“I’m here with Detroit Ligers rookie Ken Takagi who has just made history tonight in his debut match in the Major League. Ken, tell me what’s going through your mind right now.”
Not long after the game had finished, Ken was ushered in front of a camera on the field for a quick interview. He was only given a quick introduction before the camera started rolling.
“Everything feels so surreal at the moment, so I’m just taking it all in. Of course I’m happy to get the win in the opening game of the season, I’m also thankful for our coaching staff that trusted me with pitching the full 9 innings.” He responded.
“This was truly a phenomenal performance tonight Ken. With 21 strike outs, you’ve set the new record for strikeouts in a single game, previously held by 3 others, one of which Randy Johnson a hall of famer.” The interviewer said, her face full of smiles.
“Wow, I didn’t even know. That’s awesome.” Ken admitted. He had been so focused on getting a shutout that he hadn’t even paid attention to how many strike outs he’d had.
“Well, congratulations on your amazing debut. This was Carrie Winters, back to you in the studio Ernie.” The woman said, smiling at the camera.
The light atop the camera turned off and the blond haired woman relaxed. “Congratulations again Ken, I’m sure we’ll see each other again if you keep up those kind of performances.” She added with a laugh.
Ken bowed slightly. Carrie was a little older, but she was quite friendly and seemed to know a lot about baseball.
Ken felt tired all of a sudden. The only thing he wanted to do now was shower and head back home to get some rest. But it was his debut match and he still had plenty to do.
“Grandpa says the press conference is in 20 minutes. He asked you and I to be there.” Daichi nudged Ken, getting his attention.
“Alright. Come sign a few autographs with me, these fans deserve it after supporting us all game.” Ken said.
Daichi nodded, “I’ll bring some balls with me.”
As Ken approached the crowd, he saw many kids calling his name, holding out their hands. Some had hats while others had jerseys.
“Hey guys,” Ken said with a smile, grabbing the nearest item and pen before starting to sign his autograph.
Daichi appeared not long after with a few balls and handed some to Ken to sign. Ken saw a little kid who couldn’t have been older than 8, looking at him with sparkling eyes.
“Sign this quickly.” Ken passed the ball to Daichi who then put his signature onto it.
“What’s your name buddy?” Ken asked the young kid with a smile.
“Trevor.” The kid answered, his face turning red, however his eyes never left his own.
“Do you play baseball Trevor?”
Trevor nodded, “I’m a pitcher like you!”
“Good man.” Ken exclaimed, writing on the ball as he spoke. He then handed it to the little guy and offered out his fist. “Keep on working hard alright?”
After the exchange, Ken only had time to sign a few more items before he had to go to the press conference. He wasn’t able to sign everyone’s things, but there was never enough time.
The kid that received the ball was ecstatic, to the point where he had begun to cry.
On the ball with Daichi and Ken’s signature, Ken had written the words “Dream big”.
Back in the locker room, Ken didn’t even have time to get changed before he was ushered towards the press conference in the clubhouse. He managed to put on one of the teams windbreakers before being taken away.
He and Daichi arrived shortly after and took a seat at the table in the front of the room. Behind them was a screen with the team logo and the sponsors for the club, standard for such occasions.
“This is a question for Ken, 21 strikeouts in your debut game, that’s an incredible achievement. Can you walk us through what was working so well for you out there?”
Ken narrowed his eyes, trying to find the person who had just asked the question. It was difficult with the lights faced directly on him, but he finally found the guy.
“If I’m honest, my focus was to win the game and set the tone for the start of the season.” Ken said simply. He turned and placed a hand upon Daichi’s shoulder beside him, “As for what was working, it’s best that you ask this guy. He was the one giving me the right leads all game.”
“Yes, of course. How was it playing with your brother in the Major League? Was this something that you ever expected to happen?” The reporter continued.
Ken gave Daichi a nudge, as if to tell him to answer.
“This is something that we’ve been working towards since we were just two High School kids in Japan. After 7 years of hard work, we finally made our dream come true today.” Daichi said impassionately.
“And we’re just getting started.” Ken said with a laugh.
There were a few chuckles in the room. It seemed like they were all invested in the story of the two brothers. But on such a day like this, there were other things to discuss.
“Ken, Jerry Yarrow from Detroit News here. You recently released a video on social media stating that you would quit baseball if you didn’t complete 3 tasks this season. I believe it was a perfect game, qualifying for the World Series and breaking the record for the fastest pitch.”
Ken narrowed his eyes. He knew that this was going to come up at some point, there was no use in hiding from it. Ken waited for the inevitable question following the man’s words.
“Are you truly sticking to your word? There have only been 24 perfect games ever recorded in the history of the league, it seems like a waste to be so stubborn.”