Chapter 145

Short Summary
In their third game against the Lycaons, the Mariners’ team are divided. Brooklyn tells Amami if he doesn’t get a hit off Tokuchi today, he wants him to step down from number 4 in the batting lineup.

Long Summary
After winning against the Mariners, Tokuchi announces at the follow-up press conference that he saw Amami say it’s ridiculous to put Tokuchi’s 130km/h pitches against top opponents. Amami supposedly also said if there’s anyone in the Mariners who can’t hit Tokuchi's pitches they should retire as a professional.

Brooklyn sees this in the paper the next day and yells at Amami, assuming the insult was aimed at him. Amami doesn’t know what he’s talking about and looks at the newspaper for himself. He tells Brooklyn not to let a ‘low-level article’ like this upset him but Brooklyn grabs Amami by his shirt and tells him not to get cocky; the coach only put him fourth in the lineup to be considerate. He tells Amami if he can’t get a hit off Tokuchi today he needs to step down from number 4. Amami laughs and points out Brooklyn himself hasn’t got a hit off Tokuchi yet either. He tells Brooklyn if he has this much energy to waste, he should spend it on figuring out how to beat Tokuchi instead.

The Mariners team are now completely divided. Brooklyn, Thomas and the batters who were taken off the starting lineup after the trade form one group; the five new members plus the original pitchers (who’d always been looked down upon by the batters) form the other.

Tokuchi and Kira are starters for their respective teams this game. Kira mocks Brooklyn for ‘getting comfortable’ in his position as number 6, and Brooklyn responds Kira’s been down-graded to Amami’s dog. Kira taunts that the team are having a bet on whether Brooklyn’ll hit Tokuchi’s pitch today but it’s barely a gamble because no one thinks he can do it. Brooklyn shouts back he’ll bet on himself a million yen, but in exchange Kira needs to tell Amami if he can’t hit today, he has to step down from number 4.

Tokuchi watches them from the Lycaons dugout and comments it’s getting interesting on the Mariners’ bench. Ideguchi asks if it looks like they can win. Tokuchi says they will, but that alone is too boring. He wants to make it a game that’ll leave ‘a severe after-effect on the Mariners.’

Both pitchers do well, striking out all batters in the first inning. Tokuchi strikes Takami out last. At the bench, Takami tells Amami it won’t be easy getting a hit off Tokuchi today.

When Amami bats at the next inning, he gets a hit easily. He runs to first base and the Mariners cheer. He assumes it was a careless pitch, but then notices Tokuchi smiling. Kira laughs at Brooklyn for how easily Amami got a hit. Tokuchi strikes the following batter out and Brooklyn goes on determined to get a home run.

Characters

 * Tokuchi Toua
 * Brooklyn
 * Amami
 * Takami
 * Kira
 * Ideguchi