Once Ben was struck out, the rest of the game posed no issues for Ken and Daichi. The score stayed at 3-1 in the Ligers favor and the game was called after the final out in the top of the 9th.
At the end of the game, the two Japanese brothers had many pairs of eyes on them, from both camps. Even though it was a practice match, they were able to each get a home run and closed out the game for the Ligers.
“Your rookies seemed to have lit a fire in some of my guys.” The Pittsburgh Coach said, shaking Mark’s hand. “I’m looking forward to facing you during the season.”
Mark smiled genuinely, “Same here. Thanks for the game.”
By now, most of the players had returned to the locker room. Many of the first team did not play this game since this one would determine who made the 26-man roster.
But they still had a few more practice matches scheduled over the next week. This would be the part where the coach would try out different line ups to see what fit.
However, at this point in time, Ken was most concerned about making the final cut. Ken was happy with how he played this game, but there was still a level of uncertainty within him.
At the end of the day, Ken had done his best but it was not up to him anymore. His grandfather and the other coaching staff would be making the final decision in this case.
“Ken, Daichi, Rohan. Please come with me.” A voice called out from the entrance of the locker room.
Ken’s heart sunk as he heard his name called out. The current trend was that those who were being cut would be brought out of the room separately to chat to the coach.
‘But there’s 28 of us… Why did he call for 3 people instead of 2?’ Ken thought.
He and Daichi shared a look briefly before they grabbed their things and followed the coach out the door.
Ken could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest as he did his best to quell the unease he was feeling. The long walk from the locker room to the place where his grandfather was seemed to last an eternity as he grappled with the thought of failure.
They were taken into a room where another 5 people were seated, waiting for them.
Mark Williams, the head coach and his grandfather was at the head of the table, his expression unreadable. No one stood up and instead directed the 3 to take a seat in the empty chairs available.
Ken had been hoping that his grandfather’s expression would give him some peace of mind, but unfortunately that didn’t happen.
Feeling a knot in his stomach, Ken took the closest seat and tried his best to keep calm.
Only when all 3 men had seated did Mark finally speak.
“How do you think you’ve performed over these past few days Ken?” Mark inquired.
“I think I’ve performed well so far. There are still areas that I can improve in, but I feel like I’m making strides in the right direction.” Ken replied honestly. He already knew where he was lacking, once he improved his pitching grade he believed he would be nigh unstoppable.
Mark nodded before turning to his other grandson, “And you, Daichi?”
“I believe I have performed well.” Daichi replied confidently.
Ken blinked a few times, not expecting such a simple response. But it made sense since English was not his first language.
“Rohan. How about you?”
Rohan nodded, “I think my overall fitness could be better, but my pitches are sharper than they were even before the accident.”
Mark didn’t respond right away. He looked down at the papers in his hands for a few moments, shuffling through them slowly.
“Well, since all of you signed a minor league contract with a Major League call-up clause, you don’t need to sign any additional contracts. Congratulations, welcome to the Detroit Ligers squad.” Mark said, standing up from his chair.
Only now did his face break into a smile.
‘Eh?’
Ken froze for a moment, taking some time to process the words he’d just heard.
“Thank you…”
Ken turned his head and saw Rohan with his lead lowered, emotion evident in his voice. It was only now that Ken finally realized what his grandfather had said.
A bright and unbridled smile crept onto his lips, along with a sense of relief. He still had a long way to go, but for today at least, he would let himself enjoy the fruits of his hard work.
He placed his hands on both of Rohan’s shoulders and shook the guy.
“We did it! Haha!” Ken cheered.
Daichi shot up from his feet and pumped his fist. “Yatta1!”
“Omedetou1, Daichi, Ken.” Mark said from across the table, wearing a wide grin.
As the 3 celebrated, Mark watched from the side, his heart filled with pride. This past week had been tough on him since he needed to be extra careful not to be biased. If anything, he was overcompensating, becoming more critical of his grandsons.
When it came time to review their spot, Mark had always left the final decision to the assistant coaches to ensure fairness. The fact that his grandson’s were standing here right now was a result of their hard work.
He wanted to get up and hug them both, but he refrained.
“Once you leave this room, try not to celebrate too much. There are still 2 others that will be removed from the roster today.” He said.
As Mark stood up, Ken and Daichi approached bringing him into a bear hug.
“What are you guys doing?” Mark asked, taken aback. They were currently in front of the other coaches, he didn’t want to cause a scene.
“We’re celebrating with our grandfather… What do you think?” Ken replied.
Mark looked around and saw the other coaches smiling at them. It took a few moments, but his body finally relaxed. “Great job you two, I’m so proud.”
In Japanese, “yatta” (やった) is an exclamation meaning “hurray!”, “I did it!”, “It’s done!”, or “Ready!”. It’s a common expression used when someone accomplishes something or feels victorious
“Omedetou” (おめでとう) in Japanese means “congratulations” or “happy” and is used to express joy and well-wishes on special occasions or achievements.