The Japanese national anthem began playing in the stadium, prompting everyone in attendance to stand up.
"It's starting, Bro!" - Little Yumi jumped excitedly next to Shun as soon as the anthem ended. A presenter walked to the center of the field with a microphone in hand:
"Welcome to the NPB Home Run Derby! Tonight, the best hitters in our league will face off to see who is the best home run hitter!"
"Yeaaaaahhhh!!" - The crowd cheered enthusiastically.
"But before we start swinging, let's meet the 8 hitters chosen to participate this year!" - The presenter said as he turned toward a line of 8 players and began introducing them one by one.
"Shogo Akiyama, from the Saitama Seibu Lions!"
The first player in the line stepped forward and waved to the crowd. The audience applauded the player as the presenter moved on to the next participant.
"Shintaro Fujinami, from the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles!"
The same scene repeated as the player stepped forward and was greeted by applause.
"Shugo Kikuchi, from the Yokohama DeNA Baystars!"
"Brandon Bird, from the Hanshin Tigers!"
"Oh!" - Shun applauded as he looked at the man receiving cheers. Brandon Bird was the shortstop for the Hanshin Tigers. He was American and had played in Major League Baseball, but due to poor results, he left the league. After playing a season in Mexico, he was now in Japan, trying to recover and earn another spot in the Majors.
As a Yomiuri Giants fan, Shun knew very well who Hideki Matsuda was. The 26-year-old center fielder, a three-time NovelFireP, and winner of three Japanese championships. The media had already reported that he would sign with a Major League team at the end of this season, and he would likely sign an astronomical contract.
"Haha, what can you do? This is Matsuda's home after all!" - Satoru laughed after seeing so much noise for a single player's introduction. The Tokyo Dome was the home of the Yomiuri Giants, so it was more than normal for the fans to make such a racket for their biggest star.
"And last but not least, in his first season in Japan, coming straight from Major League Baseball, playing for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, José Martínez!" - The presenter introduced the final player, and the noise in the stadium was just as loud, if not even a bit louder, than for Matsuda's introduction.
"Wow!" - Shun looked at the player on the field with admiration. He was very tall, standing 6'4" (193 cm), with a massive and broad frame. He must have weighed around 240 pounds (108 kg), but Shun knew that weight was made up of well-developed muscles. He had dark brown skin, something uncommon in Japan but typical in the Dominican Republic, where he was born.
José Martínez, a living legend who had dominated Major League Baseball for years. He had won Rookie of the Year, a Batting Title, 6X Silver Sluggers, 2X Gold Gloves, 11X All-Star appearances, 3 MVP awards, and two World Series championships, an incredible career that was sure to be immortalized in the Baseball Hall of Fame in a few years.
Now 39 years old, after retiring from MLB last season, he came to Japan with a multi-million dollar offer to play for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters as a designated hitter. But even at his advanced age, José still struck fear into opposing pitchers. So far in the NPB, his batting average was 0.322, with 21 home runs, one of the best in the entire league.
To Shun, José was without a doubt the best hitter he had ever seen play. He still remembered watching José's home run in Game 6 of the World Series. Today, he was going to watch someone truly incredible, and that made him very excited.
[Hey kid! Watch this guy hit closely, it might be useful for you.]
"Huh?" - Shun was surprised by the old man's comment. It was rare for the arrogant old man to acknowledge another player's abilities. He decided not to say anything for now and continued watching the field closely, not wanting to miss a moment.
"Now that the participants have been introduced, let's quickly go over the rules!" - The presenter spoke again, grabbing everyone's attention in the stadium.
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"The rules are simple: each player gets 5 pitches. The player can choose not to swing at a pitch, and the count won't change. However, if the player swings and the hit is not a home run, the pitch count decreases! The player can keep hitting until their pitch count reaches 0! The participants will be paired up, and to advance to the next round, they need to hit more home runs than their opponent!"