Thinking Baseball: The Value Brought Out Through Baseball Aimed for by Keio University High School

December 25, 2020

On the evening of August 5, 2018, I looked up from the field at the Alps stands, rejoicing in a walk-off victory at Koshien. I will never forget that sight. The cheering, centered around Keio University alumni and Keio students of all ages and genders, was tremendous from start to finish, and even I, as the manager, got goosebumps during the game.

In 2020, the cancellation of the spring and summer Koshien tournaments due to the COVID-19 pandemic drew so much attention it became major news. It seems to have become established as a national event. However, high school baseball is now at the beginning of the end. I am convinced of this, and I am not exaggerating. The summer Koshien we participated in two years ago was the 100th anniversary tournament. It was a truly happy experience to stand on such a grand stage, watched by a large crowd and supported by loud cheers. However, will we be able to reach the 200th tournament at this rate? I feel nothing but a sense of crisis.

Koshien is everything, winning is everything. Hasn't this Koshien-first, victory-first mentality distorted the value of high school baseball, which should be cherished most? Now is the time for those involved in high school baseball to recognize its value and make efforts to enhance it further. If we cannot do that, high school baseball will continue to decline.

So, what is the greatest value of high school baseball? It is for high school students to realize the importance of thinking for themselves and to develop the habit of thinking while experiencing both victory and defeat, success and failure. Shaved heads, excessive greetings, forced long practice hours, and top-down human relationships. These are the old structures of following precedent, suspension of thought, maintaining the status quo, and totalitarianism. Can people who will carry the future of Japan and the world be raised in such an environment? My answer is "No" as things stand.

So what should be done? We must change high school baseball with a broad perspective and an eye on the future, not just focusing on the wins and losses of our own team. Wouldn't that lead to the transformation of not only high school baseball but also Japanese sports and society itself? I have compiled these thoughts into a book. I hope it will be read not only by those involved in baseball but also by everyone leading society at large. I would be happy if it serves as a catalyst for expanding thoughts on what the value of sports, educational institutions, corporations, and nations truly is.

Thinking Baseball: The Value Brought Out Through Baseball Aimed for by Keio University High School

Takahiko Moribayashi

Toyokan Publishing

192 pages, 1,400 yen (excluding tax)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of this magazine's publication.