Chapter 13

Short Summary
Tokuchi plays in his first professional game of the season, but the Owner has bribed one of the players, Yoshida, to sabotage him. After he lets a player get to third base, Tokuchi asks Yoshida to leave the field.

Long Summary
Tokuchi gets interviewed while playing Pachinko and, watching from the TV, the Lycaons coach realises that’s where he goes during practice. Tokuchi tells the interviewer he thinks the Lycaons have been doing badly for so many years because the players lack a sense of urgency.

The Secretary tells Saikawa that attendance has increased by 11% from the previous year, despite the Lycaons having lost all 11 of their first games. Saikawa says he doesn’t care if they lose, so long as they’re profitable. Oikawa, his public relations manager, is appalled by his attitude. He suggests to Saikawa they start using Tokuchi again, and Saikawa says he'll agree if Oikawa offers to pay his salary. The Secretary reveals to Oikawa that the Owner is giving the other teams time to come up with a strategy against Tokuchi. Saikawa thinks they’ve been given enough time and agrees to let Tokuchi play. But first, he summons one of the Lycaons players and bribes him to mess up during the game so Tokuchi gives up a run.

In the first inning, the Eagles have scored 11 points against the Lycaons when Tokuchi is sent on to pitch. His first opponent is expecting an easy fastball, as that's usually Tokuchi’s first throw, but the pitch goes much lower than he expected and he hits a grounder. Yoshida, the player bribed by Saikawa, purposely doesn’t catch the easy grounder and the batter gets to first base, making it the first hit that Tokuchi's given up. Ideguchi notices the out-of-character mistake in Yoshida’s defending, but shrugs it off and assumes he's over-thinking.

During the next pitch, the first batter runs to second. In a pick-off attempt, Tokuchi throws to the catcher, who throws to Yoshida, but he misses the ball again and the runner makes it all the way to third. Yoshida calls out an apology to Tokuchi, but Tokuchi walks up to him and tells him to get off the field. Yoshida doesn’t object, and leaves his position.

Characters

 * Tokuchi Toua
 * Yoshida
 * Ideguchi
 * Saikawa- Owner of the Lycaons
 * The Secretary
 * Oikawa