When you're watching TV,
make sure you sit far away from the TV,
in a well lit room!
Shugo Daimon.
He's made a combined eight appearances in the summer and spring Koshien tournaments.
Out of those eight, he's won it all once, and gone to the semis twice.
He's coached four teams and has gotten good results for all of them thus far.
On paper, he's a top notch coach that any team would welcome.
But despite all of his accomplishments,
not a single player from the four teams he coached
has ever really made it big.
A few of them did crack the professional leagues,
but they've all quit from the stress built up since their high school days.
He doesn't really seem like the type who would give a damn about his players' futures.
Now that you mention it,
didn't he resign once because he got a match ban or something?
That was the year after he won the Koshien.
He basically abandoned the team because they became weaker than they were the previous year.
He literally let the twelfth graders muscle the underclassmen around,
then secretly reported it to the High School Baseball Association himself.
Would he really go that far—
I sure hope he doesn't.
But you'd think those baseball transfer students would have heard those same rumors before coming here.
I'm surprised they came.
It's a special mindset that people with skill tend to develop.
"It won't happen to me."
Plus there's no denying that this is, in a way, a shortcut to the Koshien.
So, what do you want to do, Akaishi?
You wanna play under that coach?
No way.
Let's kick him out, then.
Mitsuru Adachi
（Serialized in Shogakukan's 「Weekly Shonen Sunday」）
Created by
Toshihiro Nakazawa
Nobumasa Sawabe
Planning
Masato Hayashi
Shin'ichirou Tsuzuki
Planning Assistance
Toshisato Okuno Shin Omura Takenori Ichihara
Masato Hayashi
Supervisors
Original Planning Assistance
Michihiro Tsuchiya
Series Composition
Yuji Kondo
Main Character Design
Maho Takahashi
Tomoyuki Matsumoto
Koichi Imano
Art Design
Subcharacter Design
Prop Design
Kayoko Ono
Miki Tsubouchi
Hiromi Komine
Yutaka Kuramoto
Art Director
Color Design
Photography Director
Editing
Nobuhide Tanaka Toshiyuki Kuroiwa
Kotaro Nakagawa
Takeshi Takadera
HALF H・P STUDIO
Music Producer
Music
Sound Director
Sound Production
「Summer Rain」
Lyrics／Composition: Kentaro Kobuchi
Arrangement: Kobukuro
Kobukuro
（Warner Music Japan）
Opening Theme
Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment
TV-TOKYO Music
Warner Music Japan
Music Assistance
Ryosuke Sakurai
Animation Producer
Animation Production
Shunji Aoki Naohiko Furuchi
Producers
Osamu Sekita
Director
Shogakukan Shueisha Production
Production Studio
SUBTITLED BY ANBU
I hope you don't mind.
Coach Daimon?
What can the middle school team do for you?
I'm just taking a look.
I want to see if there are any players I can use for next year.
Please, take a seat.
Center field!
Shortstop!
Quite an impressive bunch, I must say.
Well, they're...
Who's that pitcher?
That's Tsukishima, a ninth grader.
She's our captain.
She's got quite an arm on her, doesn't she?
Everyone's impressed when they first see her.
A girl?
Yes, but she really loves baseball, that one.
I didn't come here to look for baseball fans.
Would you like anything to drink?
I'm fine.
I apologize for my intrusion.
Center field!
All right, I got it!
Come on, old man!
Each team has its own environment and circumstances.
There's more than one way to practice, you know.
Would you wake up and smell the fresh air for once?
The first-stringers are calling you the "has-been coach" in case you didn't know.
It's important to be creative in whatever you do.
Right field!
A bunt?
Hurry it up!
Such a pleasant sound.
You sure know how to pick your guys,
Wakaba Tsukishima.
No resting.
Yes, sir!
He'll break down.
That's fine.
That's the reason why I put him on the first-string team in the first place.
Do you want to give it a try?
I'd rather take swings than hit a pitch like that.
I can have Kamikawa throw batting practice just for you, if you want.
He's going to lose his confidence that way.
Or would you rather have our top pitcher...
break down as well?
No, that'd do us no good.
I'm heading out to the pitching machines, then.
Wait, there is someone.
There is someone who I wouldn't mind breaking down who will be good practice for you.
Thank you.
You're late.
I'm sorry.
My elbow felt a little strange so I had the school nurse take a look at it.
Then she said it was pretty badly swollen,
and that I should sit out practice for today.
She also said that I shouldn't pitch for the time being.
Here's my doctor's note.
I see.
Then you're no longer useful to the first-string team.
Pack your things and report to the Prefab farm.
Well, I'm pretty sure the nurse was just exaggerating.
I'll pitch, don't worry.
I'm totally fine.
I'll go get changed.
T-Tsukishima?
All right, begin.
Yes, sir!
Thank you for waiting, Miss.
Here you go.
Keep the change.
Thank you, as always.
But are you sure it's okay for you to skip out like this when you're the manager?
Is anyone complaining about it?
I guess you have a point there.
It won't be my turn until this team becomes famous,
and the press starts rolling in and out of here.
Now that you mention it,
I was just walking past the baseball team just now,
and I saw Aoba Tsukishima pitching.
Aoba Tsukishima?
Oh yeah.
I guess you wouldn't know since you were abroad, Miss.
She's really famous among the middle schoolers.
She's cute and she's good at sports,
plus she's popular with both the guys and the girls!
She throws a really good fastball on top of that.
Oh yeah, the coach did mention someone like that yesterday.
He said she'd make the perfect disposable batting practice pitcher or something.
Come on, isn't there too much ice in this thing?
Would you care to elaborate on that?
There's too much ice, duh!
I meant what you said before that.
Who the hell are you?
We're the terrifying Prefab team!
Some more balls for you.
Hurry up and pitch already!
What's taking you so long?
Who are you guys?
It's them, Coach!
Those are the three from the Prefab team who didn't take the selection test.
I see.
They look as if they're confident in their baseball skills.
Damn, he saw right through us.
I guess he's not a top coach for nothing.
Whatever it is you're thinking, don't disobey me.
Or I'll have you spend the next three years rotting in a cesspool.
A cesspool?
The Prefab team is only a "farm" team by name.
I don't expect to reap anything valuable from it in the first place.
In other words,
you Prefabbers are nothing but fertilizer for the first-string team.
That's a harsh way to put it.
How much longer are you going to make her pitch?
Until she faints.
It doesn't matter if she malfunctions or breaks down.
She's a talent that we can't use in official games, after all.
However,
she makes an excellent fertilizer.
Your speed's not too shabby, but you're still a girl in the end.
They're flying off my bat like it's nothing.
You better watch out.
You may just fall into the cesspool yourself, wearing sunglasses as dark as those.
That bitch.
It's my turn, isn't it?
Looks like you finally got your gears in order.
I never thought I'd get into the batting mode to face a girl.
What an honor.
You better set your engine to full throttle.
Could I get a different catcher, then?
What are you saying, bitch?
I'm not good enough?
Sorry.
I'm a sucker for looks.
What?
Akaishi.
Go get 'em, stud.
She's calling for you.
What should I do?
Go.
That bitch!
"A sucker for looks" my ass!
Okay, I'm all set.
A Prefabber, huh.
I'm part of the baseball team, just like you.
No way!
That's much faster than before.
Azuma missed?
It's not every day you see her pitching at full strength.
There's a reason why they only let her really throw in practice games.
If she threw her hardest, there would be no practice to begin with.
Strike two.
You're against the wall now.
What next?
I'll just have to...
hang on with fouls.
None of them are flying forward, man.
They're all going straight back.
Yeah.
He's getting the timing right on every pitch.
If he actually managed to get even half the ball with that swing...
It'd fly out of the park.
You punk.
I haven't had such good practice like this in a while.
Could someone wipe this down?
Yes, right away!
Please, sit down.
Listen carefully, you two!
This is Risa Shido, our first-string manager.
She's our Acting Principal's daughter who's actually lived abroad.
At the overseas school, she was really popular,
and was even voted their Miss Transfer Student...
are you two even listening?
What a silly girl.
What's the point in getting all muddy and exhausted?
How pathetic.
But she's way hotter than a girl who only has her looks and her dad to brag about.
Right, Kitamura?
Cut it out, Senda!
She's going to hear you if you say it so loud like that.
No, it wasn't me, I swear!
Good evening, this is Mitsuru Adachi.
That's not even close!
I guess no one beats Ko when it comes to impersonations.
Yeah.
He's always been good at mimicking other people's voices.
Like the one he used to do of Yaohachi, right?
Nah.
His best has definitely got to be the one of Mr. Gen from Uomasa.
Yeah, there's no topping that one.
Quit yawning, you stupid bitch!
Right, Kitamura?
N-No, that wasn't me I swear!
Do you want to throw for her?
Yeah.
I want to hit him as hard as I can.
I guess that makes three of us.
Where do you think you're setting up?
Looks like she's the manly one here.
Yeah. Much manlier than you, at least.
Why don't we wrap it up here for today, Coach.
It'd be a shame if this good batting center broke down on us after just one day.
You're right.
All right, everyone to fielding practice!
Yes, sir!
And the girl over there, you're in the way.
Get off the field!
I've become pretty patient, haven't I?
If this was middle school, my fist would be in that guy's face right about now.
Yeah.
Third base!
Yes, sir!
One more!
Yes, sir!
Next, outfield!
Yes, sir!
Right field!
Yes, sir!
Why are you sitting next to me?
You bitch.
I wouldn't have done it if Akaishi hadn't asked me to, you know.
I can carry my own bag, thank you.
Ow...
Don't listen to what that sunglasses punk tells you to do ever again, okay?
Or you'll really end up breaking down.
Not on my watch!
I know you're upset, but you can't beat Azuma.
Just give it up.
Wasn't it your job to hold him down?
If they'd only let me pitch one more time,
I could at least find out all the other batters' weaknesses.
What are you...
I don't trust you at all!
Not one little bit!
What the hell?
It's just...
Mifujidai, Mifujidai.
So, you were saying?
I just want to be able to believe in what Akaishi and Waka told me.
What Wakaba said?
What was it?
She said once he becomes serious, he could be Japan's best...
Japan's best?
Once he becomes serious,
he could be the best pitcher in Japan!
He might even be able to throw 160km/h.
My predictions tend to come true, you know.
Japan's best what?
Come on!
What's with that sigh?
Come on, tell me!
Damn it!
So you don't like to lose, huh.
You guys are alike.
Who are you talking about?
I get it.
So you're nervous about your debut game, huh?
Yeah, right.
Treat me to the Napolitan over at Clover cafe
if I manage to hold the first-string team to ten runs.
It's got to be cooked by Ichiyo, of course.
Make it five runs.
Cheapskate.
Next time, on Cross Game Episode Eight:
You Guys are Alike.
Who are you calling a cheapskate?