Katsumi Hirosawa (KH), who was the team’s 81st ever #4 hitter, sat down to talk with new infielder Justin Bour (JB), who is primed to become the 105th #4 hitter in team history. They talked about the right-field winds at Koshien Stadium (a.k.a. hamakaze), making adjustments to Japanese baseball, home runs… and ultimately, Bour ended up doing the question-asking to someone who has experience as a #4 hitter!
KH: My first impression of you is that of all the Tigers import hitters we’ve picked up, you can hit the ball the farthest.
JB: Ohhhhh, thank you!
KH: Your take-back and power position are superb! Even genius-like!
JB: By loading straight back, your whole body draws inward, so to avoid that, I pull back diagonally, and it puts me in just the right position.
KH: When did you start doing that, and why?
JB: I was teaching a kid at a baseball clinic, and he was having problems with his take-back. I made the suggestion that he try the diagonal approach. That actually ended up being advice that I took as well.
KH: Anything else about your form that you are really picky about?
JB: The most important thing is to be relaxed. If you are tense, you can’t use the muscles that you need to hit the ball well, and it messes with your hands, too. I want my hands to move freely as I am hitting.
KH: Have you been able to hit the ball far ever since you were a kid?
JB: No, until I was in high school I was more of a gap hitter. I definitely was not a home run hitter back then. The power came to me as an adult.
KH: And why do you not use batting gloves?
JB: I always hit barehanded, ever since I was a kid. I like the feel of the wood, it just feels natural to me.
KH: Data shows that bat speed is better when you wear gloves, though…
JB: Uh-huh…
KH: Well, to each his own, I guess.
JB: I make sure I rub dirt onto my hands and use extra grip spray, but having my bare hands on the wooden bat makes me feel relaxed, like I’m just at home or something. That’s my routine when I step into the batter’s box. I’m OK with that (laughs).
KH: Where were you born?
JB: Washington, DC.
KH: So this will be your first time experiencing Japan’s sticky summer conditions.
JB: When I was in the minors and when I played in Miami, there were some hot and humid conditions.
KH: I don’t think anything compares to the humidity in Japan in the summer, though.
JB: I think I’ll be OK, though (laughs).
KH: What do you do to keep yourself in good health?
JB: Just eat well and sleep well. The conditioning coaches have given me advice as well, like about stretching and preparing my body for playing.
KH: Hanshin fans are expecting you to hit a lot of home runs. The fans here are pretty wild, and if you go through any droughts they may start to heckle you. I hope you don’t pay them much attention if and when that happens.
JB: I’m a professional ball player, so that kind of thing is normal when you’re not playing well. But that’s life as a professional. I just have to work hard to play through it and stay true to myself.
KH: Your home park is Koshien, which has an all-dirt infield.
JB: Yeah, I got used to the dirt infield at our camp in Ginoza! I stood at first base waiting for balls to come my way during other players’ batting practice. We don’t do that in America. Also, you take grounders from the side here, too! That was a real test of my concentration skills (laughs).
KH: Koshien’s fences are 95 meters at the poles, 118 meters to dead center. Compared to other parks, those dimensions are not so wide.
JB: Still, it’s a monster park, right?
KH: What makes it a monster is the wind.
JB: (stopping the interpreter) “Kaze” – I’ve heard that word a lot lately. I heard you say “kaze” just now, too…
KH: Hahaha. With your power, if you hit the ball just right it will reach the stands… but if you get jammed even a little or don’t get the barrel on the ball, the wind will carry it back into the park. You have to use the wind to your advantage.
JB: Everyone talks about the strong winds. So I have been practicing hitting low liners. That and not fighting the winds, but hitting the ball to left-center.
KH: Right. If you only think about hitting home runs, it might screw with your hitting style. Just focus on making contact with the ball.
JB: OK, got it. Baseball isn’t just about hitting home runs. If the team needs a single in order to get the win, it’s important for me to just get that single.
KH: That’s right!
Sponichi: Mr. Hirosawa was once the #4 hitter for the Tigers, and hit 306 home runs over his career. Do you have any questions for him?
JB: What stadium was the easiest to hit home runs in?
KH: Hmmmm… anywhere but Koshien!
JB: Ohhhhhh, haha haha!
KH: Koshien is really… yeah…
JB: The more at-bats I get, the more the other team is going to learn about my tendencies and such. How did you adjust to things like that as a hitter, Hirosawa-san? Did they throw the same pitchers at you every time, or did they come at you with different pitchers?
KH: Other teams’ advanced scouts (scorers) will definitely have a bunch of information on you by the time you face that same team the second time around. You can’t ignore that, but more importantly, Japanese catchers are very observant. You cannot give them any hints as to what you are waiting on. For example, if you are waiting on a slider, they are quick to pick up on that, so you have to play a little reverse psychology with them.
JB: Ohhhhhh (nods).
KH: Also, let’s say you flail miserably at a breaking ball. Some catchers will go right at you with the same pitch again, while others will have their pitchers throw you a quick fastball on the inside corner. It is important to know the catchers’ tendencies, too.
JB: So it’s important for me to make sure the catcher isn’t picking up any hints from me, or he’ll take full control of the at-bat.
KH: Be deceptive, too. Make it look like you’re waiting on an inside pitch, and be ready to hit something on the outside instead.
JB: OK, OK! Fake them out? Do a little acting? I gotta remember this (laughs)!
KH: Yes, yes! It’s an information war. Make it look like they’ve got your number, and reverse things on them in the end.
(They start talking about bats during the photo shoot.)
KH: Don’t you rub anything on your bat?
JB: Nothing. Wouldn’t be able to feel the wood properly if I did.
KH: Doesn’t the wood absorb moisture, though?
JB: I does, but this is the way I want my bat to feel. Anyways, I have ordered a few different types of bats. I know this one might get a little heavy otherwise.
KH: What kind of bat did you use in America?
JB: All Hickory and Mizuno. Mostly Mizuno.
KH: You like the quality of wood that Mizuno uses?
JB: I actually went to the Mizuno bat factory (in Japan) once in 2017. I saw how the bats I use are made, how careful they are with production, and have felt really good about using their bats ever since then.
KH: Wow, amazing! That’s great!
JB: (sniffing the bat) I love the smell of the wood, too!