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The story
During the Hanshin–Giants game at Koshien Stadium on August 29, Giants pitcher Yushi Akahoshi hit Hanshin’s Shota Morishita near the left wrist with a pitch in the 7th inning, sending a stir through the stadium. Hanshin manager Kyuji Fujikawa even came storming out of the dugout. On the Geisokuhaya+ (5ch sports/entertainment news) board, opinions split over whether the pitch was accidental or intentional, with posters citing data showing the Giants lead the Central League this season with 54 hit-by-pitches. Some blamed Morishita for crowding the plate, while others pointed to the Giants’ pitching staff’s control problems, with comparisons drawn to past “batters who never dodge,” like Kazuhiro Kiyohara.
Published 8/29 (Sat) 20:25 — Sports Hochi
◆JERA Central League: Hanshin vs. Giants (Aug. 29, Koshien)
Giants pitcher Yushi Akahoshi hit outfielder Shota Morishita with a pitch in the 7th inning, sending Koshien into an uproar. Hanshin manager Fujikawa also stormed out of the dugout.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
So? Did Abe bow and apologize?
Go ask ChatGPT
Abe, lol. Did you just get out of prison or something, buddy? lol
Don't lump a pennant race in with a team that's 15 games under .500, Chunichi ("Chunidora" — a mocking nickname for the Chunichi Dragons)
Shut up, you trash club that's only won the Japan Series twice
That's just gonna boomerang right back at Chunichi, isn't it? lol
Giants — 54
Swallows — 50
DeNA — 40
Carp — 39
Tigers — 34
Dragons — 33
The Giants really are on another level.
Makes no sense how fans are acting all defiant about this
If a guy who won't dodge and basically farms hit-by-pitches racks up 16 of them himself, of course other teams' totals spike
Especially since he pulls that act against the Giants specifically
That's the pot calling the kettle black
If you're gonna complain, at least get your own number down to single digits first
Kiyohara and Aoki don't dodge either
That's exactly why they end up with serious injuries
Aoki, yeah…
Uehara said the same thing — he gets hit because his stance overlaps the strike zone
From the pitcher's side it probably feels like "are you serious right now?"
In a way it's kind of breaking the whole point of the strike zone
In the majors nobody crowds the zone like that
At 160 km/h (99 mph) it'll actually kill you
Well, everyone values their life, lol
No telling what an MLB pitcher will do if he snaps
He still got hit in the head though
The Giants' wild-armed pitcher threw right at his face
Yeah, that's a throw at the head
Calling it bad dodging is completely missing the point
It was the same height as the 2nd pitch — this was just what happens when he steps in and leans into the 6th pitch, right?
just can't dodge inside-high pitches no matter what.
For Kiyohara there was apparently this idea that dodging meant losing
Sounds like Ochiai told him over and over to get out of the way, though
If he wants to make it to the majors, he'd better learn to dodge
They're mad because they keep getting hit too much
Say that when the Tigers are the ones hitting everybody
They took two Chunichi guys out of commission with pitches though
What game are you even watching?
They hit batters all the time
Guess you just don't see the stuff that's inconvenient for you, lol
What about his catcher?
What about him being sidelined?
What about his season being over?
Nothing but scrubs
That's when you go after the pitcher himself instead
Back in the day, retaliation hit-by-pitches aimed at the opposing pitcher were common
About 20 years ago, wristbands like this were popular, so wrists used to be protected.
These days there's gear to protect the back of the hand, but a lot of players step into the batter's box with nothing guarding the wrist at all.
but did you even watch today's pitch?
How is anyone supposed to dodge a sinker that got away like that?
This isn't just about today
If that same pitch had gone to Oyama, I don't think he'd have needed to dodge it at all
He'd already been thrown a similar pitch as a warning on the 2nd pitch of that same at-bat,
and he still stepped in even further — the pitcher probably just thought "chance to hit him!"
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
Hit-by-pitch controversies have been a recurring theme in the Central League this season. According to figures cited in the thread as of August 28, the Giants lead with 54 hit-by-pitches, followed by the Swallows with 50 and DeNA with 40. Posters noted that a high HBP count isn’t only about a pitcher’s control problems — it can also reflect aggressive inside pitching and batting stances where right-handed hitters step toward first base, making inside pitches harder to dodge, with Kazuhiro Kiyohara cited as an example of a batter who deliberately never got out of the way. On the topic of wrist protection, some pointed out that wristband-style guards were common about 20 years ago, whereas today many players take the plate with guards for the back of the hand but nothing protecting the wrist itself, suggesting changing equipment trends may also play a role. Separately, it’s worth noting that NPB continuously monitors abusive or threatening posts aimed at players and umpires and has stated it will report malicious cases to police or pursue legal action — a reminder that heated commentary carries real legal risk, regardless of how the hit-by-pitch itself is judged.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisokuhaya+) thread “[Giants] Yushi Akahoshi hits Shota Morishita near the left wrist with a pitch in the 7th inning — Manager Fujikawa also storms out of the dugout.”
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