The next morning, Zhang Han left home and went straight to the team.
He was a core member of Matsukata Senior League, the Ace Pitcher's primary substitute.
As soon as he entered the team, he saw the second-year rookie duo: Toujou Hideaki and Kanemaru Shinji.
Matsukata Senior League's reputation was not limited to Tokyo; Matsukata was well-known nationwide. Even in professional baseball, countless talented players have come from Matsukata. To put it bluntly, anyone who could make it out of here, get a uniform number, and play for the team was no ordinary character.
In such a team, generally, third-year middle school players held the starting positions. On one hand, they were older and indeed more skilled. On the other hand, the performance of third-year players in their third year directly affected their future prospects. That is to say, under similar conditions, the coach and director would prioritize giving opportunities and positions to third-year players.
But even under these demanding conditions, these two individuals were able to stand out and become starters for the team. It was not difficult to see how outstanding their abilities were. Especially Toujou, who was one year younger than Zhang Han, yet was still the team's Ace.
Although there were some other reasons, a large part of his ability to become the Ace was due to his truly outstanding skill. Otherwise, Coach Ono would never have let him be the team's Ace Pitcher.
"Han-san!"
"Senior Zhang!"
The two saw Zhang Han and approached him with smiles to greet him. Having just won the national runner-up title, the team's atmosphere was very good. But at this moment, how could Zhang Han have the mind to socialize? He nodded slightly, acknowledging their greeting, and then ran directly to Coach Ono's office.
"Is Senior Zhang Han angry?"
Kanemaru asked with a frown. Although this senior was usually a bit aloof, he was very polite. When they greeted him, Zhang Han would still exchange a few pleasantries. Today, for some reason, he didn't say a single word.
"No, we just won the national runner-up title. Although we were one step away from the championship, this result is the best our team has achieved in years. There's no reason for Han-san to be angry!"
Toujou shook his head.
"It's still because of that matter, isn't it?"
"What?"
"His ability is clearly above yours, and he's a third-year senior. But the Ace's uniform number was stolen by you, kid. Although Senior Zhang Han doesn't say anything, he must mind it in his heart." Kanemaru guessed.
Toujou couldn't help but roll his eyes, "If the senior minded, he would have minded long ago. Now that the tournament is over, what does Han-san have to mind? Besides, who said my ability isn't as good as Han-san's?" glaring fiercely at Kanemaru.
"You pitchers are truly a bunch of self-centered guys."
Matsukata Senior League's Director's office.
"Coach!" Zhang Han changed his usual aloof demeanor and greeted politely.
Ono Binchi looked up, saw it was Zhang Han, and motioned for him to come and sit down. Zhang Han was not polite either and sat across from Ono Binchi.
"Is there something?"
The national tournament had just ended, and the task of the third-year players was complete. Having just won the national runner-up title, they were at the peak of their popularity.
As the team's Head Coach, Ono Binchi was also extremely busy. On one hand, he had to accept media interviews, and on the other hand, he had to consider the composition of the new team.
Matsukata's main team was basically composed of third-year players. Among the main players, only the Ace Pitcher Toujou and the Third Baseman Kanemaru were second-year players. The rest were all third-year players, without exception.
With such a large number of players leaving the team, the reorganization of Matsukata Senior League gave Ono Binchi a terrible headache. This was not even called reorganization; it was practically a complete rebuild.
Now, he also received invitations from various high schools, and he had to consider the future of these third-year players. The workload was even worse.
Matsukata Senior League, as one of the most famous little leagues in the Tokyo area, had a considerable reputation even nationwide. Players who came out of their league, especially those who had the opportunity to play, were already sought after by major high schools. Coupled with Matsukata having just won the national runner-up title, the players in the team also became highly sought after. Countless high schools were eagerly trying to poach them.
As Ono Binchi's favorite disciple, although Zhang Han was the team's substitute pitcher, he had many opportunities to play. He also performed well in the games.
"Coach, you said before that some teams were interested in me. I want to ask which teams they are and what kind of treatment they can offer?"
"I knew you, kid, wouldn't be so kind as to specifically come to see me."
"Look at you, I certainly came to see you, and incidentally, to inquire about my own matters."
"You little rascal, wait."
Ono Binchi turned to look for something, and Zhang Han watched his back, lost in thought.
Speaking of which, their acquaintance was also a fateful encounter. At that time, Zhang Han had just arrived in Tokyo and was unfamiliar with the area. He happened to come across a group of adults playing baseball, and Zhang Han was originally just a spectator. Later, one side was short on players and actively pulled Zhang Han in to make up the numbers. Zhang Han went up!
After the game, Ono Binchi, the Ace of the winning side, patted Zhang Han's shoulder with a smile.
"Young man, your baseball isn't very good! You need to train more!"
At that time, Zhang Han was itching with anger. Although he was just a temporary fill-in, the taste of failure was really unpleasant.
"I'll definitely beat you next time!"
"It's good to have determination, but with your skills, it'll be 100 years too early to beat me! By the way, how long have you been studying baseball, kid?"
"One month!"
Because of these three words, Ono Binchi applied to the owner of Matsukata Senior League to let Zhang Han learn baseball for free. He told the owner this at the time.
"This young man may not bring economic benefits to the team, but he can bring victory to the team. In just two years, he will become an indispensable force for the team."
Although Zhang Han ultimately did not get the Ace's uniform number, the achievements Matsukata Senior League made in the past two years certainly had his contribution.
"Found it!"
Ono Binchi held a thick stack of documents and sat back down across from Zhang Han.
"Quite a few teams are interested in you. I've received 31 invitations for tryouts here. 27 of them are from Tokyo, and 4 are from outside Tokyo."
"I didn't expect to be so popular!"
"Stop bragging! Hoshida and Miyakawa received even more invitations. They even included Ichidai Third High School, Inashiro Industrial, and Teito High School."
"Isn't Teito from East Tokyo?"
"So what? As long as you're skilled enough, you can choose any powerhouse you want."