Some of you might remember a hot young prospect that the Hanshin Tigers drafted in 2013, who went by the name of Shintaro Yokota. He made the starting lineup in 2016 at age 20, and was one of the most touted players heading into the 2017 season. Then something happened. Chronic, unshakeable migraines during the 2017 spring camp in Okinawa. And after that… silence for over six months. Neither the media nor the club made any announcements about his status until September.
And then all of a sudden, Yokota was back at the club’s dormitory for young single players, and was beginning rehab work. On what, you ask? Well, that is the biggest reason that this book was written, and also that his career was brought to a crashing halt on that day, and ultimately for good at the end of the 2019 season. You see, they found brain tumors that required a lengthy (18 hour) operation, and in the six months between it and his return to the team (and “normal” life), he lost not only most of his muscle, but also his vision, at least temporarily.
While reading this young man’s story, I was completely inspired by his ability to keep pushing forward, keep setting up goals for his daily life, and always believe that he could make a comeback to the field. I will not blow much more of the story’s content, except for the reason the book given its title. After he had announced his retirement (due to his vision never fully recovering, which caused double vision as well as times when he could not see the ball at all), the team gave him a retirement game on the farm. He was supposed to take the field in the ninth inning for one final hurrah. However, Coach Hirata insisted that Yokota take center field, though he wanted to play right, where fewer balls would come his way, thereby lessening the risk of embarrassment or injury. Hirata also sent him out in the bottom of the eighth with two outs, because he wanted to give Yokota the spotlight when he ran out there mid-inning, rather than taking the field with his mates in the top of the ninth.
Well, with a runner on second, the Hawks apparently had agreed with each other to try to avoid hitting the ball to center. After all, if they did and Yokota’s vision prevented him from fielding the ball cleanly, it could result in a bad sendoff for the kid, not to mention that the ball might strike him or he might run into the left or right fielder. Keep in mind, Yokota was not blind… just saw double. Anyhow, the first batter hit a ball over Yokota’s head, and Yokota said he lost sight of it completely. Tie game on the run that scored. Inning still not over. The NEXT batter ALSO hit one to Yokota. To shallow right-center, to be exact.
Normally, Yokota says, he would have backed off and let the ball drop and roll to him, since he could not see it clearly. Since his return, he had never once charged a hit, even when shagging fly balls in practice. But for some reason, he did it this time. The ball found its way to his glove (he says he does not remember seeing it well), and his throw to home was a perfect strike to catcher Yuya Katayama, who tagged the runner out. Yokota says he had never thrown such a perfect ball in all his playing days, not even pre-tumor. He also said he did not see his throw, and only knew he had done the miraculous when he heard the crowd road and his infielder mates pumping their fists and running to the dugout.
By the way, the Tigers won that game in the bottom of the eighth, Yokota took the field again in the ninth but nothing was hit his way. Also, the entire team came to watch (top squad players and manager Akihiro Yano too) despite being in the middle of a fierce playoff race. The ceremony after the game was extremely emotional, but manager Yano said to his mates, “Shintaro showed us something amazing in his last game. Now let’s do something for him.” And the team completed its unlikely charge, winning all three of their remaining games to culminate the season on a six-game streak, and they eeked their way into the playoffs.
All this to say, this book was a great read. Though written rather simply and quite repetitious, it definitely gave a lot more depth to Yokota’s story. He is still just 26 years old now, and has his whole life still in front of him. Hopefully, his strong character will continue to drive him forward, and there are still a few good miracles left in his life.
By the way, for those of you living in Japan, there will be a short movie (?) about his life on television on March 13. Do not miss it!
