Words: Yasutaka Nakanishi, YC&AC Baseball Captain
On June 24, our YC&AC baseball team’s big annual event “Field of Dreams” was held in clear weather. This event dates back to May 1896, when the former Daiichi High School, the predecessor of the current University of Tokyo (Todai), and YC&AC held their first international baseball game in Japan. A student from Y-Ko (Yokohama Shogyo High School) who was watching the game was presented with a bat and ball by a player from the University of Tokyo, which led to the establishment of the Y-Ko baseball team.
This year, our YC&AC team played the first game against Y-Ko OB (Old Boys) and despite the tenacious pitching of Koike-san, we were losing by four runs until the final inning. And although we were forced to two outs in the final inning, pinch hitter Nagai-san’s timely two-run double tied the game! The first match ended in an 8-8 draw. The second game was against Todai-OB. With Yachi’s good pitching and solid defense (no errors!), we ended in a 6-4 victory, continuing the winning streak from last year.
At the reception after the game, while deepening mutual exchanges, the University of Tokyo gave a presentation on the history of baseball and the pennant & MVP awards were presented. We were also joined by a special guest, former DeNA manager Alex Ramirez. Next year, the event will be held on June 29. We look forward to your participation!