甲子園。負けたのに、清々しい。 Beyond Winning and Losing

 

甲子園。負けたのに、清々しい。

本日の高校野球。

福島代表・東日本国際大昌平高校と、熊本代表・有明高校の一戦。

いわき市民としては、もちろん昌平に勝ってほしい。

テレビに釘付けになって応援していました。

初回、昌平が先制。

その後は、両校の投手が踏ん張る。

守備では何度もファインプレーが飛び出す。

一点をめぐる攻防。

終盤まで続く、息の詰まるような投手戦。

気づけば、

「昌平、勝ってくれ！」

と願いながらも、

有明の選手の素晴らしいプレーにも、

思わず、

「うまい！」

と声が出ていました。

高校野球って、不思議です。

応援する側は勝ち負けに夢中になっているのに、

グラウンドの高校生たちは、

時々、その勝ち負けよりも大きなものを見せてくれます。

そして8回。

試合が大きく動きました。

有明が一気に逆転。

昌平も最後まで食らいつきましたが、

4対1。

有明高校が勝利しました。

悔しい。

そりゃあ、悔しい。

いわきの高校ですから。

でも試合が終わった時、

それ以上に残ったのは、

「いやあ、素晴らしい試合だった。」

という感動でした。

東日本国際大昌平の皆さん。

初めての甲子園で、ここまで私たちを連れてきてくれて、本当にありがとうございました。

胸を張って、

いわきへ帰ってきてください。

そして、

有明高校の皆さん。

ベスト8進出、本当におめでとうございます。

今年、熊本もまた大きな地震に見舞われました。

その熊本から甲子園へやってきた高校生たちが、全力で白球を追い、勝利をつかむ姿は、きっと故郷にも大きな力を届けていることでしょう。有明は試合前に先発予定投手が負傷するアクシデントもありながら、急きょ先発した斉藤投手が1失点で完投しました。

私は福島県民です。

そして、いわき市民です。

震災を経験した地域に暮らす者として、

今日だけは、

勝った熊本の高校生たちにも、

心から拍手を送りたいと思います。

勝ったチームにも、負けたチームにも、地域の思いが背負われている。

でも高校生たちは、

そんな大人たちの思いまで全部ひっくるめて、

ただ懸命に野球をする。

だから私たちは、

こんなにも心を動かされるのでしょう。

東日本国際大昌平高校の皆さん。

感動をありがとう。

有明高校の皆さん。

勝利、おめでとうございます。

どうかこの先も、

甲子園で思い切り野球を楽しんでください。

そして、

被災地・熊本を照らす、さらなる光となることを祈っています。

今日は勝敗を超えて、

両校に、

大きな、大きな拍手です。

Beyond Winning and Losing

A Game That Moved Us All

Today, I found myself completely glued to the television watching the National High School Baseball Championship at Koshien.

Representing Fukushima was Higashi Nippon International University Shohei High School, based here in Iwaki.

Their opponents were Ariake High School, representing Kumamoto.

As a citizen of Iwaki, of course I wanted Shohei to win.

I cheered for them with everything I had.

Shohei took the lead in the first inning.

From there, however, the game developed into a breathtaking pitchers’ duel.

Outstanding pitching.

Fine defensive plays from both teams.

One tense inning after another.

Until late in the game, that single run separated the two sides.

I began the game thinking simply:

“Come on, Shohei! Win this!”

But as the innings passed, something changed.

Whenever Ariake produced a brilliant defensive play, I found myself saying:

“Wow… that was superb.”

At some point,

I was no longer watching only as someone supporting one team.

I was watching two groups of young people produce an extraordinary game of baseball.

---

Then came the eighth inning.

Ariake finally broke through.

With two outs and the bases loaded, a pinch-hit single brought home two runs to turn the game around. Another two-run hit followed, giving Ariake four runs in the inning. They went on to win 4–1, advancing to the quarterfinals in their first appearance at Koshien.

Was I disappointed?

Of course.

This is a school from Iwaki.

I wanted them to keep winning.

But when the final out was recorded, the emotion that remained strongest was not disappointment.

It was simply:

What a wonderful game.

---

To everyone at Higashi Nippon International University Shohei High School:

Thank you.

Thank you for taking us on this journey in your first appearance at Koshien.

Thank you for the excitement.

Thank you for the tension.

And thank you for making so many people here in Iwaki proud.

Please come home with your heads held high.

---

And to everyone at Ariake High School:

Congratulations.

Your starting pitcher had to be changed unexpectedly after the scheduled starter was injured during pre-game practice. Ace Ryotaro Saito stepped onto the mound at short notice and completed the game, allowing only one run.

It was an extraordinary performance.

And there is another reason why I want to send my heartfelt congratulations to Kumamoto.

Kumamoto has once again experienced the hardship of a major earthquake this year.

Ariake’s run to the final eight has therefore carried meaning far beyond baseball, bringing encouragement to people in their disaster-stricken home region.

I live in Fukushima.

I live in Iwaki.

I, too, know what it means to live in a community affected by disaster.

So although today I desperately wanted the team from Iwaki to win,

when the game ended,

I found myself wanting to applaud the young people from Kumamoto just as sincerely.

---

Perhaps that is one of the remarkable things about high school baseball.

We adults attach all sorts of meaning to it.

Our hometown.

Our prefecture.

Our memories.

Our hopes.

Sometimes even the hopes of communities recovering from disaster.

And then the players step onto the field—

and simply play baseball with everything they have.

Perhaps that is why they move us so deeply.

Today there was a winner.

And there was a loser.

But what those two teams gave us was much bigger than the score.

To Shohei High School:

Thank you for an unforgettable Koshien.

To Ariake High School:

Congratulations on a magnificent victory.

May you continue to play with everything you have.

And may your journey through Koshien become

an even brighter light for the people of Kumamoto.

Today,

beyond winning and losing,

both teams deserve our greatest applause.