had her terminal illness and her outlook on life was no longer so positive. She appreciates from the bottom of her heart that Shohei Ohtani is enjoying her life so much. That gratitude led her to find me. She said her “Flippin’ Bats” continue to help her life, adding to her continued lightness and positivity that she only finds through her newfound love for Otani. .
After the meetup, the night was over, but not before many gifts were given and a great group photo was taken. I left a memory.
Ben Verlander is an MLB analyst for FOX Sports,flippin’ batBorn and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before joining brother Justin in Detroit in 2013 for the Tigers’ 14th round pick. He spent his five years with the Tigers. Follow him on Twitter @.Ben Verlander.
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